معرفی
Dr. Rudi Fasan serves as Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at The University of Texas at Dallas, holding the Robert A. Welch Distinguished Chair in Chemistry and CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research designation. Appointed in 2023 through a $6 million CPRIT recruitment award, he leads innovative research at the intersection of synthetic chemistry and disease therapeutics within the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
Education:
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Padua (B.S., 1999)
- Bio-organic Chemistry, University of Zurich (Ph.D., 2005)
- Postdoctoral Fellow, California Institute of Technology (Nobel laureate Dr. Frances H. Arnold's lab)
His research pioneers two transformative approaches: developing synthetic libraries of natural-product-inspired molecules for anti-cancer/antiviral drug discovery, and engineering enzymes to perform "new-to-nature" chemical reactions. These biocatalytic methods enable sustainable pharmaceutical manufacturing while advancing green chemistry principles. Current work focuses on translating laboratory discoveries into clinical applications through collaborations with UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Scientific recognition:
- Robert A. Welch Distinguished Chair in Chemistry (2023)
- CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research (2023)
- $6 million CPRIT Recruitment of Established Investigators Award (2023)
Dr. Fasan maintains a strong mentoring legacy, having directed NIH-funded graduate training programs at the University of Rochester and established NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) initiatives. His current CPRIT-supported research integrates therapeutic development with sustainable chemistry education.
He leads a dynamic research laboratory developing chemical tools to probe cancer biology and engineer biocatalysts for environmentally responsible drug synthesis, with emphasis on HIV therapeutics and next-generation anticancer compounds.
