Chenglong Li, Ph.D., M.Sc., a professor of medicinal chemistry and the Nicholas Bodor Professor in Drug Discovery, has been appointed chair of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. His appointment began on Jan. 1.
Li steps into leadership of a top-ranked medicinal chemistry department that has grown substantially over the past decade. The department now comprises 25 full-time faculty members and 35 Ph.D. students, whose work in the past year generated $7.6 million in research awards and more than 80 scholarly publications.
“Dr. Li’s appointment ensures strong continuity and continued momentum for one of the nation’s top-ranked medicinal chemistry departments,” said Peter W. Swaan, Ph.D., M.Pharm., dean and professor in the UF College of Pharmacy. “Having been part of the department for nearly a decade, he understands both our culture and aspirations, and he brings a forward-looking vision that includes the strategic integration of artificial intelligence into drug design, discovery and development.”
Since joining the UF College of Pharmacy in August 2016, Li has held several leadership roles within the college and university. He is a member of the UF Health Cancer Institute, and he serves as associate director of the Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development and director of a T32 predoctoral training program funded by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of General Medical Sciences, which has supported 14 trainees over the past five years.
Li’s research focuses on molecular recognition, with a strong application to structure-based computer-aided drug design. As an early adopter of artificial intelligence in his lab, he has served on multiple college and university committees focused on integrating AI across UF. His career achievements include more than $17 million in research funding, nearly 190 publications and the mentorship of more than 60 graduate students and trainees.
As department chair, Li is focused on leading a team of accomplished faculty while expanding the department’s use of new technologies and artificial intelligence to drive drug design, discovery and development.
“Our success has always been driven by productive, well-supported faculty, and that will remain a top priority during my tenure as chair,” Li said. “Looking ahead, there is a tremendous opportunity to expand our footprint in AI-enabled drug discovery by bringing together a dedicated group of faculty working collaboratively in this space. At the same time, we will strengthen our integration with The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology and expand our drug discovery presence within the UF Health Cancer Institute.”
Li earned his B.Sc. in chemistry and his M.Sc. in physical chemistry at Peking University in Beijing, China. He received a Ph.D. in biophysics at Cornell University in 2000. Prior to joining UF, he was a professor in medicinal chemistry at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy and a research associate at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California.
Li succeeds Hendrik Luesch, Ph.D., a professor of medicinal chemistry and the Debbie And Sylvia DeSantis Chair in Natural Products Drug Discovery and Development, who served as chair since 2015.