INDIANAPOLIS—The Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at IUPUI hosted the second annual “Dr. Frank J. Welcher Chemistry Lectureship” on Wednesday, November 17, with a talk by chemist Richard Silverman, Ph.D.
Silverman, who does research on central nervous system disorders and cancer, is the Patrick G. Ryan/Aon Professor at Northwestern University. He presented “Drug Discovery: Ingenuity or Serendipity?” during which he summarized aspects of the drug discovery process and shared details about the discovery of several prescription drugs, which required both ingenuity and serendipity. His lecture included the research leading to the discovery of Allegra™, an antihistamine, Viagra™, along with his research on the development of Lyrica™, a prescription drug for the treatment of nerve pain.
“Statistically about 40 percent of drugs on the market are, if not natural products, inspired by a natural product. But we can’t just go to nature. We have to look for drugs for a lot of different purposes, a lot of different diseases, and this is a very long and very expensive operation,” Silverman said.
Silverman went on to explain the search for a molecule called the lead compound, which is a prototype for the actual drug. When scientists modify the structure of these molecules, sometimes what occurs is better than intended. For example, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Lyrica was originally developed for epilepsy, but during clinical trials, it was shown to treat fibromyalgia and diabetic neuropathy, as well.
“We had an idea in mind to design the drug, but it actually gave us a surprise; it turns out the original hypothesis isn’t really the important mechanism of action,” explains Silverman.
Silverman also hosted a disciplinary talk during his time on campus to discuss other projects from his lab related to epilepsy, neuropathic pain, and hepatocellular carcinoma.
This annual lectureship honors distinguished professor of chemistry Frank J. Welcher, Ph.D. It was established in Welcher’s name by Priscilla and Erwin (Erv) Boschmann, Ph.D., IUPUI chemistry professor emeritus.
Welcher taught chemistry for more than 45 years, serving as a faculty member before IUPUI was officially established in 1969. Welcher was an influential mentor and colleague to Boschmann; his monumental work, “Organic Analytical Reagents”, made him an international expert.
“Prof. Frank J. Welcher’s story is very inspiring to us, and it demonstrates how intellectual capacity transcends disciplinary silos. We are very thankful to Prof. Erv Boschman for the endowment that allows us to celebrate Dr. Welcher’s accomplishments by hosting top notch scientists such as Prof. Richard Silverman,” said Partha Basu, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at IUPUI. “His lecture was informative and gave a perspective on drug development, and I am particularly pleased to see a high level of student engagement.”
Dr. Silverman is the Patrick G. Ryan/Aon Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Northwestern University. A native of Philadelphia, he received his undergraduate degree in chemistry from Pennsylvania State University and his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Harvard University. He also served in the United States Army.
Dr. Silverman has published close to 400 works and holds more than 125 patents. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Inventors, American Chemical Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry (in the UK), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has received numerous awards for both teaching and innovation. To learn more about Silverman’s accomplishments, visit his research lab website.