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91����’s new School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SOPPS) has been awarded $1 million in funding to retain three world-class faculty who have proven track records of externally-funded research. Eric Hoffman, Kanneboyina Nagaraju and Yetrib Hathout have each been named SUNY Empire Innovation Scholars by the State University of New York Board of Trustees. The trio, all SOPPS faculty, conduct research that supports drug and biomarker development targeting chronic diseases.

“We’ve been able to hire exceptional faculty as we launch our new school,” said SOPPS Founding Dean Gloria Meredith. “To have these three internationally known researchers leading our efforts to improve the lives of people with chronic diseases is a coup, and this funding will help enable us to support their critical research.”

The funding comes from the SUNY Empire Innovation Program (EIP), a state-funded, competitive grant program dedicated to recruiting and retaining world-class faculty. EIP scholars drive innovation, enhance partnerships with business and industry, increase tech transfer, create opportunities for student research and increase the competitiveness of SUNY’s professional and graduate education programs.

Hoffman, associate dean for research and professor of pharmaceutical sciences, focuses his work in molecular genetics, neuromuscular diseases and drug development. He has held positions at some of the most prestigious institutions engaged in genetic research and has been funded extensively by the National Institutes of Health and private foundations. He has established two biotech companies to date and he plans to facilitate drug and biomarker development by bridging academic research, stakeholder foundations and federal funding.

Nagaraju, founding chair and professor of pharmaceutical sciences, is an expert on translational research in autoimmune and genetic muscle diseases. He receives millions in grant support from the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Defense and numerous foundations. He has co-founded two companies with Hoffman.

Hathout, professor of pharmaceutical sciences, conducts research in bio-analytical mass spectrometry and proteomics, biomarker development and neuromuscular diseases. He joined 91���� in 2017, and continues to receive federal and foundation funding from the Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, Muscular Dystrophy Association and the French Muscular Dystrophy Association.