Raymond Schuch

Dr. Schuch joined ContraFect in 2011 as the VP of Research where his work has supported the continued development of exebacase from IND candidacy through to our ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial. Prior to ContraFect, Dr. Schuch held the position of Research Assistant Professor at The Rockefeller University (Rockefeller) where he helped lead seminal research efforts identifying the lysin class of compounds, defining their hallmark properties and initiating their development for human medicinal use. Dr. Schuch’s key accomplishments at Rockefeller included the discovery of exebacase as well as additional lysins targeting Gram-positive pathogens.

Dr. Schuch leads our discovery programs and has enabled the de novo identification of and activity profiling for our portfolio of antimicrobial direct lytic agents, which includes lysins and amurin peptides, a second, completely novel class of compounds. Most recently his work has overcome one of the biggest hurdles in the lysin field: the discovery of compounds targeting Gram-negative pathogens which are amenable to systemic administration. Through proprietary methods, Dr. Schuch and his team engineered highly active lysins appropriate for systemic use to potentially treat antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative infections, including the ESKAPE pathogens, associated with many of the greatest unmet medical needs.

Dr. Schuch received his B.S. in Biology from SUNY Binghamton and his Ph.D. working in the molecular genetics of bacterial spore formation at the Temple University School of Medicine in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (National Naval Medical Center) working with Professor Anthony T. Maurelli to identify critical components of bacterial virulence protein (Type III) secretion and delivery systems and defining steps in the pathogenesis of Shigella flexneri and related Gram-negative organisms. Dr. Schuch is an author on more than 60 publications and an inventor on over 15 patents.