Melanie Fritsche joined the group in January 2016 and was a coop student from Northeastern University. Melanie worked on the SMA project. Melanie has previous experience as a coop student at Hasbro in RI and the Pollastri Lab for Neglected Diseases at Northeastern. 
Nicole Nelson joined the group in July 2015 and was a coop student from Northeastern University. She developed SAR for both the 75- and 76- series on the SMA project. Nicole was a recipient of the Pajak Research Scholarship from Northeastern.
Xiao Liu was a MChem student from the University of York, U.K. and joined the group in September 2016. Xiao worked on the synthesis of Etifoxine and its analogs.  Xiao is pursuing a PhD at the University of Oxford.
Matthew Monte 
Matthew joined the group in July 2017 and was a coop student from Northeastern University.  Matthew made new analogs and new SAR for the HIF2a inhibitor project. 
John Kennedy joined the group in July 2015.  John is a MSci Chemistry student from Glasgow University, U.K.. John will be spending his forth year placement here at the LDDN. John has an interest in ALS is working on both the EAAT2 and SOD1 projects. John is an Arsenal and Celtic fan.
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Nicholas Kern

Nick was a Master's in Chemistry research student from Prof. Graham Jones group at Northeastern. Nick spent 2015 working at the LDDN building the SAR and continuing lead optimization for the SMA project. 

Priscilla Ogunmola

Priscilla was a student at the University of Huddersfield studying for a MSci in Pharmaceutical Chemistry. Priscilla spent her placement year here at the LDDN and focused on the asymmetric synthesis of a number of different heterocycles that increased survival motor neuron protein for the treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy.


Eliza Miller

Eliza joined the group in February 2015, and graduated with a Masters in Chemistry from Northeastern University in 2016. Eliza is established SAR for a novel series of heterocycles for the SMA project. Eliza was a cum laude Honors Chemistry Major from Gonzaga University.

Alison Volkert joined the group in July 2015 and was a coop student from Northeastern University. Alison developed SAR for the CMT project and some of her compounds are advancing into PK studies ....
Raihana Ghiwala joined the LDDN in August 2015 after graduating with a BSc degree from Bradford University, U.K.. She is now completing her MChem with Drug Discovery year and is spending her forth year placement here at the LDDN. Raihana is focused on developing new SAR for the EAAT2 project for AD and ALS.  
Allison Leonard 
Allison joined the group in July 2017 and was a coop student from Northeastern University.  Allison focused on developing new SAR for the EAAT2 project for AD and ALS.
Michaela Cullum-Doyle joined the group in January 2016 and is a coop student from Northeastern University. Michaela will be working on the CMT project. Michaela has research experience in the Beuning laboratory for DNA polymerase and enzyme research.
Fernanda Nobrega

Fernanda was a Brazil Scientific Mobility exchange student enrolled at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston. She was at the LDDN for the summer of 2015 and characterized compounds in solubility and microsomal stability assays.

Raihana Ghiwala joined the LDDN in August 2015 after graduating with a BSc degree from Bradford University, U.K.. She is now completing her MChem with Drug Discovery year and is spending her forth year placement here at the LDDN. Raihana is focused on developing new SAR for the EAAT2 project for AD and ALS.  
​Nick Elias​
Nick joined the group in July 2016, as a coop student from Northeastern University.  He worked on the synthesis of a new series of compounds that increased transcription of the survival motor neuron protein for the treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy.  
​Ian Hope was a final year MChem student from the University of York, U.K.  Ian joined the group in August 2016 and developed SAR for compounds that increase protein expression of EAAT2 protein as potential treatments for AD and ALS.  
John Kennedy joined the group in July 2015.  John is a MSci Chemistry student from Glasgow University, U.K.. John will be spending his forth year placement here at the LDDN. John has an interest in ALS is working on both the EAAT2 and SOD1 projects. John is an Arsenal and Celtic fan.
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Kelsey Patrick​
Kelsey joined the LDDN in July 2016, as a coop student from Northeastern University. Kelsey and Xiao Liu worked on the synthesis of Etifoxine and its analogs.  

Nicholas Kern

Nick joined the group in January 2015, and is a Master's in Chemistry research student from Prof. Graham Jones group at Northeastern. Nick is currently working on building SAR and lead optimization for the SMA project. He gained previous research experience at Novartis, Merck and Millennium.  

Lin Lin

Lin Lin joined the group in January 2015, as a coop student from Northeastern University. Lin developed the SAR on the SOD1 and CMT projects.  In particular Lin discovered our most potent CMT analog to date. 
Lin is now back at Northeastern and plans to go to medical school following graduation.

