Experts in NCATS’ Division of Preclinical Innovation (DPI) develop system approaches that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the translation process. Examples include advancing new technologies to make preclinical research more predictive and efficient or de-risking potential drug targets or research projects to make them more attractive for commercial investment.
NCATS intramural scientists have a scientific and operational freedom not bound by one system, disease or condition. Working within a flexible and productive environment, our scientific team can leverage state-of-the-art laboratories and collaborative relationships among government, industry, academia, and patient and rare disease communities to develop and test more robust translational science systems.
Resources Available to Scientific Collaborators
NCATS intramural scientists and staff have expertise across the entire preclinical translational space, including:
- Systems biology
- Chemical synthesis and optimization
- State-of-the-art informatics capabilities
- Regulatory requirements for drug development
NCATS’ state-of-the-art laboratories, centralized in one location, offer a broad array of capabilities, such as:
- High-throughput screening technology
- RNAi screening
- Well-designed chemical libraries
- Stem cell technology
- 3-D tissue bioprinting
- Analytical chemistry
- Assay development
- Late-stage preclinical development
- Project management
With this combination of a highly skilled translational science workforce, state-of-the-art facilities and informatics capabilities, and a strong commitment to team science and innovative partnerships, NCATS can help its research partners accelerate science, maximize efficiency and conserve limited resources. Learn more about how to collaborate with NCATS’ intramural team.
Division of Preclinical Innovation Staff
Contact the staff listed below for more information about the NCATS Division of Preclinical Innovation:
- Anton Simeonov, Ph.D., NCATS Scientific Director
- Ann R. Knebel, Ph.D., RN, Deputy Scientific Director
- Chih-Chien (Ken) Cheng, Ph.D., Team Leader, Functional Genomics Lab
- Marc Ferrer, Ph.D., Leader, 3-D Bioprinting, Early Translation Branch
- David L. Gerhold, Ph.D., Leader, Genomic Toxicology, Toxicology in the 21st Century, Chemical Genomics Branch
- Matthew D. Hall, Ph.D., Director, Early Translation Branch
- Sharie J. Haugabook, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, Project Management, Therapeutic Development Branch
- Mark J. Henderson, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, Biology, Early Translation Branch
- Junfeng Huang, Ph.D., Leader, Synthesis, Chemistry Manufacturing, and Controls, Therapeutic Development Branch
- Wenwei Huang, Ph.D., Leader, Early Discovery — Medicinal Chemistry, Therapeutic Development Branch
- James Inglese, Ph.D., Leader, Assay Development and Screening Technologies, Chemical Genomics Branch
- Haksong Jin, Pharm.D., M.S., Team Leader, Drug Formulation, Chemistry Manufacturing and Controls, Therapeutic Development Branch
- Chris LeClair, Ph.D., Team Leader, Director, Analytical Chemistry
- Juan Jose Marugan, Ph.D., Leader, Chemistry, Early Translation Branch
- Ewy A. Mathé, Ph.D., Director, Informatics Core
- Sam Michael, Chief Information Officer, Director, Research Services Core
- Elizabeth A. Ottinger, Ph.D., Acting Director, Therapeutic Development Branch
- Samarjit Patnaik, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, Chemistry, Early Translation Branch
- Ganesha Rai, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, Chemistry, Early Translation Branch
- Phillip E. Sanderson, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, APP Chemistry, Therapeutic Development Branch
- Min Shen, Ph.D., Leader, Informatics, Early Translation Branch
- Gregory J. Tawa, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, Computational Chemistry, Therapeutic Development Branch
- Pramod Terse, Ph.D., Leader, Safety Evaluation/Toxicity, Therapeutic Development Branch
- Craig J. Thomas, Ph.D., Leader, Chemistry Technologies, Chemical Genomics Branch
- Carlos A. Tristan, Ph.D., Acting Director, Stem Cell Translation Laboratory
- Menghang Xia, Ph.D., Leader, Systems Toxicology, Toxicology in the 21st Century, Chemical Genomics Branch
- Xin Xu, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Director, Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics Core
- Alexey V. Zakharov, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, Informatics/APP AI Group, Early Translation Branch
- Wei Zheng, Ph.D., Leader, Early Discovery — Biology, Therapeutic Development Branch
Scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital collaborated with NCATS high-throughput screening experts to 
NCATS co-hosted a