Gilbert M. Rishton

Gilbert M. Rishton has a long and successful work history spanning over 30 years. From 1990 to 1995, they worked as a Senior Research Scientist and Medicinal Chemist at Tanabe Research Laboratories, where they focused on medicinal chemistry and peptidomimetic chemistry to create antagonists of cell adhesion via the alpha4beta1 pathway for inflammatory diseases. In 1995, they joined Amgen (Thousand Oaks) as a Medicinal Chemist and Preclinical and Clinical Chemistry Manager (Sensipar), where they were the first medicinal chemist at the Thousand Oaks site and managed the Small Molecule drug Discovery program initiation. From 2004 to 2007, they served as Director and Adjunct Faculty Organic Chemistry Instructor at the Channel Islands Alzheimer's Institute, California State University Channel Islands. During this time, they raised funds from corporate and private donors to support research in Alzheimer's disease drug discovery. In 2008, they became the Chief Science Officer (CSO) at Cardax, where they developed highly bioavailable formulations and novel derivatives of xanthophyll carotenoid anti-inflammatory agents including astaxanthin. Gilbert M. also achieved the successful launch of ZanthoSyn, the optimally formulated dietary supplement (astaxanthin, 12 mg) with superior oral absorption. Finally, from 2007 to present, they have been a Co-Founder and Chief Chemist at Cognition Therapeutics, where they have been developing blood-brain barrier permeable small molecule antagonists of the synaptotoxic forms of soluble beta-amyloid oligomer (AbO) for Alzheimer's disease (CT1812).

Gilbert M. Rishton began their educational journey in 1979 when they attended the University of Rhode Island, where they earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 1983. Gilbert M. then went on to Florida State University, where they completed a Doctor of Philosophy in Organic Chemistry, Organic Synthesis, and Morphinan Synthesis under Martin A. Schwartz in 1988. In 1989, they completed a Post-doc in Asymmetric Organic Synthesis under Prof. Larry E. Overman at UC Irvine.