I received a Ph.D. from the Department of Chemistry at Wayne State University in the laboratory of William Hase. There, I explored and developed methods to model intermolecular forces that drive molecular recognition and ensuing chemical reactions. As a postdoc, I joined the bioorganic laboratory of Dr. Shahriar Mobashery first at Wayne State University and then at the University of Notre Dame. I worked on understanding the mechanism by which β-lactamases hydrolyze β-lactam antibiotics. I was also involved in the development of mechanism-based (covalent) small-molecule inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases, cathepsins, and β-lactamases. In my lab at Indiana University, we develop small molecules to modulate the function of proteins involved in promoting tumor growth and metastasis. We are currently developing small-molecule modulators of protein interactions of Ras-like and Rho GTPases, the TEAD-Yap transcription factor complex, and the urokinase receptor uPAR. We investigate compounds and their targets in breast, pancreatic, lung and brain cancer cells and animal models. Some of these small molecules are used to probe their targets in spinal cord and traumatic brain injury as well as neurodegenerative diseases through collaborations. In addition to my funding from the National Institutes of Health, I am a recipient of a Research Scholar Award from the American Cancer Society. I am a member of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the Stark Neurosciences Institute.

Meroueh Lab Alumni

Jing Li, MD, scientist, (Clinical Professor, Central South University, Changsha, China)
Shide Liang, PhD, postdoc, (Assistant Professor, Osaka University, Japan)
Jason Baird, MS, technician, (Novartis, Boston, MA)
Brian O’Callaghan, student, (United States Navy)
Timmy Mani, PhD, postdoc, (Eli Lilly, Indianapolis)
Liwei Li, PhD, postdoc, (Merk EMD Serono, Boston, MA)
Hartmut Roehm, PhD, postdoc, (Roche, Basel, Switzerland)
Eric Knabe, MS, technician, (Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories, Indianapolis, Indiana)
May Khanna, PhD, postdoc (Assistant Professor, University of Arizona, Dept. of Pharmacology)
Fang Wang, PhD, postdoc, (Pharmacist, Indianapolis, Indiana)
Yubing Si, PhD, postdoc, (Assistant Professor, Huanghe Science and Technology College, China)
David Xu, PhD, student, (Cell Signaling Technology, Boston, MA)
Degang Liu, PhD, postdoc, (Molecular Devices, Indianapolis, Indiana)