Ian Mitchelle De Vera, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Director, Protein Core Facility Department of Pharmacology & Physiology Saint Louis University School of Medicine, MO, USA

Ian Mitchelle de Vera, Ph.D. is a scientist and academic leader whose research focuses on drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, metabolic disorders, and viral infections. He currently serves as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, where he is also the Director of the Protein Core Facility. He also serves as Academic Co-Founder of LiVeritas Biosciences, a biotechnology startup based in South San Francisco. With more than 20 years of experience in protein biochemistry and molecular biology, Dr. de Vera has built an interdisciplinary research program that integrates structural biology, biophysics, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacology to identify novel therapeutic targets and develop small-molecule interventions for various diseases. His drug discovery efforts employ a combination of artificial intelligence, NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, biophysical assays, and accelerated molecular dynamics. Over the course of his career, Dr. de Vera has made significant contributions to the discovery and development of first-in-class compounds targeting nuclear receptors and other disease-relevant proteins. His work has resulted in multiple research grants and patents, as well as the identification of lead drug candidates with demonstrated efficacy in preclinical disease models. As Principal Investigator of NIH-funded research programs focused on selective modulation of orphan nuclear receptor signaling, he has advanced innovative approaches to inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, reducing neuroinflammation, and improving cognitive function. Dr. de Vera obtained his PhD in Biophysical Chemistry from the University of Florida and completed his postdoctoral fellowship at The Scripps Research Institute. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Analytical Chemistry and dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry and Computer Engineering from Ateneo de Manila University.

Erwin Abucayon, Ph.D.

Associate Principal Scientist, Analytical R&D Discovery Analytical Research

Merck, NJ, USA

Erwin G. Abucayon, Ph.D. is an Associate Principal Scientist in Analytical Research and Development at Merck. He develops innovative high-throughput analytical techniques to accelerate drug discovery and inform preclinical candidate selection at the discovery interface. Trained as a synthetic inorganic/organometallic chemist, Erwin earned his Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Oklahoma, where he worked on synthetic modeling of active intermediates in metal-mediated nitrogen and nitrogen oxide (bio)inorganic chemistry. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from Western Mindanao State University (Zamboanga City) and his M.S. in Chemistry from De La Salle University (Manila). Prior to joining Merck, Erwin was a scientist at the U.S. Military HIV Research Program, where he advanced analytical approaches for bioconjugate vaccines and contributed to adjuvant development and characterization. Earlier in his career, Erwin served as a science research specialist at the DOST-Industrial Technology Development Institute, Taguig City, where he focused on developing methods for packaging related contaminants in foods and beverages.

Rodell Barrientos, Ph.D.

Associate Principal Scientist Analytical Research & Development

Merck, NJ, USA

Rodell Barrientos, Ph.D. is an Associate Principal Scientist at Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, where he serves as a scientific supervisor and subject matter expert in developing novel chromatographic assays across both small and large molecule modalities to enable (bio)pharmaceutical discovery and development. He holds a PhD in Medicical Biochemistry from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, where he focused on innovative LC-MS/MS approaches for lipidomics and glycolipidomics. His Bachelor's and Master's in Chemistry were from the Technological University of the Philippines, Manila, and De La Salle University, Manila, respectively. Prior to joining Merck, he was a postdocotoral research fellow at the U.S. Army Laboratories within Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, where he developed and characterized bioconjugate vaccines, adjuvants, and monoclonal antibody therapeutics for the treatment of substance use disorders. He was former Program Chair and Vice President of the Washington D.C. Chromatography Discussion Group and is an elected member of the Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering (PAASE). Rodell has 50+ publications and book chapters in analytical chemistry, separation science, and mass spectrometry, and published authoritative peer-reviewed journals.