Michael J. Gresser

Biography

 Dr. Gresser received his Ph.D in Biochemistry in 1976 from Brandeis University. He did postdoctoral studies at the Molecular Biology Institute at UCLA under the supervision of Paul D. Boyer. In 1980 Mike joined the Department of Chemistry at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, and progressed to Professor of Chemistry. While there Mike received the Excellence in Teaching Award, and did research on the biochemistry of Vanadium V, and on the mitochondrial ATPase. In 1988 Mike Joined the Merck Frosst Center for Therapeutic Research in Kirkland, Quebec as Director of Biochemistry. Over the next twelve years Mike progressed through the ranks of Senior Director, then Executive Director of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Mike's team worked on a variety of small molecule drug discovery programs, resulting in the introduction of numerous molecules into clinical trials. Two of these molecules, Singulair and Vioxx, became products. In 2000 Mike joined Amgen Inc. in Thousand Oaks, California, as Vice President of Research for Inflammation, where he remained until April, 2006. For two years Mike served as Head of Neuroscience Research as well as Inflammation Research. Mike's team at Amgen worked on taking many molecular targets, introducing numerous small molecules, human antibodies and other proteins into development. Currently Mike is a Visiting Scholar at the Molecular Biology Institute at UCLA, and works as a consultant with Clarity Therapeutics Consulting.​​

Research Interest

 Biochemistry, Molecular Biology