Dennis Liotta, PhD

Research Program

Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics
Phone Number

404-727-6602
Email Address

dliotta@emory.edu

Biography

Dennis Liotta, PhD, joined Emory University in 1976. He currently holds the Samuel Candler Dobbs Professorship. He served as the chair of the Chemistry Department from 1993 to 1996 and Emory's vice president for research from 1996 to 2000. He also served as the associate director of the Emory Center for AIDS Research for over a decade and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the National Cancer Institute-Chemical Biology Consortium at Emory. In 2011, he was honored with the Thomas Jefferson Award, Emory University’s highest service award.

Dr. Liotta is recognized as one of the premier discoverers of novel therapeutics in the United States. To date, he has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications. He also holds inventorship to over 100 issued patents in the U.S. alone and has more than 20 patent families currently under prosecution. His innovations have resulted in at least 18 life-saving FDA-approved antiviral therapeutics. He is the recipient of the 2022 Perkin Medal, generally considered to be the highest award for achievements in applied chemistry. He was elected to the National Academy of Inventors in 2014 and the Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame in 2010.

Dr. Liotta catalyzed more than 30 license agreements between Emory University and various commercialization partners, including at least 25 exclusive license agreements and seven non-exclusive license agreements. As a serial entrepreneur, Liotta founded or co-founded more than 10 biopharmaceutical companies. These businesses fostered economic growth, created numerous jobs in the biotechnology sector and brought multiple drugs to the marketplace. One prominent example among these companies is Pharmasset, which he co-founded with Dr. Raymond Schinazi. Pharmasset, which was acquired by Gilead Sciences for $11.2B, developed sofosbuvir, a blockbuster, curative hepatitis C medicine.

Dr. Liotta is dedicated to innovating new approaches to drug development in academia and fueling Emory's reputation as a drug discovery powerhouse. He, together with fellow drug developer, Dr. George Painter, formulated the DRIVE model to provide critical infrastructure in the developmental continuum for new therapeutics. He implemented resources to create a pair of complementary Emory entities, EIDD (Emory Institute for Drug Development) and DRIVE (Drug Innovation Ventures at Emory). EIDD serves as an engine for early-stage research and development. DRIVE acts as a commercialization partner to advance drug candidates to subsequent value inflection points. Without shareholders or investors, EIDD and DRIVE strive to address the most critical unmet medical needs rather than pursue markets with the highest profit margins. Their focus on developing therapeutics for commercially neglected diseases unexpectedly provided a pivotal solution to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Molnupiravir, a drug discovered and developed by EIDD and DRIVE for addressing RNA virus infections, became the first drug to receive Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA for treating SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Education

Dr. Liotta earned his PhD in Organic Chemistry from the City University of New York in 1974. Following this, he completed his postdoctoral research at The Ohio State University.

Titles & Roles

Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor, Department of Chemistry

Emory University
Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology

Emory University School of Medicine
Chair, Advisory Committee of DRug Innovation Ventures at Emory and Emory Institute for Drug Development

Emory University

Research

Dr. Liotta has helped transform HIV/AIDS from a death sentence to a chronic infection in which patients can live active and productive lives. The Emory University Office of Technology Transfer estimates that about 95% of the people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S., and many around the world, take or have taken one of the drugs co-invented by Dr. Liotta. He is most noted for his invention of emtricitabine and lamivudine, along with Drs. Raymond Schinazi and Woo-Baeg Choi. These two drugs are widely used as crucial components of anti-HIV combination therapies. They played instrumental roles in combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the U.S. and curbing the spread of HIV in other regions of the world. Emtricitabine, marketed under the name Emtriva, made possible the first-ever combination therapy for HIV/AIDS as a once-daily pill. It is a component of many combination therapies used to treat HIV/AIDS. Lamivudine, marketed under the name Epivir, is also a component of multiple combination therapies. Additionally, lamivudine became the first drug approved by the FDA to treat hepatitis B infections. Both emtricitabine and lamivudine are on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines.

In addition to antiviral therapeutics, Dr. Liotta has also made important contributions to other therapeutic fronts, such as oncology and neurological diseases. He co-discovered samuraciclib (formerly CT7001), a CDK7 inhibitor for treating hard-to-treat cancers. Samuraciclib is in Phase 2 clinical trials and has been fast-tracked by the FDA for use in two combination therapies to treat certain breast cancers. He also developed Q-122, an oral drug for controlling hot flashes in postmenopausal women, which has completed a Phase 2 clinical trial. In addition, his collaboration with Dr. Stephen Traynelis in Emory’s Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology led to the discovery of NP-10679. NP-10679 successfully wrapped up its Phase 1 clinical trial and has received Orphan Drug designation from the FDA for treating subarachnoid hemorrhage or bleeding in the space around the brain.

Publications

Dr. Liotta has authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications, cited by scientists around the globe tens of thousands of times. He is the founding Editor-in-Chief of ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters (ACS MCL), which was launched in 2010 to provide a rapid communication venue for high-quality letters and technology notes in medicinal chemistry and related fields. Under his leadership, ACS MCL has become one of the preeminent journals for disseminating innovative medicinal chemistry reports.

