A C O M P U T A T I O N A L D R U G D I S C O V E R Y S U M M E R S C I E N C E E X P E R I E N C E

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S A C R E D H E A R T U N I V E R S I T Y A N D N L S T H E R A P E U T I C S D I S C O V E R Y P R E S E N T:

The computational drug discovery summer science experience provides a high-level pre-college introduction to the scientific, ethical, legal and business aspects of drug development and to the use of sophisticated drug design software to aid in the discovery of new drugs. Students enroll in the camp for two highly interactive and rewarding weeks. During week one, students will learn about the drug discovery process and the basic theory and art of computer-aided drug design, especially as it applies to analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic drug discovery. During week two, students will apply their newfound knowledge and skills to

design and propose novel drug candidates to treat antibiotic resistant bacterial infections and will attend talks given by experts in the field of drug discovery. Students will round out their two-week experiences by making

posters that can be used to communicate their research findings at a scientific conference. Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive certificates of completion. In addition to gaining valuable new knowledge and skills, students will learn about educational and professional opportunities in the field of drug discovery and development and how computational drug science intersects with physics, chemistry,

biology, medicine, computer science and the universal call to engage in works of justice and mercy.

Program features:• Receive an introduction to the scientific, business, ethical and legal aspects of drug discovery

• Acquire knowledge and skills using computer-aided drug design and modeling software• Acquire knowledge and skills using cutting-edge laboratory techniques and instruments

• Sharpen critical thinking skills and develop a better understanding of scientific investigation• Attend presentations given by leading experts from industry and academia

• Do original scientific research and prepare a scientific poster for use at scientific conferences• Earn a formal certificate of completion

For more information, please contact Professor Joseph Audie203-371-7793 or at audiej@sacredheart.edu

A C O M P U T A T I O N A L D R U G D I S C O V E R Y S U M M E R S C I E N C E E X P E R I E N C E

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S A C R E D H E A R T U N I V E R S I T Y A N D N L S T H E R A P E U T I C S D I S C O V E R Y P R E S E N T:

Director: Joseph Audie, Ph.D.Email: audiej@sacredheart.eduPhone: (203) 371-7793

Instructors: Todd Sullivan, Ph.D., and Benjamin Alper, Ph.D.

Meeting dates (week 1): August 5-9, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (week 2): August 12-16, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Meeting location: Chemistry Department, Sacred Heart University, 5151 Park Ave, Fairfield, CT 06825

Admissions criteria: students are admitted to the program on a competitive basis

Minimum/maximum number of admitted students: 6/15

Recommended student attitude: An interest in exploring the nexus of chemistry, medicine and computer science

Grade level requirement: Entering grades 10-12

Recommended GPA minimum: 2.70

Recommended course pre-requisites: Algebra I, biology, chemistry and physics or physical science

Required hardware:Windows PC laptop (Vista/7/8/10)Scientific calculator

Required (free) software:VegaZZ Drug Design Laboratoryhttp://nova.disfarm.unimi.it/cms/index.php?Software_projects:VEGA_ZZ

Fees:Tuition (Two week): $2,000

Application procedure: Prospective students can submit application materials electronically to audiej@sacredheart.edu or by mail to:

Chemistry Department, Sacred Heart University, 5151 Park Ave, Fairfield, CT 06825 • High school transcripts • One letter of recommendation

Schedule (tentative):Students must provide their own lunches, snacks and drinks

Week 1: Theoretical and practical introduc-tion to computer-aided drug design (CADD)

