On September 26, 2023, Dr. Mohammad Alaraby delivered a faculty research seminar hosted by College of Pharmacy to the faculty members and candidates of the Masters in the Drug Discovery and Development, titled “Mastering the Art of Computer-Aided Drug Design: Dos, Don’ts, and a Kinase Case Study Deep Dive”.
Dr. Salem, earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Alberta with the support of a prestigious Provost Entry Award, and is currently engaged in a postdoctoral position in Germany where he studies the energy decomposition analysis of small organic molecules.
During the seminar, Dr. Salem explained the intricate process of designing, synthesizing, and evaluating new oxadiazoles with selective-COX-2 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) dual inhibitory activity. He elucidated how these compounds are promising candidates for treating cancer as elucidated in cytotoxicity studies and in silico assessments. Furthermore, Dr. Salem’s seminar provided insights into the methodology of docking and Molecular Dynamics techniques employed in investigating compounds against EGFR tyrosine kinase.
The event concluded with a lively discussion, underscoring the importance of computer-aided drug design in advancing pharmaceutical innovation.