Title/Journal	Authors	Publication Date
Epithelial N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors mediate renal vasodilation by affecting kidney autoregulation. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology	CA Romero, J Lim, H Wang, BM Wynne, P Ma, Y Jing, DC Liotta, M D'Erasmo, SF Traynelis, DC Eaton, SM Wall	06/12/2023
Design and Optimization of Novel Competitive, Non-peptidic, SARS-CoV-2 M^pro Inhibitors. ACS medicinal chemistry letters	L Jacobs, A van der Westhuyzen, N Pribut, ZW Dentmon, D Cui, MP D'Erasmo, PW Bartsch, K Liu, RM Cox, SF Greenlund, RK Plemper, D Mitchell, J Marlow, MK Andrews, RE Krueger, ZM Sticher, AA Kolykhalov, MG Natchus, B Zhou, SC Pelly, DC Liotta	12/10/2023
Development of a Dihydroquinoline-Pyrazoline GluN2C/2D-Selective Negative Allosteric Modulator of the N-Methyl-d-aspartate Receptor. ACS chemical neuroscience	MP D'Erasmo, NS Akins, P Ma, Y Jing, SA Swanger, SK Sharma, PW Bartsch, DS Menaldino, PJ Arcoria, TT Bui, A Pons-Bennaceur, P Le, JP Allen, EZ Ullman, KA Nocilla, J Zhang, RE Perszyk, S Kim, TM Acker, A Taz, SL Burton, K Coe, RG Fritzemeier, N Burnashev, H Yuan, DC Liotta, SF Traynelis	06/09/2023
Discovery of 5'-Substituted 5-Fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine Monophosphate Analogs: A Novel Class of Thymidylate Synthase Inhibitors. ACS pharmacology & translational science	M Dasari, SC Pelly, J Geng, HB Gold, N Pribut, SK Sharma, MP D'Erasmo, PW Bartsch, C Sun, K Toti, RS Arnold, JA Petros, L Xu, Y Jiang, EJ Miller, DC Liotta	12/05/2023
Neurotherapeutic Potential of Water-Soluble pH-Responsive Prodrugs of EIDD-036 in Traumatic Brain Injury. Journal of medicinal chemistry	RG Fritzemeier, AE van der Westhuyzen, M D'Erasmo, SK Sharma, P Bartsch, LE Hodson, K Liu, B Wali, I Sayeed, DC Liotta	27/04/2023
Novel GluN2B-Selective NMDA Receptor Negative Allosteric Modulator Possesses Intrinsic Analgesic Properties and Enhances Analgesia of Morphine in a Rodent Tail Flick Pain Model. ACS chemical neuroscience	LD Harris, MC Regan, SJ Myers, KA Nocilla, NS Akins, YA Tahirovic, LJ Wilson, R Dingledine, H Furukawa, SF Traynelis, DC Liotta	01/03/2023
ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters: An Innovation Ten Years in the Making. ACS medicinal chemistry letters	D Liotta	14/04/2022
Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel Tetrahydronaphthyridine CXCR4 Antagonists with Improved Drug-like Profiles. Journal of medicinal chemistry	E Jecs, YA Tahirovic, RJ Wilson, EJ Miller, M Kim, V Truax, HH Nguyen, NS Akins, M Saindane, T Wang, CS Sum, ME Cvijic, GM Schroeder, SL Burton, CA Derdeyn, L Xu, Y Jiang, LJ Wilson, DC Liotta	10/03/2022
Expanding the toolbox of metabolically stable lipid prodrug strategies. Frontiers in pharmacology	KS Toti, N Pribut, M D'Erasmo, M Dasari, SK Sharma, PW Bartsch, SL Burton, HB Gold, A Bushnev, CA Derdeyn, AE Basson, DC Liotta, EJ Miller	01/01/2022
Amino-Heterocycle Tetrahydroisoquinoline CXCR4 Antagonists with Improved ADME Profiles via Late-Stage Buchwald Couplings. ACS medicinal chemistry letters	HH Nguyen, YA Tahirovic, VM Truax, RJ Wilson, E Jecs, EJ Miller, MB Kim, NS Akins, L Xu, Y Jiang, T Wang, CS Sum, ME Cvijic, GM Schroeder, LJ Wilson, DC Liotta	14/10/2021
ω-Functionalized Lipid Prodrugs of HIV NtRTI Tenofovir with Enhanced Pharmacokinetic Properties. Journal of medicinal chemistry	N Pribut, M D'Erasmo, M Dasari, KE Giesler, S Iskandar, SK Sharma, PW Bartsch, A Raghuram, A Bushnev, SS Hwang, SL Burton, CA Derdeyn, AE Basson, DC Liotta, EJ Miller	09/09/2021
Potent SARS-CoV-2 Direct-Acting Antivirals Provide an Important Complement to COVID-19 Vaccines. ACS central science	S Pelly, D Liotta	24/03/2021
Distinct GluN1 and GluN2 Structural Determinants for Subunit-Selective Positive Allosteric Modulation of N-Methyl-d-aspartate Receptors. ACS chemical neuroscience	KL Strong, MP Epplin, KK Ogden, PB Burger, TM Kaiser, TJ Wilding, H Kusumoto, CR Camp, G Shaulsky, S Bhattacharya, RE Perszyk, DS Menaldino, MJ McDaniel, J Zhang, P Le, TG Banke, KB Hansen, JE Huettner, DC Liotta, SF Traynelis	06/01/2021
Synthesis and biological evaluation of 5'-C-methyl nucleotide prodrugs for treating HCV infections. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters	M Dasari, P Ma, SC Pelly, SK Sharma, DC Liotta	01/12/2020
Synthesis and Antiviral Activity of a Series of 2'-C-Methyl-4'-thionucleoside Monophosphate Prodrugs. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)	ZW Dentmon, TM Kaiser, DC Liotta	06/11/2020
