Darjan Duraki

Darjan Duraki is a Principal Scientist at Pfizer, having transitioned from a Senior Scientist role, and has extensive research experience from positions at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Illinois Chicago. In the David Shapiro Lab, Duraki contributed significantly to the preclinical development of a first-in-class a-UPR activator, ErSO, targeting therapy-resistant breast cancers and conducted lead development for compounds aimed at estrogen receptor-positive cancers. Key responsibilities included evaluating cytotoxicity, determining mechanisms of action, generating stable cell line models, creating xenograft models for various cancers, and conducting high-throughput screening for SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors. Earlier experience included synthesizing naphthoquinones relevant to Ebola virus research in the Duncan Wardrop Lab. Duraki holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois Chicago.