Emily Derbyshire to give 2024 Crano Memorial Lecture

Emily Derbyshire, associate professor of chemistry and cell biology, and assistant professor of molecular genetics and microbiology at Duke University, will give the 2024 Crano Memorial Lecture in morning and evening talks in Akron, Ohio, on April 16. The first event will start at 9 a.m. at the University of Akron’s Auburn Science and Engineering Center. The topic, “Chemical Biology Approaches to Reveal Parasite Vulnerabilities,” will include information on the Derbyshire Lab’s approach to uncovering molecular events that drive the developmental stage of parasites, specifically, in Plasmodium infection. The second talk, to be held at 7 p.m. at Akron’s Missing Falls Brewery, is titled “Unraveling the Mysteries of Parasites.”

The Derbyshire Lab uses both chemical tools and biological methods to uncover novel aspects of malaria parasite biology with the ultimate aim of identifying druggable targets. The lab’s interdisciplinary collaborative program integrates chemical biology, molecular biology, and biochemistry to globally interrogate parasite biology.

The Crano Memorial Lecture series honors John Crano, a chemist at PPG, who had been instrumental in developing the photochromic materials for PPG Industries’ polycarbonate eyeglass lenses. This technology has become the basis for transition eyeglasses. Crano was a former chair of the American Chemical Society–Akron Section and an active ACS member.