Esat Oney also joined the group in January 2015, from the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Strasbourg. He conducted research here on new treatments for Spinal Muscular Atrophy towards his Master's degree, Sciences of Drug - Drug Design and Production. Esat has now returned France and plans to pursue a PhD in Europe.
Fatih Sirindil joined the group in January 2015, from the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Strasbourg. He conducted research here on Alzheimer's disease towards his Master's degree, Sciences of Drug - Drug Design and Production. Fatih has now returned to France and obtained a French government scholarship to do his PhD in Strasbourg with Professor Patrick Pale.

Dr. Kevin Hodgetts

Director of ​The Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration

65 Landsdowne Street 

Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139

U.S.A.


Telephone: 617-768-8640 

Email:  khodgetts@partners.org

 

Contact

Rutali Brahme (Spring 2014). Rutali determined the thermodynamic and kinetic solubility, and the microsomal stability of a number of important LDDN compounds. Rutali began development of a PAMPA permeability assay before she joined Novartis in Cambridge, MA.
Sinthia Ahmed (Fall 2013). Sinthia determined the thermodynamic and kinetic solubility, and the microsomal stability of a number of important LDDN compounds. Sinthia also began to profile the hits discovered from screening the LDDN library in these assays which has helped us to design new libraries for CNS indications with better physical properties. Sinthia is now a formulation chemist at Toxikon in Bedford, MA.
Manpreet Virk (Spring 2013). Manpreet and Fera pioneered our development of in house microsomal stability, solubility and logD assays. Through their contributions, we were able to rapidly profile compounds in important drug-like property assays and prioritize compounds for in vivo studies. Manpreet is currently an Associate Scientist working at Cyprotex in Watertown, MA.
Fera Soedarsono (Spring 2013). Fera and Manpreet pioneered our development of in house microsomal stability, solubility and logD assays. Through their contributions, we were able to rapidly profile compounds in important drug-like property assays and prioritize compounds for in vivo studies. I am indebted to Fera, as she has always been available to come back to the LDDN to train new students and to help with the assays. Fera is a Scientist working at Novartis in Cambridge, MA.
Jennifer Li (Spring 2013). Jennifer became our process chemist during her six month stay. She was focused on scaling-up 10-10, the lead compound for the EAAT2 project at that time. 
Alexis Balcom (Fall 2013). Alexis began the novel CNS library project and made a number of new templates. One of Alexis's compounds was found to significantly increase expression of the SMN-2 protein, and it became the new lead structure for the SMA project. Alexis is now back at Northeastern, heading into her final semester.
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Alyssa Calder (Spring 2014). Alyssa spent her six months at the LDDN working on the SMA project. She was able to synthesize all of the crazy heterocycles I asked her to make, and she added a few more on top. She helped put the SMA project where it is today. Alyssa rejoined the LDDN in the fall of 2014, for her final year research project and made probe compounds to help elucidate the molecular target of our molecules. Alyssa began medical school at Drexel University College of Medicine.
Matthew Okscin (Fall 2014). In his six months at the LDDN, Matthew made novel analogs for a number of projects. Notably, he identified a compound that significantly suppressed SOD1 expression. Matthew is now on his second coop, also at BWH as an infant hearing screening technician. Matthew plans to go to medical school following graduation from Northeastern.

Past Students

Dr. Kevin Hodgetts is the Co-Director of LDDN and Head of medicinal chemistry.

Kevin has a broad background in organic and medicinal chemistry, with experience in both industrial and academic drug discovery.  As a postdoctoral fellow, first at The University of Texas and then at University College Dublin, he developed novel synthetic methodology for the syntheses of complex molecules and applied these methods to the synthesis of several classes of biologically active natural products.  Kevin then spent over 13 years in the drug discovery industry as a medicinal chemist working on treatments for diseases of the central nervous system.  Working as the project leader, and as part of a multidisciplinary team, this has led to the identification of compounds suitable for use as biological probes in proof of concept studies on multiple novel biological targets.  Ultimately two compounds from this work have entered clinical trials; NGD-8243, the first TRPV1 (transient receptor potential vanilloid) antagonist to reach phase II clinical trials for pain, and NGD-4715, the first MCH-1 (melanin-concentrating hormone) antagonist to reach phase I clinical trials for obesity.  Dr. Hodgetts joined the LDDN in September 2012 to work with the academic community to design new and innovative strategies for drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases.  This has involved the optimization of the potency and drug-like properties of hits identified from screening of the LDDN library.  Ultimately the goal is to identify compounds with suitable properties for in vivo evaluation and proof of concept studies.

