Joe Lyssikatos Principal Scientist: Discovery Chemistry Profile | Education/Background | Top Scientific Papers

"After collaborating with scientists at Genentech, I was impressed by their breadth of understanding of cancer biology. Moreover, I found it very appealing that Genentech focuses on the patient and the science, rather than on potential market size. I accepted a position at Genentech as a Principal Scientist."

Current Projects "I currently lead a group of chemists that attempts to develop small molecule inhibitors of the several oncology pathways that regulate mitosis, DNA damage repair and cell survival. We strive to create best-in-class and/or first-in-class drugs by working with a talented group of multidisciplinary scientists (drug metabolism, pharmacology, structural biology, toxicology, etc.) and by using various tools of drug discovery, such as structure based approaches, computational chemistry, measuring physical properties and building ADME SAR."

Collaborations "Even though I had experienced a collaborative environment with Genentech in my previous job, I was even more impressed by the high level that exists across the many disciplines needed to enable the drug discovery machine."

Inspiration/Vision "I feel very fortunate that I have the opportunity to work with very talented and highly motivated scientists with the shared goal of making a meaningful difference in cancer patients' lives."