Dr. Dennis Dougherty

Biography

Dennis Dougherty is the George Grant Hoag Professor of Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology. He holds a B.S. and M.S. from Bucknell University, awarded in 1974, and a Ph.D. from Princeton University, completed in 1978. He began his academic career at Caltech as an Assistant Professor from 1979 to 1985, then served as an Associate Professor until 1989, and has been a Professor since 1989. He was named Hoag Professor in 2002 and served as the Executive Officer for Chemistry from 1994 to 1999. His research focuses on organic chemistry and chemical biology, with an emphasis on understanding ion channels and neuroreceptors—integral membrane proteins that are crucial for memory, learning, and sensory perception. His group aims to develop pharmaceuticals for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, utilizing techniques such as organic synthesis, molecular biology, electrophysiology, and computational modeling to gain detailed mechanistic insights into complex biological systems. Additionally, Dougherty investigates the fundamental aspects of biological recognition, particularly noncovalent binding interactions.

Research Interests