Robert Kenneth Griffith, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Medicinal Chemistry Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences West Virginia University P.O. Box 9530 Morgantown, WV 26506-9530 Phone: (304) 293-1481 Fax: (304) 293-2576 E-Mail: rgriffith@hsc.wvu.edu

Education:

Post-doctoral Training - Postdoctoral - Dept. Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine 1976-77
Graduate Training - Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry, Ohio State University, 1977
Undergraduate Training - B.S. in Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University 1970

Research Interests:

Enzyme mechanisms design and synthesis of enzyme inhibitors and activators antifungal agents substrate specificities of cytochrome P450 enzymes

Recent/Current Grants:

Design and synthesis of multisubstrate analog inhibitors of the fungal enzyme glucosamine synthase as potential antifungal agents.

Evaluation of potential inhibitors through enzyme kinetic studies with partially purified enzyme.

Overexpression and purification of cloned glucosamine synthase gene for use in inhibition studies.

Investigation of unusual small-molecule interactions with cytochrome P-450 isoenzyme 2C9 which results in enhancement of the rate of oxidation of certain NSAIDS. (In collaboration with Dr. Tim Tracy of this department.)

Current Research Projects:

Design and synthesis of multisubstrate analog inhibitors of the fungal enzyme glucosamine synthase as potential antifungal agents.

Evaluation of potential inhibitors through enzyme kinetic studies with partially purified enzyme.

Overexpression and purification of cloned glucosamine synthase gene for use in inhibition studies

.Investigation of unusual small-molecule interactions with cytochrome P-450 isoenzyme 2C9 which results in enhancement of the rate of oxidation of certain NSAIDS. (In collaboration with Dr. Tim Tracy of this department.)

Recent Publications:

R.K. Griffith, S.V. Chittur, and Y.C. Chen, "Inhibition of Glucosamine-6-phosphate Synthase from Candida albicans by Quinoxaline-2,3-diones", Med. Chem. Res., 1992, 2, 467-473.

R.K. Griffith and R.A. DiPietro, "Synthesis of 4(5)-Imidazolyl Allylamines and Propargylamines as Inhibitors of Diamine Oxidase", Bioorganic Med. Chem. Letters, 1993, 3, 353-356.

D. Lalka, R.K. Griffith, and C.L. Cronenberger, "The Hepatic First Pass Metabolism of Problematic Drugs", J. Clin. Pharmacol., 1993, 33, 657-669.

R.K. Griffith and E. A. Johnson, "Adrenergic Drugs", in Principles of Medicinal Chemistry, 4th Edition, W.O. Foye, T.L. Lemke, and D.A. Williams, editors, (Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, MD, 1995) pp. 345-365.

R.K. Griffith and D.T. Witiak, "Agents Affecting the Action of Prostaglandins", in Burger Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery, 5th Edition, M.E. Wolff, editor, (John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1997) pp. 377-403.

S. V. Chittur and R.K. Griffith, "Multisubstrate Analog Inhibitors of Glucosamine-6-phosphate Synthase from C albicans", Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2002, 12, 2639-2642

Teaching:

Pharm. 270 Fundamentals of Medicinal Chemistry I
Pharm. 271 Fundamentals of Medicinal Chemistry II
Pharm. 205 Pharmaceutical Aspects of Pharmacy Practice
Pharm. 289 Undergraduate Research in Medicinal Chemistry
Pharm. 290 Botany to Biotech., A History of Drug Discovery
Pharm. 390 Special Seminar in Advanced Medicinal Chemistry

Special Service:

American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
American Chemical Society, Divisions of Medicinal Chemistry, Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, and History of Chemistry
American Association for the Advancement of Science

Professional Memberships:

American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
American Chemical Society, Divisions of Medicinal Chemistry, Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, and History of Chemistry
American Association for the Advancement of Science