Negative allosteric modulation of GluN1/GluN3 NMDA receptors. Neuropharmacology	Z Zhu, F Yi, MP Epplin, D Liu, SL Summer, R Mizu, G Shaulsky, W XiangWei, W Tang, PB Burger, DS Menaldino, SJ Myers, DC Liotta, KB Hansen, H Yuan, SF Traynelis	01/10/2020
Discovery of Dihydropyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazin-3(4H)-one-Based Second-Generation GluN2C- and GluN2D-Selective Positive Allosteric Modulators (PAMs) of the N-Methyl-d-Aspartate (NMDA) Receptor. Journal of medicinal chemistry	MP Epplin, A Mohan, LD Harris, Z Zhu, KL Strong, J Bacsa, P Le, DS Menaldino, SF Traynelis, DC Liotta	23/07/2020
Accelerated Discovery of Potent Fusion Inhibitors for Respiratory Syncytial Virus. ACS infectious diseases	N Pribut, TM Kaiser, RJ Wilson, E Jecs, ZW Dentmon, SC Pelly, S Sharma, PW Bartsch, PB Burger, SS Hwang, T Le, J Sourimant, JJ Yoon, RK Plemper, DC Liotta	08/05/2020
Accelerated Discovery of Novel Ponatinib Analogs with Improved Properties for the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease. ACS medicinal chemistry letters	TM Kaiser, ZW Dentmon, CE Dalloul, SK Sharma, DC Liotta	09/04/2020
NMDA receptor channel gating control by the pre-M1 helix. The Journal of general physiology	MJ McDaniel, KK Ogden, SA Kell, PB Burger, DC Liotta, SF Traynelis	06/04/2020
Small molecule and peptide-based CXCR4 modulators as therapeutic agents. A patent review for the period from 2010 to 2018. Expert opinion on therapeutic patents	YA Tahirovic, S Pelly, E Jecs, EJ Miller, SK Sharma, DC Liotta, LJ Wilson	01/02/2020
Biased modulators of NMDA receptors control channel opening and ion selectivity. Nature chemical biology	RE Perszyk, SA Swanger, C Shelley, A Khatri, G Fernandez-Cuervo, MP Epplin, J Zhang, P Le, P Bülow, E Garnier-Amblard, PKR Gangireddy, GJ Bassell, H Yuan, DS Menaldino, DC Liotta, LS Liebeskind, SF Traynelis	01/02/2020
Recent advances in the development of HBV capsid assembly modulators. Current opinion in chemical biology	B Nijampatnam, DC Liotta	01/06/2019
Di-aryl Sulfonamide Motif Adds π-Stacking Bulk in Negative Allosteric Modulators of the NMDA Receptor. ACS medicinal chemistry letters	SL Summer, SA Kell, Z Zhu, R Moore, DC Liotta, SJ Myers, GW Koszalka, SF Traynelis, DS Menaldino	14/03/2019
Aryl Substituted Benzimidazolones as Potent HIV-1 Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors. ACS medicinal chemistry letters	N Pribut, AE Basson, WAL van Otterlo, DC Liotta, SC Pelly	14/02/2019
Development of a novel progesterone analog in the treatment of traumatic brain injury. Neuropharmacology	I Sayeed, B Wali, DB Guthrie, MT Saindane, MG Natchus, DC Liotta, DG Stein	01/02/2019
Structural elements of a pH-sensitive inhibitor binding site in NMDA receptors. Nature communications	MC Regan, Z Zhu, H Yuan, SJ Myers, DS Menaldino, YA Tahirovic, DC Liotta, SF Traynelis, H Furukawa	18/01/2019
Tetrahydroisoquinoline CXCR4 Antagonists Adopt a Hybrid Binding Mode within the Peptide Subpocket of the CXCR4 Receptor. ACS medicinal chemistry letters	BM Katzman, BD Cox, AR Prosser, AA Alcaraz, B Murat, M Héroux, A Tebben, Y Zhang, GM Schroeder, JP Snyder, LJ Wilson, DC Liotta	10/01/2019
The GluN2B-Glu413Gly NMDA receptor variant arising from a de novo GRIN2B mutation promotes ligand-unbinding and domain opening. Proteins	G Wells, H Yuan, MJ McDaniel, H Kusumoto, JP Snyder, DC Liotta, SF Traynelis	01/12/2018
Inhibition of breast cancer metastasis to the lungs with UBS109. Oncotarget	M Shoji, WP Qian, GP Nagaraju, DJ Brat, D Pessolano, R Luzietti, S Chennamadhavuni, M Yamaguchi, L Yang, DC Liotta	16/11/2018
A structurally derived model of subunit-dependent NMDA receptor function. The Journal of physiology	AJ Gibb, KK Ogden, MJ McDaniel, KM Vance, SA Kell, C Butch, P Burger, DC Liotta, SF Traynelis	01/09/2018
A Machine Learning Approach for Predicting HIV Reverse Transcriptase Mutation Susceptibility of Biologically Active Compounds. Journal of chemical information and modeling	TM Kaiser, PB Burger, CJ Butch, SC Pelly, DC Liotta	27/08/2018
Design, Synthesis, and Pharmacological Evaluation of Second-Generation Tetrahydroisoquinoline-Based CXCR4 Antagonists with Favorable ADME Properties. Journal of medicinal chemistry	HH Nguyen, MB Kim, RJ Wilson, CJ Butch, KM Kuo, EJ Miller, YA Tahirovic, E Jecs, VM Truax, T Wang, CS Sum, ME Cvijic, GM Schroeder, LJ Wilson, DC Liotta	23/08/2018
An NMDAR positive and negative allosteric modulator series share a binding site and are interconverted by methyl groups. eLife	R Perszyk, BM Katzman, H Kusumoto, SA Kell, MP Epplin, YA Tahirovic, RL Moore, D Menaldino, P Burger, DC Liotta, SF Traynelis	24/05/2018
