IUSM-Purdue Cores

Links to each core:

Admin and Data Management

Location: Indiana University School of Medicine

Goals:

  • Provide effective management, oversight, and evaluation of the IUSM-Purdue’s highly integrated Core activities along with communication to key stakeholders including the CSC, EAB, and the AD Research community.
  • Ensure timely and successful completion of center aims and delivery on key milestones and associated criteria.
  • Create and manage a dynamic open sharing data platform that will facilitate broad community access to all Center experimental activity, along with key tools and methods as part of specific TEPs.

Staff:

Name Role Affiliation
Alan Palkowitz PD/PI (Contact), Overall; Lead Indiana University School of Medicine
Bruce Lamb PD/PI (MPI), Overall; Co-Lead Indiana University School of Medicine
Tim Richardson PD/PI (MPI), Admin/Data Core; Lead, Admin Core Indiana University School of Medicine
Kun Huang Co-I, Admin/Data Core; Lead, BCB Core Indiana University School of Medicine
Andy Mesecar Co-I, Admin/Data Core; Lead, SBB Core Purdue University
Jeff Dage Co-I, Admin/Data Core; Lead, ADHTS Core Indiana University School of Medicine
Brent Clayton Co-I, Admin/Data Core; Lead, MCCB Core Indiana University School of Medicine
Becky Klein R&D Director, Admin/Data Core Indiana Biosciences Research Institute

Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (BCB)

Location: Indiana University School of Medicine, Regenstrief Institute

Goals:

  • Lead the development of the Open Access Data Sharing (OADS) platform.
  • Develop and establish advanced and novel data integration methods for predicting and prioritizing druggable targets as well as potential repurposing of drug candidates for AD.
  • Provide bioinformatics data processing and analysis support for the entire project covering the lifecycle of Alzheimer’s Disease drug target identification and drug discovery, by closely collaborating and coordinating with other technical cores.

Staff:

Name Role Affiliation
Kun Huang Co-I, Admin/Data Core; Lead, BCB Core Indiana University School of Medicine
Jie Zhang Co-I, BCB Core Indiana University School of Medicine
Changgee Chang Co-I, Biostatistical data analysis, BCB Core Indiana University School of Medicine
Travis Johnson Co-I, BCB Core Indiana University School of Medicine
Yi Zhao Co-I, Biostatistical data analysis, BCB Core Indiana University School of Medicine
Ziyan Song Graduate Research Assistant, BCB Core Indiana University School of Public Health
Zanyu Shi Graduate Research Assistant, BCB Core Indiana University School of Public Health
Jun Wan Co-I, Bioinformatics core data analysis, BCB Core Indiana University School of Medicine
Yijie Wang Co-I, Drug discovery using AI, BCB Core Indiana University
Robert Quick Web tool and server management, BCB Core Indiana University
Sheng Liu Bioinformatics core data analysis, BCB Core Indiana University School of Medicine
Madaline Peyton Graduate Research Assistant, BCB Core  Indiana University School of Public Health
Jiahui Liu Graduate Research Assistant, BCB Core Indiana University School of Public Health

Structural Biology and Biophysics (SBB)

Location: Purdue University

Goal:

  • Enable the identification of hit molecules by first elucidating unknown structures for prioritized targets via x-ray diffraction or cryo-electron microscopy, then utilizing those structures (or already known published structures) to perform computer aided drug design via multiple in silico methods in partnership with the Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology (MCCB) Core.

Staff:

Name Role Affiliation
Andy Mesecar Co-I, Admin/Data Core; Lead, SBB Core Purdue University
Ariel Bontrager Project Manager, CDD Vault Administrator, SBB Core Purdue University
Bridget Kaiser Graduate Research Assistant, SBB Core Purdue University
Kratika Singhal  Graduate Research Assistant, SBB Core Purdue University
Nidhi Walia Postdoctoral Fellow, SBB Core Purdue University
Grant Meyer Graduate Research Assistant, SBB Core Purdue University

Assay Development and High-Throughput Screening (ADHTS)

Location: Indiana University School of Medicine, Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, and University of Pittsburgh

Goals:

  • Perform primary and secondary assay enablement studies on selected targets to support compound screening and iterative SAR studies
  • For targets that are advanced for lead discovery, the ADHTS Core contributes to the design of a specific lead generation strategy and enables the in vitro testing flow scheme.

