Teaching & Academic Contributions
- PharmD Courses:
- Medicinal Chemistry II
- Medicinal Chemistry III
- Graduate Teaching:
- Principles in Drug Discovery
- Advanced Medicinal Chemistry
- Current Topics in Biotechnology
- Advising: 2 doctoral students (TUSP)
Research Focus & Activities
Dr. Benjamin E Blass is an experienced medicinal chemist and drug discovery scientist who has published extensively on his efforts to identify novel therapeutics for a wide range of disease states. Currently, his efforts are focused on the identification and development of novel 5-HT7 antagonists and Sigma-2 ligands and their potential application for the treatment of cocaine use disorder, inflammatory bowel disease, pain, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Collaboration Opportunities:
Dr. Blass is interested in the identification of novel small molecule therapeutics useful for the treatment of unmet medical needs. Collaborations with academicians and industrial scientists are equally welcome. Students with an interest in small molecule drug discovery are also welcome.
Key Interests: sigma-2 modulators useful for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, opioid disorder, and pain; 5-HT7[BB1] antagonists useful for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease; and cocaine use disorder; D3 receptor modulators useful for the treatment of Parkinsonian dyskinesia and cocaine use disorder.
Select Publications
- Kwon YH, Blass BE, Wang H, Grondin JA, Banskota S, Korzekwa K, Ye M, Gordon JC, Colussi D, Blattner KM, Canney DJ, Khan WI. Novel 5-HT7 receptor antagonists modulate intestinal immune responses and reduce severity of colitis. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2024 Jul 1;327(1):G57-G69.
- Oh T, Daadi ES, Kim J, Daadi EW, Chen PJ, Roy-Choudhury G, Bohmann J, Blass BE, Daadi MM. Dopamine D3 receptor ligand suppresses the expression of levodopa-induced dyskinesia in nonhuman primate model of Parkinson’s disease. Exp Neurol. 2022 Jan;347:113920.
- Blass, BE (2021). Basic Principles in Drug Discovery and Development (2nd ed.), Elsevier Science
Leadership & Service Experience
- Graduate Committee, TUSP
- American Chemical Society Philadelphia Section Career Services Committee
- Curriculum and Assessment Committee, TUSP
- Medicinal Chemistry Letters Patent Panelist
- Honor Council, TUSP
- Merit Committee, TUSP