Academic Drug Development: The DRIVE Model. ACS medicinal chemistry letters	D Liotta, G Painter	10/05/2018
Discovery of N-Alkyl Piperazine Side Chain Based CXCR4 Antagonists with Improved Drug-like Properties. ACS medicinal chemistry letters	YA Tahirovic, VM Truax, RJ Wilson, E Jecs, HH Nguyen, EJ Miller, MB Kim, KM Kuo, T Wang, CS Sum, ME Cvijic, GM Schroeder, LJ Wilson, DC Liotta	10/05/2018
Small molecule CXCR4 antagonists block the HIV-1 Nef/CXCR4 axis and selectively initiate the apoptotic program in breast cancer cells. Oncotarget	MB Huang, KE Giesler, BM Katzman, AR Prosser, V Truax, DC Liotta, LJ Wilson, VC Bond	30/03/2018
A Novel Negative Allosteric Modulator Selective for GluN2C/2D-Containing NMDA Receptors Inhibits Synaptic Transmission in Hippocampal Interneurons. ACS chemical neuroscience	SA Swanger, KM Vance, TM Acker, SS Zimmerman, JO DiRaddo, SJ Myers, C Bundgaard, CA Mosley, SL Summer, DS Menaldino, HS Jensen, DC Liotta, SF Traynelis	21/02/2018
Synthesis of Novel Tetrahydroisoquinoline CXCR4 Antagonists with Rigidified Side-Chains. ACS medicinal chemistry letters	E Jecs, EJ Miller, RJ Wilson, HH Nguyen, YA Tahirovic, BM Katzman, VM Truax, MB Kim, KM Kuo, T Wang, CS Sum, ME Cvijic, GM Schroeder, LJ Wilson, DC Liotta	08/02/2018
Discovery of Tetrahydroisoquinoline-Containing CXCR4 Antagonists with Improved in Vitro ADMET Properties. Journal of medicinal chemistry	EJ Miller, E Jecs, VM Truax, BM Katzman, YA Tahirovic, RJ Wilson, KM Kuo, MB Kim, HH Nguyen, MT Saindane, H Zhao, T Wang, CS Sum, ME Cvijic, GM Schroeder, LJ Wilson, DC Liotta	08/02/2018
The Bioactive Protein-Ligand Conformation of GluN2C-Selective Positive Allosteric Modulators Bound to the NMDA Receptor. Molecular pharmacology	TM Kaiser, SA Kell, H Kusumoto, G Shaulsky, S Bhattacharya, MP Epplin, KL Strong, EJ Miller, BD Cox, DS Menaldino, DC Liotta, SF Traynelis, PB Burger	01/02/2018
Synthesis and SAR of 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydroisoquinoline-Based CXCR4 Antagonists. ACS medicinal chemistry letters	RJ Wilson, E Jecs, EJ Miller, HH Nguyen, YA Tahirovic, VM Truax, MB Kim, KM Kuo, T Wang, CS Sum, ME Cvijic, AA Paiva, GM Schroeder, LJ Wilson, DC Liotta	11/01/2018
The Structure-Activity Relationship of a Tetrahydroisoquinoline Class of N-Methyl-d-Aspartate Receptor Modulators that Potentiates GluN2B-Containing N-Methyl-d-Aspartate Receptors. Journal of medicinal chemistry	KL Strong, MP Epplin, J Bacsa, CJ Butch, PB Burger, DS Menaldino, SF Traynelis, DC Liotta	13/07/2017
Identification of Non-Nucleoside Inhibitors of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus Polymerase Complex. Journal of medicinal chemistry	A Jiménez-Somarribas, S Mao, JJ Yoon, M Weisshaar, RM Cox, JR Marengo, DG Mitchell, ZP Morehouse, D Yan, I Solis, DC Liotta, MG Natchus, RK Plemper	23/03/2017
CCR5 receptor antagonists in preclinical to phase II clinical development for treatment of HIV. Expert opinion on investigational drugs	MB Kim, KE Giesler, YA Tahirovic, VM Truax, DC Liotta, LJ Wilson	01/12/2016
GluN2D-Containing N-methyl-d-Aspartate Receptors Mediate Synaptic Transmission in Hippocampal Interneurons and Regulate Interneuron Activity. Molecular pharmacology	RE Perszyk, JO DiRaddo, KL Strong, CM Low, KK Ogden, A Khatri, GA Vargish, KA Pelkey, L Tricoire, DC Liotta, Y Smith, CJ McBain, SF Traynelis	01/12/2016
Next-Generation Reduction Sensitive Lipid Conjugates of Tenofovir: Antiviral Activity and Mechanism of Release. Journal of medicinal chemistry	KE Giesler, DC Liotta	23/11/2016
Evaluating the neurotherapeutic potential of a water-soluble progesterone analog after traumatic brain injury in rats. Neuropharmacology	B Wali, I Sayeed, DB Guthrie, MG Natchus, N Turan, DC Liotta, DG Stein	01/10/2016
Reduction Sensitive Lipid Conjugates of Tenofovir: Synthesis, Stability, and Antiviral Activity. Journal of medicinal chemistry	KE Giesler, J Marengo, DC Liotta	11/08/2016
In Vitro Metabolic Stability and in Vivo Biodistribution of 3-Methyl-4-furoxancarbaldehyde Using PET Imaging in Rats. ACS medicinal chemistry letters	AB Pippin, ZH Mohd Arshad, RJ Voll, JA Nye, S Ghassabian, CM Williams, A Mancini, DC Liotta, MT Smith, MM Goodman	09/06/2016
Discovery of a Fluorinated Enigmol Analog with Enhanced in Vivo Pharmacokinetic and Anti-Tumor Properties. ACS medicinal chemistry letters	EJ Miller, SG Mays, MT Baillie, RB Howard, DG Culver, M Saindane, ST Pruett, JJ Holt, DS Menaldino, TJ Evers, GP Reddy, RF Arrendale, MG Natchus, JA Petros, DC Liotta	12/05/2016
