Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University and the Central Arkansas section of the American Chemical Society will host guest lecturer Dr. Cesar M. Compadre Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m. in Young Auditorium. Compadre will present a lecture titled “Drug Discovery: From Ancestral Medicine to Molecular Modeling.”

“He will be lecturing about the history of how drugs have been discovered from ancient civilizations to modern day,” said Dr. Marty Perry, OBU professor of chemistry.

“I have known Dr. Compadre for over 10 years and worked with him on various projects,” Perry added. “The students will gain an appreciation for the art of doing science and its contribution to our way of life.”

Compadre currently serves as a professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and director of the Biomedical Visualization Center at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He coordinates and teaches the third year pharmacy class “Pharmacognosy and Complementary and Alternative Medicine,” established and directs the molecular modeling facility and has directed or co-directed more than 20 graduate students. He has extensive research experience on the study of bioactive compounds from natural origin and on the use of molecular modeling in drug design and produces research collaborations with scientists locally, nationally and internationally. Additionally, he has produced more than 70 publications, 11 U.S. patents related to the development of bioactive compounds and one FDA-approved antimicrobial technology.

Compadre earned his Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry and pharmacognosy from the University of Illinois and has conducted post-doctoral research there and at Pomona College. He also has had sabbatical experience in computer modeling as a visiting scholar at NASA Ames Research Center’s Bioinformatics Center. He earned his Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in pharmacy at the National University of Mexico.

For more information about the lecture, contact Dr. Marty Perry at [email protected].

By Meg Gosser