Claes Wahlestedt

Biography

Dr. Wahlestedt is the Leonard M. Miller Professor at the University of Miami and is spearheading a range of drug discovery and translational efforts in his roles as Associate Dean and Center Director for Therapeutic Innovation. He is the author of more than 200 research papers and has ongoing research projects concerning epigenetics, mammalian transcriptomics, noncoding RNAs, neuroscience, cancer and drug discovery across several therapeutic areas. A native of Sweden, Claes obtained his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Lund University, and then went on to develop an international career in academia as well as in the pharmaceutical industry. Before joining the University of Miami, Dr. Wahlestedt was a professor and director of neuroscience discovery at the new Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (2005-2011). Before that he was an endowed professor and chair of the Department for Genomics and Bioinformatics at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm (1997-2005). Previously, he also directed large drug discovery and biotechnology teams in the pharmaceutical industry for Astra-Zeneca, Pharmacia & Upjohn, and Pharmacia Corporation. His most recent biotechnology start-up was CURNA Inc. which was acquired by OPKO Health in 2011. Dr. Wahlestedt is the Leonard M. Miller Professor at the University of Miami and is spearheading a range of drug discovery and translational efforts in his roles as Associate Dean and Center Director for Therapeutic Innovation. He is the author of more than 200 research papers and has ongoing research projects concerning epigenetics, mammalian transcriptomics, noncoding RNAs, neuroscience, cancer and drug discovery across several therapeutic areas. A native of Sweden, Claes obtained his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Lund University, and then went on to develop an international career in academia as well as in the pharmaceutical industry. Before joining the University of Miami, Dr. Wahlestedt was a professor and director of neuroscience discovery at the new Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (2005-2011). Before that he was an endowed professor and chair of the Department for Genomics and Bioinformatics at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm (1997-2005). Previously, he also directed large drug discovery and biotechnology teams in the pharmaceutical industry for Astra-Zeneca, Pharmacia & Upjohn, and Pharmacia Corporation. His most recent biotechnology start-up was CURNA Inc. which was acquired by OPKO Health in 2011.

Research Interest

 Drug Discovery and Development  Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics Pharmaceutical Analysis