Front Row lecture series

Expanding the drug target universe

Benjamin Cravatt, PhD
Professor, Norton B. Gilula Chair in Biology and Chemistry, Department of Chemistry
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
4:00 p.m. PT | 7:00 p.m. ET

There are countless proteins that play critical roles in disease, yet they remain challenging to target with therapeutics. In this free Front Row lecture, professor Benjamin Cravatt explained how his large-scale protein profiling research and innovative chemical technologies are helping identify novel drugs for therapeutic targets previously deemed ‘undruggable.’ Cravatt’s translational work, which is at the intersection of chemistry and biology, has also led to the formation of multiple local biotechnology companies that collectively employ hundreds of scientists who are developing first-in-class candidate medicines for diverse diseases ranging from cancer to neurological disorders.

Presented: September 17, 2025

Presentation slides
Key Takeaways

Benjamin Cravatt, PhD

There are countless proteins that play critical roles in disease, yet they remain challenging to target with therapeutics. In this free Front Row lecture, professor Benjamin Cravatt explained how his large-scale protein profiling research and innovative chemical technologies are helping identify novel drugs for therapeutic targets previously deemed ‘undruggable.’ Cravatt’s translational work, which is at the intersection of chemistry and biology, has also led to the formation of multiple local biotechnology companies that collectively employ hundreds of scientists who are developing first-in-class candidate medicines for diverse diseases ranging from cancer to neurological disorders.

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