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Medicinal Chemistry News

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Department of Medicinal Chemistry names 2024-25 awardees

Feb. 15, 2026

The department named five students and postdoctoral fellows as winners of six awards.

Umesh Desai, Ph.D. (left), chair of medicinal chemistry in the VCU School of Pharmacy, and Bhaumik Patel, M.D., of the Central Virginia VA Health Care System, are developing novel therapies that target cancer stem cells to help prevent tumor recurrence. (Photo by Karl E. Steinbrenner

No short cuts – but a bit of sugar – in the quest to fight cancer relapse

Jan. 16, 2026

VCU medicinal chemist Umesh Desai has spent decades exploring a frontier of biology, and the molecule he helped develop shows notable promise.

Six people, including a student in formal business attire who has just completed her dissertation defense, smile together for a photo in front of a chalkboard with computational medicinal chemistry formulas written on it.

Dr. Fayyad successfully defends dissertation

Dec. 11, 2025

Rawan Fayyad, Ph.D., defended her dissertation this month and has earned her Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences with a concentration in medicinal chemistry.

the biotech one building at v.c.u.

Ph.D. candidate wins Online People's Choice Award for VCU Three-Minute Thesis Competition

Dec. 11, 2025

Albert Opare won the Online People's Choice Award after competing as a finalist in the 3MT Competition in October.

the biotech one building at v.c.u.

Ph.D. candidate wins presentation award at Commonwealth of Virginia Cancer Research Conference

Dec. 11, 2025

Sarita Pandit won a best presentation award at the recent event, hosted by VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dickson Donu has published 27 research papers on a range of topics, including studies assessing the prevalence of malaria and the development of new medications to treat or prevent malaria. (Dean Hoffmeyer, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

How I found my research: Dickson Donu joins the battle against malaria

Nov. 19, 2025

Donu, who will earn his Ph.D. from the School of Pharmacy next month, says the most fulfilling aspect of his work is the potential to make a real-world impact.

Dean K.C. Ogbonna and Associate Dean Mary Peace McRae stand on either side of graduate student poster award winners Grace Rilee and Yasir Alshehry, at the front of a lecture hall on Research Day.

Ph.D. student wins poster award at VCU School of Pharmacy Research Day

Oct. 27, 2025

Grace Rilee won one of two graduate poster awards at the recent schoolwide event.

Pharm.D. student Alice Adkins presents her research to a classmate capturing her on camera during Research Day.

Students delve into discoveries at VCU School of Pharmacy Research Day 2025

Oct. 27, 2025

Seven students earned awards for excelling academically and for presenting their findings at this year's Research Day.

Rasajna Madhusudhana accepts an award from Dean K.C. Ogbonna during the school's Graduate Awards Ceremony

Ph.D. candidate Rasajna Madhusudhana wins VCU Three-Minute Thesis competition

Oct. 15, 2025

The Medicinal Chemistry student, advised by Yana Cen, Ph.D., will represent VCU in the regional round at the Council of Southern Graduate Schools Conference in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in February.

the biotech one building at v.c.u.

Ph.D. candidate wins poster presentation award at Walter Lawrence Cancer Retreat

Sept. 12, 2025

Ally Thompson won one of three poster presentation awards at the recent event, hosted by VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center.