September 02, 2020

Dr. Palkowitz Remains Senior Research Professor of Medicine at IU School of Medicine

Indianaplis, Ind. - The Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI), a leading industry-inspired applied research institute, is pleased to announce that it has named Alan Palkowitz, PhD, as its new president and CEO.

“The IBRI is built on the foundation of collaboration between industry and academia, as well as government and community,” said Daniel Evans, Jr., chairman of the IBRI Board of Directors. “Having spent time in industry and academia, Alan understands the many opportunities for collaboration to improve the lives of Hoosiers. He shares our passion for translational research and our vision to build a world-class organization that catalyzes activities across the life sciences ecosystem.”

Dr. Palkowitz will spend 80 percent of his time at the IBRI serving as president and CEO, while maintaining his roles at the Indiana University School of Medicine as a senior research professor of medicine, where he directs the IUSM-Purdue TaRget Enablement to Accelerate Therapy Development for Alzheimer’s Disease (TREAT-AD) Center and is a key contributor to the IU Precision Health Initiative.

“I’m thrilled to join the IBRI at this time in its history,” said Dr. Palkowitz. “In addition to moving into Innovation Building 1 in 16 Tech, this is a very exciting time for the life sciences in Central Indiana. The IBRI has an opportunity to emerge as a key strategic partner with industry and regional academic centers to find innovative solutions to some of the most challenging biomedical problems. Working together, I believe we can achieve great results to advance science, benefit patients and grow our entrepreneurial biomedical community.”

Dr. Palkowitz joined the faculty at IU School of Medicine in late 2018, as a senior research professor of medicine in the Division of Clinical Pharmacology. He currently leads the IUSM-Purdue TREAT-AD Center, an NIH-NIA funded initiative focused on discovering potential new therapies for Alzheimer’s disease. He is also leader of the IU Precision Health Initiative’s chemical biology and biotherapeutics scientific pillar, which broadly seeks to translate genetic-based understanding of disease into new treatment options.

Prior to joining the faculty at IU School of Medicine, Dr. Palkowitz served as the vice president of Discovery Chemistry Research and Technologies at Eli Lilly and Company, where he worked for 28 years. In his role as vice president, Dr. Palkowitz was responsible for the global small molecule drug discovery strategy and delivery of clinical candidates in disease areas including cancer, diabetes, immunology, pain and neurodegenerative disorders.

Dr. Palkowitz is eager to use his academic and industry experience to evolve the IBRI mission and strategy. “The talented scientific staff and areas of focus at the IBRI are a great foundation to build from. I look forward to working with the IBRI team to create our unique identity as both a scientific center of excellence and an invaluable partner for pursuing breakthrough innovation,” said Dr. Palkowitz.

Additionally, Dr. Palkowitz has served on several prominent advisory committees including most recently the NIH NCATS Advisory Council and the National Academy of Sciences Board on Chemical Sciences and Technologies. He has published numerous research articles and is an inventor on almost 60 US patents. Dr. Palkowitz obtained his PhD in synthetic organic chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley.

About the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute

The Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI) is an independent, nonprofit discovery science and applied research institute currently targeting diabetes, metabolic disease, poor nutrition and related health data science.  Inspired by Indiana’s leading life sciences companies, research universities and philanthropic community, the IBRI is building a world-class organization of researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs to catalyze scientific discovery and its applications, resulting in improved health outcomes for Indiana patients and beyond. For more information about the IBRI, visit https://www.indianabiosciences.org/.

About the Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine

IU School of Medicine is the largest medical school in the United States and a national leader in medical research and education. Comprised of five basic science departments and more than 60 academic and specialty divisions across nine campuses statewide, IU School of Medicine offers exceptional training for students wishing to pursue a medical degree. For more information about the IU School of Medicine and its mission to prepare healers and transform health in Indiana and throughout the world, visit https://medicine.iu.edu/.

About the Indiana University Precision Health Initiative

Led by the IU School of Medicine, the Precision Health Initiative is IU’s big health care solution, aimed at preventing and curing diseases through a more precise understanding of the genetic, behavioral and environmental factors that influence a person’s health. The $120 million IU Precision Health Initiative launched in June 2016 as the inaugural recipient of IU’s Grand Challenges program, with bold goals to cure one cancer and one childhood disease, and to prevent one chronic illness and one neurodegenerative disease. The initiative also aims to transform biomedical research and education at IU. For more information about the IU Precision Health Initiative, visit https://medicine.iu.edu/expertise/precision-health.