Biography
- Division:
- Division of Basic and Integrative Biological Sciences – DBIB
- Review Branch:
- Macromolecular Biophysics and Biological Chemistry – MBBC
- Study Section:
- Fellowships: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Biophysics A – F04A
Dr. Iyer received her Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Mumbai, India, where she developed novel linkers for applications in combinatorial chemistry. She completed post-doctoral training at the National Institutes of Health, where she synthesized and characterized oxidative metabolites of the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene and studied their effects on DNA polymerase enzymes. She later joined the University of Pittsburgh as a research associate, contributing to medicinal chemistry projects in anticancer drug discovery. Prior to joining the Center for Scientific Review (CSR), Dr. Iyer served as an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. There, she coordinated and taught courses in biochemistry, medicinal chemistry, and drug discovery. She also led a drug discovery lab focused on therapeutic areas such as cancer, HIV, and traumatic brain injury. Her expertise spans all aspects of drug discovery, including design, synthesis, characterization, and optimization of biologically active molecules.