Staff:

Name Role Affiliation
Jeff Dage Co-I, Admin/Data Core; Lead ADHTS Core Indiana University School of Medicine
Shaoyou Chu Co-I, ADHTS Indiana University School of Medicine
Adrian Oblak Co-I, ADHTS Indiana University School of Medicine
Stephanie Bissel Co-I, ADHTS Indiana University School of Medicine
Logan Bedford Graduate Research Assistant, ADHTS Indiana University School of Medicine
Xiaoping Gu Research Analyst, ADHTS Indiana University School of Medicine
Emily Mason Postdoctoral Fellow, ADHTS Indiana University School of Medicine
Sara Quinney Co-I, ADHTS Indiana University School of Medicine
Lais Da Silva Co-I, ADHTS Indiana University School of Medicine
Claudia Rangel-Barajas Co-I, ADHTS Indiana University School of Medicine
Lily Roskam Research Analyst, ADHTS Indiana University School of Medicine
Mara Stecker Project Manager, ADHTS Indiana University School of Medicine
Mustapha Moussaif Co-I, ADHTS Indiana Biosciences Research Institute
Josh Kulas Staff Scientist, ADHTS Indiana Biosciences Research Institute
Abdul Qadir Syed Sr. Staff Scientist, ADHTS Indiana Biosciences Research Institute
June Javens-Wolfe Sr. Research Associate, ADHTS Indiana Biosciences Research Institute
Emma Lendy Staff Scientist, ADHTS Indiana Biosciences Research Institute
Mackenzie Rysted Postdoctoral Fellow, ADHTS Indiana Biosciences Research Institute
Stacey Rizzo Co-I, ADHTS University of Pittsburgh
Hasi Huhe Staff Scientist, ADHTS  University of Pittsburgh
Sean-Paul Williams Staff Scientist, ADHTS  University of Pittsburgh
Umesh Nepali Staff Scientist, ADHTS  University of Pittsburgh
Jason Hart Staff Scientist, ADHTS  University of Pittsburgh
Jenny Willis Staff Scientist, ADHTS  University of Pittsburgh
Yanwu Zhao Staff Scientist, ADHTS University of Pittsburgh

Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology (MCCB)

Locations: Indiana University School of Medicine

Goals: 

  • Consultation on target selection including assessment of druggability and aid in enablement studies
  • Design the lead generation strategy for each prioritized target
  • Work with cross-functional scientists from Technical Cores to enable hit discovery and iterative hit-to-lead SAR studies
  • Aid in vitro and in vivo assay/model study design and assessment of compound performance
  • Conduct multiparameter problem solving to optimize compound performance
  • Provide technical review and recommendation on lead milestone for prioritized projects, and
  • Provide termination recommendation for projects that have low likelihood for technical success

Staff:

Name Role Affiliation
Brent Clayton Co-I, Admin/Data Core; Lead, MCCB Core Indiana University School of Medicine
Pathum Weerawarna Research Professor, MCCB Core Indiana University School of Medicine
Michael Shulte Assistant Professor, MCCB Core Indiana University School of Medicine
Steve Massey Senior Chemist, MCCB Core Indiana University School of Medicine
Avi Benitah Postdoctoral fellow, MCCB Core Indiana University School of Medicine
Chetna Jadala Postdoctoral fellow, MCCB Core Indiana University School of Medicine
Ryan Imhoff Postdoctoral fellow, MCCB Core Indiana University School of Medicine
Michael Robo Computational, Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology Core Indiana University School of Medicine
Philip Hipskind Co-I, MCCB Core Lgenia
Greg Durst Staff Scientist, MCCB Core Lgenia
Karen Lobb Staff Scientist, MCCB Core Lgenia
Cynthia Jesudason Staff Scientist, MCCB Core Lgenia