Darren W. Engers, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Senior Director of Medicinal Chemistry
- : darren.engers@vanderbilt.edu
- : (615) 322-0673
- :
100 Cool Springs Innovation Park
Vanderbilt University/WCNDD
393 Nichol Mill Lane, Room 1011
Franklin, Tennessee - 37067
Education
Univeristy of Delaware, 1998
B.S. Chemistry
University of Texas at Austin, 2006
Ph.D. Organic Chemistry
Biosketch and Research Interests
Dr. Darren Engers, Senior Director of Medicinal Chemistry at the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery (WCNDD) and a Warren Director Fellow, has been a group leader for multiple CNS programs, including the M1 PAM, M4 PAM and other ion channel programs. Several of these programs have resulted in licensing deals and major milestones with major pharmaceutical companies. He also supervises/mentors over 30 highly productive medicinal chemists on various WCNDD projects and has over 60+ publications and 30+ patent applications.
Darren Engers received his B.S degree in Chemistry at the University of Delaware where he worked with Prof. P. Andrew Evans on the synthesis of the B ring of Mycalamide A using mercury-mediated oxidative Rubottom rearrangement. Upon graduation, he began his career as a Research Assistant at Rhone-Poulenc Rorer (RPR), Collegeville, PA. While working at RPR, he was involved with traditional single compound synthesis, as well as, parallel solution and solid phase synthesis, including Irori technology; and the synthesis of focused libraries such as sulfonamides, amides from alpha-amino lactams.
Darren Engers obtained his doctoral training from the University of Texas at Austin in Organic Chemistry. Under Prof. Brian L. Pagenkopf, his work focused on the synthesis of a complex polyoxygenated 16-membered macrolactone, Peloruside A, with an emphasis on efficient routes, catalytic reactions and Chiron based strategies. After completing his post-doctoral studies with Prof. Gary Sulikowski, he joined the Vanderbilt Program for Drug Discovery, which is now the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery.
Selected Publications
Discovery of ONO-2920632 (VU6011887): A Highly Selective and CNS Penetrant TREK-2 (TWIK-Related K+ Channel 2) Preferring Activator In Vivo Tool Compound.
Yashiro K, Iwaki Y, Urata H, Kokubo M, Mori T, Sekioka Y, Isami K, Kato J, Wieting J, McGowan KM, Bridges TM, Boutaud O, Engers DW, Denton JS, Kurata H, Lindsley CW.ACS Chem Neurosci. 2025 Mar 5;16(5):960-967. doi: 10.1021/acschemneuro.5c00032. Epub 2025 Feb 21.PMID: 39981749
Discovery of VU6007496: Challenges in the Development of an M1 Positive Allosteric Modulator Backup Candidate.
Engers JL, Bollinger KA, Capstick RA, Long MF, Bender AM, Dickerson JW, Peng W, Presley CC, Cho HP, Rodriguez AL, Niswender CM, Moran SP, Xiang Z, Blobaum AL, Boutaud O, Rook JM, Engers DW, Conn PJ, Lindsley CW.ACS Chem Neurosci. 2024 Sep 18;15(18):3421-3433. doi: 10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00508. Epub 2024 Aug 28.PMID: 39197083
Discovery of VU6028418: A Highly Selective and Orally Bioavailable M4 Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor Antagonist.
Spock M, Carter TR, Bollinger KA, Han C, Baker LA, Rodriguez AL, Peng L, Dickerson JW, Qi A, Rook JM, O’Neill JC, Watson KJ, Chang S, Bridges TM, Engers JL, Engers DW, Niswender CM, Conn PJ, Lindsley CW, Bender AM.ACS Med Chem Lett. 2021 Aug 2;12(8):1342-1349. doi: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00363. eCollection 2021 Aug 12.PMID: 34413964