PERSONAL: After graduating from University College Cardiff with a BS in Biochemistry, Dr. Timothy Haystead completed a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of Dundee. Dr. Haystead has extensive experience in all aspects of small molecule discovery and development.
Dr. Haystead is highly regarded in the field of academia, holding positions at Duke University as Professor of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, Associate Professor of Pathology, and Member of the Duke Cancer Institute. His work has been recognized and funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), US Department of Defense, the Cohen Foundation, and Bay Area Lyme Foundation. In the professional world, Dr. Haystead is the founder of biotechnology company Serenex, Inc. (Serenex), which discovered and developed the first orally bioavailable inhibitor of Hsp90, SNX5422. This compound has completed several Phase I and II clinical trials and is currently progressing through Phase III studies for cancer. Serenex was acquired by Pfizer in 2008. Furthermore, Dr. Haystead serves as the founder and president of Eyedisbio, which discovers and develops therapies for small molecules implicated in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Outside of the laboratory, Dr. Haystead’s interests include marine life, and tending to the lab saltwater aquarium, scuba diving, and surfing.
RESEARCH INTERESTS: The major focus of the Haystead laboratory is the discovery and development of novel small-molecule inhibitors targeting purine-utilizing proteins involved in various aspects of human disease. Specific targets of interest include heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), fatty acid synthase, acetyl CoA Carboxylase, DAPK3 (ZIPK), PIM kinases, dengue fever non-structural protein 5 (NS5), and TAK1 (NEW WEBSITE LINK). Hsp90, Hsp70, and fatty acid synthase all have cancer, antiviral therapeutic indications, and promise for targeting antibiotic-resistant bacteria. As a result, the laboratory is actively developing a series of molecules specifically targeting these proteins that were discovered in our laboratory. The Haystead laboratory has also developed a series of novel imaging molecules based on our Hsp90 inhibitor series that have utility as both diagnostics and potentially curative strategies for a number of human cancers and viral infections. Our curative probes utilize chelated radioactive isotopes, which enable selective uptake and destruction of aggressive diseases via positron emission tomography. Currently, our diagnostic probes are being investigated through live imaging under the confocal microscope, and curative probes are being utilized in mouse models and visualized under the microPET/CT machine. The foundations of these programs are based on the development of a chemoproteomic strategy utilizing affinity methods combined with in-house organic synthetic chemistry.
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