Dr. Alex Waterson is a medicinal chemist and drug discovery leader focused on translating early-stage research into novel cancer therapies. As Director of the Vanderbilt Center for Cancer Drug Discovery and Associate Director for Medicinal Chemistry at the Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, he leads efforts to develop small molecules that target protein-protein interactions long considered “undruggable.” His work spans oncology, antibacterial, and antimalarial programs, and has been central to Vanderbilt’s role in the National Cancer Institute’s Chemical Biology Consortium.
Before joining Vanderbilt, Dr. Waterson spent seven years at GlaxoSmithKline, where he co-invented dabrafenib, now FDA-approved for metastatic melanoma. At Vanderbilt, he collaborates closely with academic and industry partners to advance fragment-based discovery programs and support preclinical drug development. With more than 70 publications and patents, Dr. Waterson continues to shape the future of targeted therapeutics through innovation, leadership, and cross-sector collaboration.