Discovery and Development of the Anti-Human Immunodeficiency Virus Drug, Emtricitabine (Emtriva, FTC). Accounts of chemical research	DC Liotta, GR Painter	01/01/2016
A novel class of negative allosteric modulators of NMDA receptor function. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters	BM Katzman, RE Perszyk, H Yuan, YA Tahirovic, AE Sotimehin, SF Traynelis, DC Liotta	01/12/2015
Discovery of novel N-aryl piperazine CXCR4 antagonists. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters	H Zhao, AR Prosser, DC Liotta, LJ Wilson	01/11/2015
Structural analysis of CXCR4 - Antagonist interactions using saturation-transfer double-difference NMR. Biochemical and biophysical research communications	BD Cox, AK Mehta, JO DiRaddo, DC Liotta, LJ Wilson, JP Snyder	09/10/2015
Chloride is an Agonist of Group II and III Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors. Molecular pharmacology	JO DiRaddo, EJ Miller, C Bowman-Dalley, B Wroblewska, M Javidnia, E Grajkowska, BB Wolfe, DC Liotta, JT Wroblewski	01/09/2015
Pyrazolo-Piperidines Exhibit Dual Inhibition of CCR5/CXCR4 HIV Entry and Reverse Transcriptase. ACS medicinal chemistry letters	BD Cox, AR Prosser, Y Sun, Z Li, S Lee, MB Huang, VC Bond, JP Snyder, M Krystal, LJ Wilson, DC Liotta	09/07/2015
Visualizing cancer and response to therapy in vivo using Cy5.5-labeled factor VIIa and anti-tissue factor antibody. Journal of drug targeting	S Zhu, W Kisiel, YJ Lu, LC Petersen, JM Ndungu, TW Moore, ET Parker, A Sun, JN Sarkaria, JP Snyder, DC Liotta, DJ Brat, BF El-Rayes, M Shoji	01/04/2015
Context-dependent GluN2B-selective inhibitors of NMDA receptor function are neuroprotective with minimal side effects. Neuron	H Yuan, SJ Myers, G Wells, KL Nicholson, SA Swanger, P Lyuboslavsky, YA Tahirovic, DS Menaldino, T Ganesh, LJ Wilson, DC Liotta, JP Snyder, SF Traynelis	18/03/2015
Monocarbonyl analogs of curcumin inhibit growth of antibiotic sensitive and resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. European journal of medicinal chemistry	PR Baldwin, AZ Reeves, KR Powell, RJ Napier, AI Swimm, A Sun, K Giesler, B Bommarius, TM Shinnick, JP Snyder, DC Liotta, D Kalman	06/03/2015
NMDA receptor modulators: an updated patent review (2013-2014). Expert opinion on therapeutic patents	KL Strong, Y Jing, AR Prosser, SF Traynelis, DC Liotta	01/12/2014
Structural determinants and mechanism of action of a GluN2C-selective NMDA receptor positive allosteric modulator. Molecular pharmacology	A Khatri, PB Burger, SA Swanger, KB Hansen, S Zimmerman, E Karakas, DC Liotta, H Furukawa, JP Snyder, SF Traynelis	01/11/2014
Group A streptococcus inhibitors by high-throughput virtual screening. European journal of medicinal chemistry	H Hu, S Mao, JV Bugrysheva, S Pruett, DC Liotta, JR Scott, JP Snyder	23/07/2014
Anti-HIV small-molecule binding in the peptide subpocket of the CXCR4:CVX15 crystal structure. Chembiochem : a European journal of chemical biology	BD Cox, AR Prosser, BM Katzman, AA Alcaraz, DC Liotta, LJ Wilson, JP Snyder	21/07/2014
A real-time method for measuring cAMP production modulated by Gαi/o-coupled metabotropic glutamate receptors. The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics	JO DiRaddo, EJ Miller, HA Hathaway, E Grajkowska, B Wroblewska, BB Wolfe, DC Liotta, JT Wroblewski	01/06/2014
An orally available, small-molecule polymerase inhibitor shows efficacy against a lethal morbillivirus infection in a large animal model. Science translational medicine	SA Krumm, D Yan, ES Hovingh, TJ Evers, T Enkirch, GP Reddy, A Sun, MT Saindane, RF Arrendale, G Painter, DC Liotta, MG Natchus, V von Messling, RK Plemper	16/04/2014
Design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationship of a novel series of GluN2C-selective potentiators. Journal of medicinal chemistry	SS Zimmerman, A Khatri, EC Garnier-Amblard, P Mullasseril, NL Kurtkaya, S Gyoneva, KB Hansen, SF Traynelis, DC Liotta	27/03/2014
Tumor angiogenesis therapy using targeted delivery of Paclitaxel to the vasculature of breast cancer metastases. Journal of drug delivery	S Zhu, W Kisiel, YJ Lu, LC Petersen, JM Ndungu, TW Moore, ET Parker, A Sun, DC Liotta, BF El-Rayes, DJ Brat, JP Snyder, M Shoji	01/01/2014
Autophagy and apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma induced by EF25-(GSH)2: a novel curcumin analog. PloS one	T Zhou, L Ye, Y Bai, A Sun, B Cox, D Liu, Y Li, D Liotta, JP Snyder, H Fu, B Huang	01/01/2014
