Sumit Chanda discusses the Sanford Burnham Prebys partnership to discover and develop new treatments for COVID-19 and our shared approach to AI drug discovery
From HIV to Covid-19
In Episode 1 we discuss Dr. Chanda’s lab’s research in HIV and their pivot to study SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) at the beginning of the pandemic. Dr. Chanda discusses how his lab answered the call to action for COVID-19 using an agnostic approach to understand host-pathogen interactions, along with the role of therapeutics in curbing future pandemics.
Mobilizing Against COVID-19
In Episode 2 we detail how the Chanda lab mobilized scientists from all over the world early in the pandemic to study SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Dr. Chanda discusses this major international research collaboration, its focus on discovering broad spectrum antivirals, as well as the groundbreaking results of the study published in Nature.
Collaboration with
Model Medicines
In Episode 3 Dr. Chanda and Dr. Daniel Haders II discuss the inception of their collaboration between Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and Model Medicines, the process of taking therapeutics from bench to bedside, and their shared approach to drug discovery.
AI and the Future of
Drug Discovery
In the final episode of our four-part series they discuss the applications of AI drug discovery post-COVID. They hone in on the importance of using therapeutics to fill gaps in treatment, and how therapeutics discovered using this method pave the way for a safer future.
“We believe that our research partnership with Model Medicines will demonstrate that the combination of biology, chemistry and artificial intelligence can disrupt the traditional drug discovery process. The result of which has the potential to bring treatments to the market, on demand, at a fraction of the time, money, and effort, as well as with greater efficacy than traditional approaches.”
Sumit Chanda, Ph.D
Director of the Immunity and Pathogenesis Program
Sanford Burnham Prebys
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute is dedicated to discovering the fundamental molecular causes of disease and devising the innovative therapies of tomorrow. The Institute takes a unique, collaborative approach to medical research and has established major research programs in cancer, neurodegeneration, diabetes, and infectious, inflammatory, and childhood diseases. The Institute is especially known for its world-class capabilities in stem cell research and drug discovery technologies. Sanford Burnham Prebys is a U.S.-based, non-profit public benefit corporation based in San Diego (La Jolla), California.
Sumit Chanda
Sumit Chanda earned his Ph.D from Stanford University in 2001, and received his post-doctoral training at the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF). He subsequently transitioned to a Group Leader position, and established his research group in the Division of Cellular Genomics at GNF. In 2007, he joined the Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute as an Associate Professor. Dr. Chanda was promoted to Professor in 2013. In 2015, he was appointed Director of the Immunity and Pathogenesis Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute.