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Molecular Biology-based Drug Discovery Center

We develop new and effective medicines for the treatment of diseases.

Falk Center for Molecular Therapeutics

The Falk Center for Molecular Therapeutics is a molecular biology-based drug discovery center of excellence within the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern Engineering

There has never been a greater need for the development of new and effective medicines for the treatment of diseases. However, the costs of creating new drugs have skyrocketed, and therapies for many diseases are not being developed because the patient population is too small to be profitable. A new organizational model is necessary to translate discoveries with therapeutic potential into clinically useful compounds. The Falk Center for Molecular Therapeutics is such a model.

Our Research

Our research is organized into three different areas:

Pharmacogenomics

We perform analyses utilizing oligonucleotide microarrays and proteomic platforms.

Drug Discovery

We use molecular pharmacology, molecular biology, and behavioral neuroscience tools to transition from discovery to molecules with therapeutic potential.

Brain Tumor Therapeutics

We have created a family of novel molecules with therapeutic potential for the treatment of malignant brain tumors and metastasis to the brain.

Developing Drug Therapies

Rapastinel was purchased by Allergan in 2015 and is being evaluated in a Phase III clinical trial for treatment-resistant depression. Aptinyx has several compounds in clinical development, including NYX-2925 (in Phase II clinical trials for painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy and fibromyalgia), NYX-783 (in a Phase II clinical trial for post-traumatic stress disorder), and NYX-458 (in a Phase I trial to establish safety and tolerability in individuals with cognitive impairment associated with Parkinson's disease).

Contact Us

Start your collaboration today

Joseph R. Moskal, PhD, Director, Falk Center for Molecular Therapeutics and Research Professor, BME.

Jeffrey S. Burgdorf, PhD, Associate Director, Falk Center for Molecular Therapeutics and Research Associate Professor, BME

Phone: 847-491-4802 | Fax: 847-491-4810


Email Joseph Moskal