Donna M. Huryn, Ph.D.

Dr. Donna M. Huryn received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and her Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania. She began her career as a medicinal chemist in the pharmaceutical industry (Hoffmann-La Roche & Wyeth Research), and contributed to drug discovery efforts for HIV, cancer, asthma, and CNS disorders with increasing levels of responsibility.

In 2004, she joined academia where she helped establish drug discovery and medicinal chemistry centers at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pittsburgh.  She was Professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Pharmacy until 2023, when she joined the Chemistry Department at the University of Pennsylvania. Her laboratory focuses on the design and synthesis of small molecule probes and drug candidates to treat neurodegenerative, kidney disease, and genetic diseases.

Dr. Huryn is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the American Chemical Society (ACS), and was inducted into the ACS Division of Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame.  She is recipient of the ACS Philadelphia Local Section Award, the Philip S. Portoghese Lectureship, and the Garvin-Olin Medal. She has held a number of elected positions at the national level in the ACS and the AAAS.  She is co-author of the textbook Medicinal Chemistry (CRC Press) and, from 2014-2023, was Associate Editor of ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters. In 2019, she co-founded Empowering Women in Organic Chemistry (EWOC), and continues to serve on the organizing committee.