Robert Doerksen

Robert J. Doerksen is the Associate Dean of the Graduate School and a Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Mississippi's School of Pharmacy. He holds a dual role as a Research Professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences. His research focuses on computational medicinal chemistry, glycoscience, cannabinoids, and natural products discovery. He earned a Double First Class Honours BSc in Mathematics and Physics from the University of New Brunswick (1986) and a PhD in Chemistry from the same institution (1998). His postdoctoral training included studies at UC Berkeley and the University of Pennsylvania.

Doerksen's research emphasizes computational methods to study protein-ligand interactions, glycobiology, and drug design for diseases like Alzheimer’s, malaria, and cancer. He leads the Computational Chemistry and Bioinformatics Research Center (CCBRC) within the NIH-funded GlyCORE Center of Research Excellence (GM130460). His work integrates molecular modeling, QSAR analysis, and collaborative natural product chemistry to develop novel therapeutic agents.

Key research areas include: 1) Glycoscience: glycan-protein interactions and glycoprotein bioinformatics; 2) Cannabinoid receptor modulation for neuroinflammation and pain management; 3) Antimalarial and antituberculosis drug discovery; 4) Delivery systems using cyclodextrins and responsive nanoparticles. His lab has pioneered computational tools for drug discovery, including docking algorithms and QSAR modeling.

Doerksen has secured over $10 million in NIH funding, including multi-PI leadership roles in GlyCORE and NSF REU programs. He advises students in computational chemistry and medicinal chemistry, contributing to over 200 peer-reviewed publications. His lab collaborates extensively with chemists, biologists, and clinicians to translate computational insights into experimental drug candidates.