Dr. Tanweer Khan
Dr. Tanweer Khan, Ph.D., is the Director of Discovery Chemistry at Atai Life Sciences since 2021. As the Head of Discovery Chemistry at Early Development, he provides senior leadership for various R&D organizations across multiple therapeutic areas. Dr. Khan coordinates research direction and oversees a diverse portfolio of psychedelic inspired/GPCR drug discovery programs with a focus on mental health, neuropsychiatric disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. He excels in building high-performance internal and external CRO teams through effective communication, cross-functional collaboration, and fostering team creativity to drive synergy.
Before joining Atai, Dr. Khan served as the Director of Medicinal Chemistry at the Tri-Institutional Therapeutic Discovery Institute (Tri-TDI), where he led diverse small molecule drug discovery programs in collaboration with academic institutions. Notably, he spearheaded an epigenetic oncology program in collaboration with Dr Allis at Rockefeller University, developing novel inhibitors of ENL-YEATS for treating acute leukemias and solid tumors, and successfully licensed it to Bridge Medicines
Prior to his role at Tri-TDI, Dr. Khan spent nine years at Merck/Schering-Plough as a Program Lead/Associate Principal Scientist. There, he led multidisciplinary drug discovery programs targeting diseases in the CNS, cardiovascular, metabolic, and infectious diseases areas, advancing multiple drug candidates into clinical development. s unwavering resilience, tireless effort, and effective collaboration within a multi-talented group were instrumental in the successful discovery of a compound that has now advanced to human clinical studies, marking a transformative achievement in the fields unwavering resilience, tireless effort, and effective collaboration within a multi-talented group were instrumental in the successful discovery of a compound that has now advanced to human clinical studies, marking a transformative achievement in the field.
Dr. Khan earned his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Strathclyde, UK, and conducted postdoctoral research with Prof. Robert A. Holton at Florida State University, USA. During this time, he engaged in anti-cancer drug Taxol's SAR studies and the total synthesis of polyether antibiotics Lonomycin A. Dr. Khan earned his MSc. in Organic Chemistry from AMU, BSc from MLK PG college Balrampur, Intermediate from Thompson Inter college Gonda, HSSC from Government Intercollege Itai Rampur and primary education from Primary Pathshala Itairampur, Uttar Pradesh.
Dr. Khan, an active member of the Red Cross, engages in various philanthropic endeavors. Amidst the wonders of the world, he finds solace and joy in the embrace of nature's magnificence. His passion for hiking and biking is fueled by the grandeur of nature, creating unforgettable memories.
Theme of the life: Respect yourself, respect others and respect mother nature!