Biography

Konstantinos Afratis, D.Phil., is a postdoctoral visiting fellow in the Early Translation Branch of NCATS’ Division of Preclinical Innovation. His current projects include hit-to-lead target optimization and target deconvolution in an array of medicinal chemistry projects. His research focuses on chronic pain and addiction disorders as part of the Helping to End Addiction Long-term® Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative®, as well as on cancer and muscular dystrophies.

Before joining NCATS in 2022, Afratis was a senior scientist at Pharmaron UK, in the European services drug discovery department. There, he worked on route development and optimization of lead compounds. He also led synthetic chemistry in medicinal chemistry projects.

Afratis received his D.Phil. from the University of Oxford under the supervision of Dr. Véronique Gouverneur, FRS. He was awarded the 2017 Merton College Chemistry Scholarship. His thesis focused on the development of regiodivergent nucleophilic fluorination reaction under hydrogen bonding phase transfer catalysis using safe and low-cost alkali metal fluoride salts.

Research Topics

Afratis’ research interests focus on medicinal chemistry advancements that use translational science to develop novel therapeutic drug candidates.