Yale chemist receives NIH Young Investigator Award for antibody...(pounds that recognize pathogens and act ...)

Rational design is the key and the advantage to this approach, Spiegel said. Rather than using the brute force approach of screening combinatorial libraries of synthetic compounds, we already have cell-specific and pathogen-specific targeting molecules we can use or modify.

As a synthetic chemist, Spiegel will identify the best pathogen-targeting molecules and the best way of arranging them in relationship to DNP in order to attract DNP-antibodies to the constructed compound. As a physician, his aim is to redirect the immune system to deal as simply as possible with multiple diseases.

The five-year grant to Spiegel, was among the first group of Innovator Awards in the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research Initiative that tests new approaches to supporting research. Awards were made to 30 researchers out of 2200 applicants, of these, only 3 of the awardees, including Spiegel, are in chemistry departments. Yale cell biologist Derek Toomre also received one of the awards for his innovative work on microscopes.

David Spiegel possesses a stunning and eclectic background that has set the stage for an exciting career in academic science, said Gary Brudvig, professor and chair of Chemistry. His training in chemistry and medicine combine to bring great promise to this new area of therapeutics. We are delighted that his creativity and potential as an outstanding investigator has been acknowledged through this NIH award.

Spiegel earned his undergraduate degree with highest honors at Harvard. He matriculated at Yale University in the MD/PhD program, and due to his great interest in chemistry completed the PhD portion of his program pursuing projects in organic synthesis in the laboratory of John Wood. After his postdoctoral training with Stuart L. Schreiber at Harvard, he joined the Yale faculty of in the Depa
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