William H. Prusoff Professor Emeritus of Pharmacology and Senior Research Scientist » Pharmacological Sciences & Molecular Medicine » B.S. University of Miami 1941; Ph.D. Columbia University 1949 Our laboratory has focused on the development of antiviral, anticancer, and radiation sensitizing compounds and elucidation of the molecular basis for their activity. In collaboration with the late Dr. T.S. Lin, we found or synthesized several novel nucleoside analogs that have activity against the AIDS-virus. We found 3'-deoxy 2', 3'-didehydrothymidine (d4T, stavudine, zerit) to be a potent inhibitor of the AIDS-virus, and it is now in clinical use for therapy of AIDS. A major direction is the determination of the mechanisms of action of those compounds that are biologically active. In addition to nucleoside analogs, we have synthesized small polypeptides, with a unique boron amino acid modification designed to inhibit a protease, encoded by HIV-1, which is essential for the formation of the infectious virus. Pivazyan, A.D., et al. (2000). Inhibition of HIV-1 protease by a boron modified polypeptide. Biochem. Pharmacol. 60:927-936. email william.prusoff@yale.edu