Wei Ping Lu
About Wei Ping Lu
Wei Ping Lu serves as Principal Investigator II at Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, where he has worked since 2015. He has over 30 years of experience in drug discovery, contributing significantly to the development of kinase inhibitors and authoring more than 60 peer-reviewed papers.
Work at Deciphera Pharmaceuticals
Wei Ping Lu has been serving as Principal Investigator II at Deciphera Pharmaceuticals since 2015. In this role, he has contributed to various projects related to drug discovery and development. His work focuses on designing unique enzyme assays and characterizing slow-binding kinetics, which are crucial in the early stages of drug discovery. Prior to his current position, he held the role of Principal Investigator at Deciphera Pharmaceuticals from 2003 to 2012, accumulating a total of nine years of experience within the company.
Education and Expertise
Wei Ping Lu studied at the University of Warwick, where he earned a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Microbiology from 1981 to 1984. He also studied at Shandong University, achieving a degree in Microbiology from 1978 to 1980. His educational background laid the foundation for his extensive expertise in drug discovery, particularly in the design of enzyme assays and the characterization of slow-binding kinetics.
Background in Research and Academia
Wei Ping Lu has a diverse background in research and academia. He worked as a Postdoctoral Research Assistant Professor in Prof. S. Ragsdale's lab at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 1988 to 1994. Additionally, he served as an Assistant and Associate Professor at Fudan University in the College of Life Sciences from 1984 to 1988. His academic roles have contributed to his deep understanding of biochemical processes and drug development.
Professional Experience in Pharmaceuticals
Before joining Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, Wei Ping Lu worked at P&G Pharmaceuticals as a Senior Scientist from 1994 to 2003. His experience in the pharmaceutical industry spans over two decades, during which he has played a key role in the development of kinase inhibitors targeting various proteins. His work has led to one drug being approved for clinical use and five others reaching human trials.
Research Contributions and Publications
Wei Ping Lu has authored over 60 peer-reviewed papers, covering a wide range of topics including energy metabolism, enzymology, and drug discovery. His research contributions include the development of novel approaches for targeting specific conformations of protein kinases, which are essential for the switch control kinase inhibitor strategy. His extensive experience in assay design and implementation for high-throughput screening (HTS) has further enhanced his contributions to the field.