Africa Health ExCon Guest of Honor

Dr. Schinazi is the Frances Winship Walters Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology at Emory University and Director of the Scientific Working Group on Viral Eradication for the NIH-sponsored Emory University Center for AIDS Research (CFAR). Dr. Schinazi received his B.Sc. (1972) and Ph.D. (1976) in chemistry from the University of Bath, England. He has authored over 550 peer-reviewed papers and seven books and holds 100 issued U.S. patents and over 120 non-U.S. national stage patents and patent applications, which have resulted in 16 New Drug Applications (NDA). A world leader in nucleoside chemistry, Dr. Schinazi is best known for his pioneering work on HIV and HCV drugs d4T (stavudine), 3TC (lamivudine), FTC (emtricitabine/Emtriva), LdT (telbivudine), and most recently sofosbuvir (Sovaldi), which are now approved by the FDA. He is also a founder of five biotechnology companies including Cocrystal Pharma (COCP); Pharmasset Inc. (acquired by Gilead in 2012), Triangle Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Gilead in 2003), and Idenix Pharmaceuticals (51 percent acquired by Novartis in 2003). More than 90% of HIV-infected individuals in the U.S. on combination therapy take at least one of the drugs he invented with hundreds of thousands of others treated worldwide. His contributions related to HCV have already had a profound positive impact on the approximately 170 million people worldwide suffering from chronic infection. Dr. Schinazi served on the Presidential Commission on AIDS and is the recipient of numerous distinguished awards. He served for 35 years for the Department of Veteran Affairs as Senior Research Career Scientist. He currently serves as a Governing Trustee for the Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) and as a Board member for the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC).
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