Jim Kiefer
Principal Scientist and Associate Director, Structural Biology
"Cancer and autoimmune diseases are prevalent among my family and friends. I am here, because I would like to fight back."
My path to Genentech began in the Midwest, working at Searle, Pharmacia, and Pfizer for 12 years, in structure based drug design. Looking from the outside in, I had always been struck by how Genentech was consistently leading, rather than following, in the discovery of new medicines. I have been even more impressed by the culture and innovation here since joining in 2012.
I am structural biologist, but I think of myself as a “molecular photographer.” We determine the shapes of proteins bound to chemicals on the path to potentially becoming drugs and try to improve that interaction. The technique has broad applications from traditional, “small molecule” drugs to protein therapeutics. My primary interests involve pathways triggering cancer and inflammation.
SUMMARY OF PUBLICATIONS (PDF)Featured Publication
A minor structural change to tertiary sulfonamide RORc ligands led to agonist and inverse agonist mechanisms of action.
ACS Med Chem Lett 6(3):276-281, 2015.