Discovery of tetrahydroisoquinoline-based CXCR4 antagonists. ACS medicinal chemistry letters	VM Truax, H Zhao, BM Katzman, AR Prosser, AA Alcaraz, MT Saindane, RB Howard, D Culver, RF Arrendale, PR Gruddanti, TJ Evers, MG Natchus, JP Snyder, DC Liotta, LJ Wilson	14/11/2013
Structure-activity relationships and pharmacophore model of a noncompetitive pyrazoline containing class of GluN2C/GluN2D selective antagonists. Journal of medicinal chemistry	TM Acker, A Khatri, KM Vance, C Slabber, J Bacsa, JP Snyder, SF Traynelis, DC Liotta	22/08/2013
Synthesis and Metabolic Studies of Host Directed Inhibitors for Anti Viral Therapy. ACS medicinal chemistry letters	TW Moore, K Sana, D Yan, SA Krumm, P Thepchatri, JP Snyder, J Marengo, RF Arrendale, AJ Prussia, MG Natchus, DC Liotta, RK Plemper, A Sun	08/08/2013
Synthesis and structure activity relationship of tetrahydroisoquinoline-based potentiators of GluN2C and GluN2D containing N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. Journal of medicinal chemistry	RM Santangelo Freel, KK Ogden, KL Strong, A Khatri, KM Chepiga, HS Jensen, SF Traynelis, DC Liotta	11/07/2013
Monocarbonyl curcumin analogues: heterocyclic pleiotropic kinase inhibitors that mediate anticancer properties. Journal of medicinal chemistry	A Brown, Q Shi, TW Moore, Y Yoon, A Prussia, C Maddox, DC Liotta, H Shim, JP Snyder	09/05/2013
Asymmetric synthesis of host-directed inhibitors of myxoviruses. Beilstein journal of organic chemistry	TW Moore, K Sana, D Yan, P Thepchatri, JM Ndungu, MT Saindane, MA Lockwood, MG Natchus, DC Liotta, RK Plemper, JP Snyder, A Sun	01/01/2013
Novel NMDA receptor modulators: an update. Expert opinion on therapeutic patents	RM Santangelo, TM Acker, SS Zimmerman, BM Katzman, KL Strong, SF Traynelis, DC Liotta	01/11/2012
Mapping the binding of GluN2B-selective N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor negative allosteric modulators. Molecular pharmacology	PB Burger, H Yuan, E Karakas, M Geballe, H Furukawa, DC Liotta, JP Snyder, SF Traynelis	01/08/2012
Pre-steady state kinetic analysis of cyclobutyl derivatives of 2'-deoxyadenosine 5'-triphosphate as inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters	J Kim, L Wang, Y Li, KD Becnel, KM Frey, SJ Garforth, VR Prasad, RF Schinazi, DC Liotta, KS Anderson	15/06/2012
Novel Cyclopropyl-Indole Derivatives as HIV Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors. ACS medicinal chemistry letters	M Hassam, AE Basson, DC Liotta, L Morris, WA van Otterlo, SC Pelly	14/06/2012
Water-soluble progesterone analogues are effective, injectable treatments in animal models of traumatic brain injury. ACS medicinal chemistry letters	DB Guthrie, DG Stein, DC Liotta, MA Lockwood, I Sayeed, F Atif, RF Arrendale, GP Reddy, TJ Evers, JR Marengo, RB Howard, DG Culver, MG Natchus	10/05/2012
Non-nucleoside inhibitors of the measles virus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase: synthesis, structure-activity relationships, and pharmacokinetics. Journal of medicinal chemistry	JM Ndungu, SA Krumm, D Yan, RF Arrendale, GP Reddy, T Evers, R Howard, MG Natchus, MT Saindane, DC Liotta, RK Plemper, JP Snyder, A Sun	10/05/2012
Enantioselective synthesis of the carbocyclic nucleoside (-)-abacavir. Organic & biomolecular chemistry	GA Boyle, CD Edlin, Y Li, DC Liotta, GL Morgans, CC Musonda	07/03/2012
Inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway by the curcumin analog, 3,5-Bis(2-pyridinylmethylidene)-4-piperidone (EF31): anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. International immunopharmacology	A Olivera, TW Moore, F Hu, AP Brown, A Sun, DC Liotta, JP Snyder, Y Yoon, H Shim, AI Marcus, AH Miller, TW Pace	01/02/2012
Sphingolipid analogues inhibit development of malaria parasites. ACS medicinal chemistry letters	EV Meyer, JJ Holt, KR Girard, MT Ballie, AS Bushnev, S Lapp, DS Menaldino, RF Arrendale, GP Reddy, TJ Evers, RB Howard, DG Culver, DC Liotta, MR Galinski, MG Natchus	12/01/2012
Development of a unique small molecule modulator of CXCR4. PloS one	Z Liang, W Zhan, A Zhu, Y Yoon, S Lin, M Sasaki, JM Klapproth, H Yang, HE Grossniklaus, J Xu, M Rojas, RJ Voll, MM Goodman, RF Arrendale, J Liu, CC Yun, JP Snyder, DC Liotta, H Shim	01/01/2012
C6-C8 bridged epothilones: consequences of installing a conformational lock at the edge of the macrocycle. Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)	W Zhan, Y Jiang, S Sharma, PJ Brodie, S Bane, DG Kingston, DC Liotta, JP Snyder	23/12/2011
Mechanism for noncompetitive inhibition by novel GluN2C/D N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit-selective modulators. Molecular pharmacology	TM Acker, H Yuan, KB Hansen, KM Vance, KK Ogden, HS Jensen, PB Burger, P Mullasseril, JP Snyder, DC Liotta, SF Traynelis	01/11/2011