Raihana Ghiwala joined the LDDN in August 2015 after graduating with a BSc degree from Bradford University, U.K.. She is now completing her MChem with Drug Discovery year and is spending her forth year placement here at the LDDN. Raihana is focused on developing new SAR for the EAAT2 project for AD and ALS.  
John Kennedy joined the group in July 2015.  John is a MSci Chemistry student from Glasgow University, U.K.. John will be spending his forth year placement here at the LDDN. John has an interest in ALS is working on both the EAAT2 and SOD1 projects. John is an Arsenal and Celtic fan.
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Michaela Cullum-Doyle joined the group in January 2016 and is a coop student from Northeastern University. Michaela will be working on the CMT project. Michaela has research experience in the Beuning laboratory for DNA polymerase and enzyme research.
Rohan Sharma

Rohan joined the group in July 2015, as a coop student from Northeastern University. Rohan developed the SAR on the HIF2a project and discovered potential probes for target ID. Rohan is also a recipient of the Pajak Research Scholarship from Northeastern.

Alice Kennet was a MChem student from the University of York, U.K. and joined the group in September 2015.
Alice has previous research experience at the Davis lab at Oxford University, U.K. and at the LDDN she focused on the Klotho project for AD. Alice synthesized a number of cyclic constarined analogs of our lead compounds in order to improve potency and PK properties.
Andrew Burke is a MChem student from the University of York, U.K. and joined the group in September 2015. Andrew is working on the synthesis of a number of different heterocyclic structures that we believe will have both (i) activity at a number of CNS drug targets and (ii) display good PK and brain penetration. Andrew is a follower of Stoke City.  
Kierstyn Anderson joined the group in January 2016 as a coop student from Northeastern University. Kierstyn developed SAR for the Klotho project as we closed in on a compound for in vivo efficacy studies. Kierstyn has previous research experience in the Smotkin laboratory at Northeastern. Kierstyn graduated from Northeastern in 2017 and is pursuing a PhD in Chemistry at UCLA.
Patrick Boaler was a MChem student from the University of York, U.K. and joined the group in August 2016. Patrick focused his research on the synthesis of more water soluble analogs of one of our lead SMA series.  Patrick is pursuing a PhD at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
Alice Kennet is a MChem student from the University of York, U.K. and joined the group in September 2015.
Alice has previous research experience at the Davis lab at Oxford University, U.K. and at the LDDN she is focused on the Klotho project for AD. Alice is synthesizing a number of cyclic constarined analogs of our lead compounds in order to improve potency and PK properties.
Andrew Burke is a MChem student from the University of York, U.K. and joined the group in September 2015. Andrew is working on the synthesis of a number of different heterocyclic structures that we believe will have both (i) activity at a number of CNS drug targets and (ii) display good PK and brain penetration. Andrew is a follower of Stoke City.  
Eva Rodger studied Medicinal Chemistry with Professional Studies BSc (Hons) at the University of Salford. Eva worked on the synthesis and SAR of substituted benzothiazoles for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases including MS and SMA.
Anna Blundell was a student from the University of Bath studying for an MSci (Hons) in Natural Sciences (Major in Chemistry, Minor in Pharmacology.  Anna spent her third year placement here at the LDDN. She developed new SAR for the EAAT2 project for the treatment of AD and ALS.  

Michaela Cullum-Doyle joined the group in January 2016 and is a coop student from Northeastern University. Michaela will be working on the CMT project. Michaela has research experience in the Beuning laboratory for DNA polymerase and enzyme research.
Alice Kennet is a MChem student from the University of York, U.K. and joined the group in September 2015.
Alice has previous research experience at the Davis lab at Oxford University, U.K. and at the LDDN she is focused on the Klotho project for AD. Alice is synthesizing a number of cyclic constarined analogs of our lead compounds in order to improve potency and PK properties.
Kristy Ngai  was a student from the University of Bath, UK, studying for a BSc (Hons) in Natural Sciences (Major in Pharmacology, Minor in Organic Chemistry). Kristy made new anlogs of lead HIF2a inhibitor as a potential treatment for renal cancer. 

Andrew Burke was a MChem student from the University of York, U.K. and joined the group in September 2015. Andrew worked on the synthesis of a number of different heterocyclic structures for the CNS library project. Andrew is a follower of Championship football club, Stoke City.