Wade Russu

Wade Russu is an Associate Professor at University of the Pacific, specializing in chemistry education within pharmacy contexts and drug discovery for cancer. He has been at the university since 2005, blending teaching and research in pharmaceutical chemistry.

• Education:
  • BS in Biochemistry, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (1992)
  • PhD in Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara (2000)
  • Postdoctoral training at University of California, Irvine (2001-2004)

Dr. Russu's research focuses on designing quinazoline-based kinase inhibitors for cancer therapy, including PDGFR family inhibitors and NF-kB pathway inhibitors. His work extends to using chemical probes to identify novel targets like CDK8 in triple-negative breast cancer and AhR in autophagy pathways.

His teaching philosophy emphasizes "learn by doing" through problem-solving, lab sessions, and critical thinking exercises in courses like Drug Design (PCSP 211) and Pharmaceutical Analysis (PCSP 208).

• Scientific Honors:
  • Phi Lambda Upsilon National Honorary Chemical Society
  • Rho Chi Pharmaceutical Honor Society
  • Alpha Chi Sigma National Chemistry Fraternity
  • American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
  • American Association for Cancer Research
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science
  • American Chemical Society (Organic & Medicinal Chemistry Divisions)

Dr. Russu's publications highlight his expertise in kinase inhibition, anti-cancer drug development, and chemical probe applications. He also maintains professional affiliations relevant to pharmaceutical and chemical sciences.