Novel synthesis and biological evaluation of enigmols as therapeutic agents for treating prostate cancer. ACS medicinal chemistry letters	EC Garnier-Amblard, SG Mays, RF Arrendale, MT Baillie, AS Bushnev, DG Culver, TJ Evers, JJ Holt, RB Howard, LS Liebeskind, DS Menaldino, MG Natchus, JA Petros, H Ramaraju, GP Reddy, DC Liotta	09/06/2011
Antibody responses against xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus envelope in a murine model. PloS one	N Makarova, C Zhao, Y Zhang, S Bhosle, S Suppiah, JM Rhea, N Kozyr, RS Arnold, H Ly, RJ Molinaro, TG Parslow, E Hunter, D Liotta, J Petros, JL Blackwell	06/04/2011
Enigmol: a novel sphingolipid analogue with anticancer activity against cancer cell lines and in vivo models for intestinal and prostate cancer. Molecular cancer therapeutics	H Symolon, A Bushnev, Q Peng, H Ramaraju, SG Mays, JC Allegood, ST Pruett, MC Sullards, DL Dillehay, DC Liotta, AH Merrill	01/04/2011
A novel pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine is a potent inhibitor of cyclin-dependent protein kinases 1, 2, and 9, which demonstrates antitumor effects in human tumor xenografts following oral administration. Journal of medicinal chemistry	DA Heathcote, H Patel, SH Kroll, P Hazel, M Periyasamy, M Alikian, SK Kanneganti, AS Jogalekar, B Scheiper, M Barbazanges, A Blum, J Brackow, A Siwicka, RD Pace, MJ Fuchter, JP Snyder, DC Liotta, PS Freemont, EO Aboagye, RC Coombes, AG Barrett, S Ali	23/12/2010
Dipyrimidine amines: a novel class of chemokine receptor type 4 antagonists with high specificity. Journal of medicinal chemistry	A Zhu, W Zhan, Z Liang, Y Yoon, H Yang, HE Grossniklaus, J Xu, M Rojas, M Lockwood, JP Snyder, DC Liotta, H Shim	23/12/2010
Activation of the p38 pathway by a novel monoketone curcumin analog, EF24, suggests a potential combination strategy. Biochemical pharmacology	SL Thomas, J Zhao, Z Li, B Lou, Y Du, J Purcell, JP Snyder, FR Khuri, D Liotta, H Fu	01/11/2010
A subunit-selective potentiator of NR2C- and NR2D-containing NMDA receptors. Nature communications	P Mullasseril, KB Hansen, KM Vance, KK Ogden, H Yuan, NL Kurtkaya, R Santangelo, AG Orr, P Le, KM Vellano, DC Liotta, SF Traynelis	05/10/2010
Multiple anticancer activities of EF24, a novel curcumin analog, on human ovarian carcinoma cells. Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)	X Tan, N Sidell, A Mancini, RP Huang, null Shenming Wang, IR Horowitz, DC Liotta, RN Taylor, F Wieser	01/10/2010
Quinazolin-4-one derivatives: A novel class of noncompetitive NR2C/D subunit-selective N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists. Journal of medicinal chemistry	CA Mosley, TM Acker, KB Hansen, P Mullasseril, KT Andersen, P Le, KM Vellano, H Bräuner-Osborne, DC Liotta, SF Traynelis	12/08/2010
Evaluation of cellular determinants required for in vitro xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus entry into human prostate cancer and noncancerous cells. Journal of virology	S Bhosle, S Suppiah, R Molinaro, Y Liang, R Arnold, W Diehl, N Makarova, J Blackwell, J Petros, D Liotta, E Hunter, H Ly	01/07/2010
Introductory Editorial for ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters. ACS medicinal chemistry letters	D Liotta	08/04/2010
XMRV infection in patients with prostate cancer: novel serologic assay and correlation with PCR and FISH. Urology	RS Arnold, NV Makarova, AO Osunkoya, S Suppiah, TA Scott, NA Johnson, SM Bhosle, D Liotta, E Hunter, FF Marshall, H Ly, RJ Molinaro, JL Blackwell, JA Petros	01/04/2010
Synthesis of fluorescent nucleoside analogs as probes for 2'-deoxyribonucleoside kinases. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters	Y Li, PB Soni, L Liu, X Zhang, DC Liotta, S Lutz	01/02/2010
Curcumin analog cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells: exploitation of a redox-dependent mechanism. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters	A Sun, YJ Lu, H Hu, M Shoji, DC Liotta, JP Snyder	01/12/2009
Development and screening of water-soluble analogues of progesterone and allopregnanolone in models of brain injury. Journal of medicinal chemistry	CJ MacNevin, F Atif, I Sayeed, DG Stein, DC Liotta	08/10/2009
Synthesis, structural activity-relationships, and biological evaluation of novel amide-based allosteric binding site antagonists in NR1A/NR2B N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry	CA Mosley, SJ Myers, EE Murray, R Santangelo, YA Tahirovic, N Kurtkaya, P Mullasseril, H Yuan, P Lyuboslavsky, P Le, LJ Wilson, M Yepes, R Dingledine, SF Traynelis, DC Liotta	01/09/2009
