Dennis C. Liotta, PhD
Emory University
Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Chemistry

Dennis Liotta received his PhD in organic chemistry in 1974 from the City University of New York and completed his post-doctoral training at the Ohio State University. He is a fellow of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the recipient of a Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher Scholar Fellowship, an Alexander von Humboldt Senior Scientist Award, the 2005 Herty Award, and was the Emory University Distinguished Faculty Lecturer for 2006.  He serves as the Director of the Republic of South Africa Drug Discovery Training Program as well as the Emory Institute for Drug Discovery.

Dr. Liotta joined Emory in 1976.  He has authored more than 200 research publications and patents and over the past fifteen years has been greatly involved in the discovery and development of pharmaceuticals.  He has served as a consultant to major pharmaceutical firms, including Merck, Glaxo, Burroughs Wellcome, Boehringer Ingelheim and Johnson & Johnson.  Along with his colleague, Raymond Schinazi, he was the recipient of the 2003 Biomedical Industry Growth Award, given by the Georgia Biomedical Partnership.  He serves or has served on the scientific advisory boards (SABs) of several prominent biopharmaceutical companies, including Achillion, MetaStatix (SAB Chair), AtheroGenics, Pharmasset (scientific founder), iThemba Pharmaceuticals (scientific founder, SAB Chair), NeurOp, and FOB Synthesis.

In addition, Liotta is the inventor of record for several clinically important antivirals, including FTC (Emtriva, Emtricitabine), 3TC (Epivir, Lamivudine), Reverset (DPC 817, D-D4FC), Racivir and Elvucitabine.