Monday • Arrive (9 am) • Session 1: Orientation • Session 2: Overview of drug design and discovery • Session 3: Overview of biochemistry and drug design • Lunch • Session 4: Overview of medicinal chemistry and drug design • Pick-up (4 pm)Tuesday • Arrive (9 am) • Session 5: Medicinal chemistry lab 1 • Lunch • Session 6: Computational chemistry lab 2 • Pick-up (4 pm)Wednesday • Arrive (9 am) • Session 7: Medicinal chemistry lab 3 • Lunch • Session 8: Computational chemistry lab 4 • Pick-up (4 pm)Thursday • Arrive (9 am) • Session 9: Mixed chemistry lab 5 • Lunch • Session 10: Biochemistry lab 6 • Pick-up (4 pm)Friday • Arrive (9 am) • Session 11: Computational chemistry lab 7 • Lunch • Session 12: Biochemistry lab 8 • Pick-up (4 pm)

Week 2: Original CADD drug design research on beta-lactamase and guest presentations

Monday • Arrive (9 am) • Session 13: Introduction to research projects • Session 14: Work on research projects • Lunch • Session 15: Work on research projects • Session 16: Guest presentation • Pick-up (4 pm)Tuesday • Arrive (9 am) • Session 17: Work on research projects • Session 18: Work on research projects • Lunch and free time • Session 19: Work on research projects • Session 20: Guest presentation • Pick-up (4 pm)Wednesday • Arrive (9 am) • Session 21: Work on research projects • Session 22: Work on research projects • Lunch • Session 23: Guest presentation • Session 24: Work on research projects • Pick-up (4 pm)Thursday • Arrive (9 am) • Session 25: Work on research projects • Session 26: Work on research projects • Lunch • Session 27: Work on research projects • Session 28: Guest presentation • Pick-up (4 pm)Friday • Arrive (11:30 am) • Session 29: Poster session • Pick-up (1 pm)

Social media:Instagram: sacredheartuniversity Facebook: SacredHeartUniversity Twitter: @SacredHeartUniv

About the program director:Joseph Audie holds a doctorate in Biophysics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He is an associate professor of biochemistry at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. He is also a biotechnology entrepreneur who co-founded and served as CEO of the computational peptide drug design company, CMDBioscience, LLC, and currently serves as the CEO of NLS Life Science and Therapeutics Discovery, LLC. He has over 12 years of experience teaching cours-es on biochemistry, molecular modeling and drug design and the intersection of faith and reason. He currently resides in Cheshire, CT, with his wife and two children.

About the program instructors:Todd J. Sullivan holds a doctorate in Chemistry (medicinal cßhemistry) from Stony Brook University. He is a lecturer of chemistry at Sacred Heart University. He discovered a new class of antibacterial compounds that are picomolar inhibitors of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Francisella tularensis and other bacteria. He has more than 10 years’ experience working in a medicinal chemistry

research laboratory, generating/interpreting biological data and synthesizing organic com-pounds as a post-doctoral associate/associate research scientist at Yale University. While at Yale, he employed fragment-based drug design to target an enzyme in HIV/AIDS. His teach-ing interests include organic chemistry lecture and laboratory, NMR organic structural laboratory, medicinal chemistry-the modern drug discovery process. He currently resides in New Haven, CT.

Benjamin Alper holds a doctorate in bio-chemistry and molecular biology from the University of Georgia. He is an assistant pro-fessor of chemistry at Sacred Heart University. He has expertise in the areas of protein expression and purification, biochemical assay development and the characterization of small molecule inhibitors and activators of enzyme activity. He coordinates a multi-section bio-chemistry lab and lecture curriculum serving about 60 undergraduate students yearly, and serves as the program administrator for the Bachelor of Science in biochemistry at Sacred Heart University.

Testimonial about the 2018 camp“This camp was highly educational and engaging. All the activities of the class were learning experiences; the molecular modeling program made it easy for us to see how proteins reacted to ligands; and the synthesis lab helped us understand that reactions on paper are completely different from what happens in real life. If there was anything that we didn’t understand, the professors guiding and teaching us were more than willing to explain it, and they accommodated for the discrepancies in aptitude between high school and college students. Overall, the program was a great learning experience and a must-attend for anyone considering biochemistry or bioengineering as a field of study.” – Owen O’Reilly, Joel Barlow High School, Class of 2020