DEEPAK GURBANI

• Enthusiastic structure-based drug design scientist with 10+ years of experience advancing fragment-based lead discovery (FBLD) and structure-based drug design (SBDD) programs in oncology, immuno-oncology, and neurological diseases. Proven success in driving small molecule discovery from fragment triage to lead optimization, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams (HTS, medicinal chemistry, CADD, biophysics). Skilled in X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, fragment screening (SPR, NMR, HTS, DEL), computational modeling, pharmacophore analysis, fragment merging/linking, and molecular dynamics. Adept at rapidly identifying key structural elements and interpreting SAR to accelerate project goals. Strong record of innovation with 26+ publications and a patent (Src kinase inhibitor, WO-2020257385-A1).

• Postdoctoral Training Certificates (2014, 2016, 2018) from UT-Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX.
• Certificate for ‘Coursework in Clinical Pharmacology and Drug Development (2017)’, UT-Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX.
• Research Awards from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) 2009, CSIR-Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) 2006, Indian Council of Medical Research - JRF 2003, CSIR-Lectureship 2002.

· Gurbani D, Du G, et al. Structure and Characterization of a Covalent Inhibitor of Src Kinase. Front. Mol. Biosci. May 2020, Volume 7, Article 81 | doi: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00081

Designed a selective covalent Src kinase inhibitor [U.S. Patent Application WO-2020257385-A1] and determined its X-ray crystal structure.

· Du G, Rao S, Gurbani D*, et al. Structure-Based Design of a Potent and Selective Covalent Inhibitor for SRC Kinase That Targets a P-Loop Cysteine. J Med Chem. 2020 Jan 30. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b01502. *Equal Contribution.

Performed cloning, expression, purification, crystallization, and X-ray structure determination of Src kinase, alongside biophysical and biochemical characterization of covalent inhibitors.

· Totzke J., Gurbani D.*, et al. Takinib, an exquisitely selective inhibitor of TAK1, targets pro survival TNFα-dependent signaling, inducing apoptosis in rheumatoid arthritis and breast cancer models. Cell Chemical Biology 24 (2017), 1029–1039. *Equal Contribution.

Solved the X-ray crystal structure of Takinib bound to TAK1 kinase and elucidated the structure–activity relationship (SAR) of Takinib analogs.

· Hunter J. C., Gurbani D.,et al. In situ selectivity profiling and crystal structure of SML-8-73-1, an active site inhibitor of oncogenic K-Ras G12C, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 111 (2014) 8895-8900. PMID: 24889603.

Crystallized and determined the X-ray structure of the covalent KRAS^G12C inhibitor SML-8-73-1.

· Tan L., Nomanbhoy T., Gurbani D., et al. Discovery of type II inhibitors of TGFbeta-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase 2 (MAP4K2), J Med Chem, 58 (2015) 183-196. PMID: 25075558.

Performed cloning, expression, purification, and crystallization of TAK1 kinase and determined multiple X-ray structures of inhibitor-bound complexes, supporting pharmacophore validation and rational design of Type II inhibitors.

Complete list (26+):

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/deepak.gurbani.1/bibliography/public

• Applicant and inventor on ‘Small Molecule Inhibitors of Src Tyrosine Kinase [Application WO- 2020257385-A1 at https://app.dimensions.ai/details/patent/WO-2020257385-A1]

Delivered Invited Talk on 'Takinib as selective inhibitor of TAK1 kinase' at Cancer Center Biology Retreat on Friday, September 1, 2017, at Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center.

• Review Editor (for over 10+ articles) in peer reviewed journals: Frontiers in Molecular Diagnostics; Frontiers in Physiology.
• Reviewer for Annals of Oncology (Oxford University Press); Mutagenesis, Oxford Journals, UK; Cancer, American Cancer Society, BMC Molecular Cancer; BMC Research Notes; BMC Breast Cancer (BioMed Central); Frontiers in Pharmacology.
• Associate Member of American Association for Cancer Research 2015-Present

Protein engineering, Crystallography, Structure based drug design, Assay development, Table Tennis, Badminton, Cooking

• https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/newsroom/articles/year-2015/mutated-cancer-gene.html
• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140728153644.htm?
• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170817131116.htm
• https://www.labmanager.com/news/researchers-uncover-mechanism-for-cancer-killing-properties-of-pepper-plant-8265

https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepak-gurbani-ph-d-53154634

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=W7Px5isAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

orcid.org/0000-0002-0982-7173