Huang Qiu

About Huang Qiu

Experienced Organic and Medicinal Chemist with over 10 years of expertise in organic synthesis, Medicinal chemistry, and drug discovery. Skilled in complex multi-step synthesis, gram- to kilogram-scale production, and advanced synthetic technologies including photochemistry, multi-component reactions, flow chemistry, and DNA-encoded libraries (DELs). Demonstrated success in hit-to-lead, lead optimization, ADME/DMPK optimization, and both phenotypic and structure-based drug design across multiple projects.Served in team technical leadership roles in multiple projects, contributing expertise in organic chemistry, process chemistry, and medicinal chemistry. Collaborated effectively with various teams such as internal biologists, AI/ML and computational scientists.Managed teams of 30+ FTEs, overseeing target synthesis from milligram to kilogram scale and ensuring quality control. Recruited, mentored, and guided interns and junior scientists across disciplines.

Experience

1. Senior Chemist

   Protego Bio

   Aug 2022 — Present · San Diego, CA, US

   Responsibilities: Directed compound design to develop structure-activity relationships (SAR) and optimize pharmacokinetic properties across multiple chemical series, while overseeing external CRO chemistry teams and supervising direct reports. Key Achievements:Advanced drug candidates for IND submission: Achieved a >100-fold improvement in potency through SAR analysis and optimization.Addressed ADME challenges by identifying major metabolic pathways through Metabolite Identification (Met ID) analysis and implementing bioisosteric modifications to increase half-life from 10 minutes to >120 minutes.Optimized pharmacokinetic properties, resulting in a >100-fold increase in Cmax and a >10 fold increase in Vdss through the optimization of molecular weight, ClogP, and pKa parameters, ultimately meeting IND submission requirements.Addressed safety concerns, such as hERG and CYP inhibition, by incorporating Tier 1 and Tier 2 (SafeScreen 44/87) in vitro Safety Pharmacology panels.Designed a series of photoaffinity probes for target identification, leading to the successful determination of the Protein X–ligand complex structure by Cryo-EM.Synthetic Route Optimization: Directed CRO teams to streamline synthetic routes, reducing a 12-step process to 5 steps for key compounds by employing advanced techniques such as photochemistry and intermolecular cycloadditions.Collaborated across disciplines—including bioscience, computational scientists, and CROs—to develop project strategies, establish screening cascades, and create chemical tools to test project hypotheses.Co-inventor on 5 granted patents: collaborating closely with patent lawyers to strengthen intellectual property protections- ensuring data integrity, providing general synthetic routes for key examples, organizing analytical and biological data, and verifying data accuracy.

Education

• Ocean University of China

  Bachelor’s Degree, Materials Chemistry

  2006 — 2010

• University of Maryland

  Ph.D, Organic chemistry

  2013 — 2016

• East China Normal University

  Ph.D, Organic Chemistry

  2010 — 2013