Vasu Nair, Ph.D., D.Sc.
Drug Discovery
University of Georgia

Research Interests

Antiviral drug discovery; conceptually new compounds with antiviral activities against DNA and RNA viruses including retroviruses; molecules with anticancer activity. Pre-clinical studies of antiretroviral compounds against HIV-AIDS and cancer.

Research Vision

To build an interdisciplinary, world-class center for drug discovery against viral and other diseases at The University of Georgia.

In the Lab

Research efforts in my laboratory are concerned with the chemistry and biology of nucleosides, nucleotides, nucleic acids and related compounds with particular emphasis on the discovery of novel molecules  of antiviral and anticancer therapeutic interest. Application of molecular recognition concepts to viral genes and enzymes form the basis for our drug design work. Chemoenzymatic methods are utilized for the synthesis of new inhibitors targeted at DNA and RNA viruses including retroviruses such as HIV. Interdisciplinary antiviral studies are performed through national and international collaborative arrangements. One example of success in our quest for new antiviral molecules is the discovery of highly potent inhibitors of HIV retroviral integrase.  This viral enzyme is involved in the incorporation of viral DNA into human chromosomal DNA, the most devastating step in the attack of human cells by HIV.  Our interdisciplinary research work in this area is currently in the pre-clinical stage as these compounds exhibit potent anti-HIV activity.  Work also continues in our laboratory on antitviral drug discovery targeted against infectious diseases caused by RNA viruses. A recent discovery is of a compound with significant activity against dengue virus. This arthropod-borne viral infection poses a serious global health problem.

Why Georgia?

The University of Georgia is a rising, top-twenty public institution with a strong commitment to enhance basic biomedical sciences. This is an outstanding environment in which to work.  Successful technology transfer of discoveries from my laboratory at UGA provides strong evidence for this assertion. 


Other University of Georgia Eminent Scholars

Clifton A. Baile , Ph.D. Agricultural Biotechnology
M. Bruce Beck , Ph.D. Water Quality and Environmental Systems
Jeffrey Bennetzen , Ph.D. Molecular Biology and Functional Genomics
Stephen Dalton , Ph.D. Molecular Cell Biology
Roberto Docampo , M.D., Ph.D. Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases and Cellular Biology
Harry Gilbert , Ph.D. Bioenergy
Michael J. Hannafin , Ph.D. Technology Enhanced Learning
Robert J. Maier , Ph.D. Microbial Physiology
Egbert Mundt , D.V.M., Ph.D. Poultry Medicine
Vasu Nair , Ph.D., D.Sc. Drug Discovery
James H. Prestegard , Ph.D. NMR Spectroscopy
Steven L. Stice , Ph.D. Animal Reproductive Physiology
Ralph A. Tripp , Ph.D. Animal Health Vaccine & Therapeutic Development
Chung-Jui Tsai , Ph.D. Forest Biotechnology
Bi-Cheng Wang , Ph.D. Structural Biology
Ying Xu , Ph.D. Bioinformatics




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