Nik Chetwyn Senior Scientist: Pharmaceutical Sciences Profile | Education/Background | Top Scientific Papers | Awards & Honors

"I joined Genentech in June of 2006 with the task of building a Small Molecule Analytical Chemistry group which is an integral part of Small Molecule Pharmaceutical Sciences along with the Pharmaceutics and Process Chemistry and Scale-Up groups.

I was excited by the opportunity to join a company known for its excellent science and track record in fighting life-threatening diseases - especially cancer. Genentech is respected for it's exceptionally strong biology and knowledge of large molecule drugs but this was a chance to be part of an exciting new direction - utilizing the excellent biological understanding of a target to develop new small molecule therapeutics. I am privileged to be part of an enthusiastic team of great scientists in a collaborative and science-driven culture dedicated to one thing — fighting human diseases."

Current Projects "My team and I are currently working on a broad range of drug candidates mainly with a focus on oncology. A large part of my current work is recruiting and building a world-class team of analytical chemists. The group is steadily growing and we are preparing to move into new, state-of-the-art laboratories that will open in the Fall of 2007."

Collaborations "The success of our work relies on close collaboration with other groups of scientists. Our closest collaborations are with synthetic organic chemists and formulators within Small Molecule Pharmaceutical Sciences. However, we also collaborate regularly with Medicinal Chemistry, Toxicology, Regulatory Affairs, DMPK and our QC colleagues."

Inspiration/Vision "The bottom line is that people suffer when they are sick. If I can contribute in any way to helping fight diseases such as cancer then the hard work is worth it. My vision is to bring together the best and the brightest scientists to leverage Genentech's knowledge of disease with a shared and focused goal of helping others"