The long-term objective of this proposal is to build a world-class Chemical Biology group at UCSF. Towards that goal, we aim to recruit a new faculty member to strengthen and expand the Chemical Biology group in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at UCSF. Science at the interface between chemistry and biology has been the core strength of our department. The Chemical Biology group at UCSF develops chemical tools and technologies to address critical biological problems involved in health care. UCSF has made a long-term commitment to develop and nurture the Chemical Biology group because of the major impact this field will have on future biomedical science and pharmaceutical applications. The recruitment process will be done using specific university mandated procedures and policies that emphasize a fair and open search to find the most highly qualified individual. Available startup funds for the hiring of new faculty have been severely curtailed due to the recent economic situation. Funds from the state and private donors alike are drying up. Meanwhile, the Dept of Pharmaceutical Chemistry has two open chemical biology positions but lacks start-up funds for these positions. Obtaining start-up funding for junior faculty is critical for us to continue to build a world-class Chemical Biology group here at UCSF.
Strengthening the Chemical Biology group at UCSF will have long term implications in providing new chemical tools critical for defining the importance of signaling nodes in cell biology. Discoveries made at the cellular level will translate into drug discovery and development using resources available at UCSF and with pharmaceutical partnerships. The Chemical Biology group is a conduit to transition discoveries made today in human biology into drugs of tomorrow.
