Name:
Jitesh Shah
Country:
United States
City:
Richmond
State/Province:
VA
ACS Member:
Local Section:
Virginia
International Chapter:
Technical Division Membership:
Medicinal Chemistry Division
Technical Division Membership Emeritus:
Subdivision Member:
ACS Activities:
Company/Institution Name:
Career Stage:
Retired
Research and Special Interests:
My graduate research involves developing molecules for studying the receptor ligand interactions. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent the largest family of membrane proteins in the human proteome and the richest source of targets for the pharmaceutical industry. My project work deals with two GPCRs, namely histamine H1 and serotonin 5-HT2A receptors. Specifically, the work involves 1) building receptor homology models, and 2) design and chemical synthesis of small molecules as specific receptor probes. In this process, I have gained extensive experience in the design and execution of multi-step synthetic sequences and computational methods such as receptor model building and validation, and molecular docking.
Prior to my PhD work, I was involved in a collaborative project with the Indian Foundation for Reference Standard Substances (IFFRSS) as part of my Master"s thesis in Pharmaceutical Sciences. I gained hands-on experience in the synthesis, purification and toxicological studies of Official Impurities reported for pharmacopeial compounds. I was fortunate to be selected by Johnson and Johnson as an analytical research trainee. During my training, I was involved in various projects dealing with analytical method development for drugs.
Area of Expertise:
Medicinal Chemistry/Drug Design/Synthesis
Years of Expertise:
1-5