The development of a selective cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor that shows antitumor activity. Cancer research	S Ali, DA Heathcote, SH Kroll, AS Jogalekar, B Scheiper, H Patel, J Brackow, A Siwicka, MJ Fuchter, M Periyasamy, RS Tolhurst, SK Kanneganti, JP Snyder, DC Liotta, EO Aboagye, AG Barrett, RC Coombes	01/08/2009
Directed evolution of an orthogonal nucleoside analog kinase via fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Nucleic acids research	L Liu, Y Li, D Liotta, S Lutz	01/07/2009
Cancer and virus leads by HTS, chemical design and SEA data mining. Current topics in medicinal chemistry	P Thepchatri, J Min, T Ganesh, Y Du, I Lewis, S Kurtkaya, A Prussia, L Li, B Sneed, RK Plemper, H Fu, DC Liotta, JP Snyder, R Dingledine, A Sun	01/01/2009
Recent patents regarding the discovery of small molecule CXCR4 antagonists. Expert opinion on therapeutic patents	CA Mosley, LJ Wilson, JM Wiseman, JW Skudlarek, DC Liotta	01/01/2009
Enantiomeric propanolamines as selective N-methyl-D-aspartate 2B receptor antagonists. Journal of medicinal chemistry	YA Tahirovic, M Geballe, E Gruszecka-Kowalik, SJ Myers, P Lyuboslavsky, P Le, A French, H Irier, WB Choi, K Easterling, H Yuan, LJ Wilson, R Kotloski, JO McNamara, R Dingledine, DC Liotta, SF Traynelis, JP Snyder	25/09/2008
Inhibition of IkappaB kinase-nuclear factor-kappaB signaling pathway by 3,5-bis(2-flurobenzylidene)piperidin-4-one (EF24), a novel monoketone analog of curcumin. Molecular pharmacology	AL Kasinski, Y Du, SL Thomas, J Zhao, SY Sun, FR Khuri, CY Wang, M Shoji, A Sun, JP Snyder, D Liotta, H Fu	01/09/2008
EF24, a novel curcumin analog, disrupts the microtubule cytoskeleton and inhibits HIF-1. Cell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.)	SL Thomas, D Zhong, W Zhou, S Malik, D Liotta, JP Snyder, E Hamel, P Giannakakou	01/08/2008
Biodiversity of sphingoid bases ("sphingosines") and related amino alcohols. Journal of lipid research	ST Pruett, A Bushnev, K Hagedorn, M Adiga, CA Haynes, MC Sullards, DC Liotta, AH Merrill	01/08/2008
Discovery of aminoquinolines as a new class of potent inhibitors of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90): Synthesis, biology, and molecular modeling. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry	T Ganesh, J Min, P Thepchatri, Y Du, L Li, I Lewis, L Wilson, H Fu, G Chiosis, R Dingledine, D Liotta, JP Snyder, A Sun	15/07/2008
Design and synthesis of C6-C8 bridged epothilone A. Organic letters	W Zhan, Y Jiang, PJ Brodie, DG Kingston, DC Liotta, JP Snyder	17/04/2008
Targeting tissue factor-expressing tumor angiogenesis and tumors with EF24 conjugated to factor VIIa. Journal of drug targeting	M Shoji, A Sun, W Kisiel, YJ Lu, H Shim, BE McCarey, C Nichols, ET Parker, J Pohl, CA Mosley, AR Alizadeh, DC Liotta, JP Snyder	01/04/2008
Stereoselective synthesis of quaternary center bearing azetines and their beta-amino acid derivatives. The Journal of organic chemistry	CJ MacNevin, RL Moore, DC Liotta	15/02/2008

Awards

Dr. Liotta has received the following awards and honors:

Innovation, Inventorship, and Entrepreneurship

Perkin Medal, Society of Chemical Industry America, 2022
Wallace H. Carothers Award, Delaware Section of the American Chemistry Society, 2018
Licensing Deal of the Year, Emory University Office of Technology Transfer, Atlanta, GA, 2014 and 2015
Georgia Bio Shark Tank Winner, Georgia Bio, 2014
Fellow, National Academy of Inventors, 2013
Intellectual Property Legends Award, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 2012
Significant Event of the Year (the acquisition of Pharmasset Inc. by Gilead Sciences), Emory University
Office of Technology Transfer, Atlanta, GA, 2012

Scientific/Professional Achievements and Recognitions

Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, 2014–present
Fellow, American Chemical Society, 2010–present
Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2003–present
Alfred Burger Award in Medicinal Chemistry, American Chemical Society, 2018
Bristol-Myers Squibb Smissman Award, American Chemistry Society, 2015
Antonín Holý Memorial Award, International Society for Antiviral Research, 2015
175 Emory History Makers Medal, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 2012
Thomas Jefferson Award (Emory University's highest service award), Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 2011
Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame, American Chemistry Society, 2010