Member Profile
John Williamson
About Me
I received a B.S. degree in Pharmacy from the University of Mississippi, a Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products Chemistry from the University of Iowa, and served as a National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Research Associate in bacterial evolutionary genetics at Yale University.
In joined the faculty of the School of Pharmacy in 1989. Since that time, I have been continually active in research, teaching and service activities.
My research interests are varied, including anticancer agents, antimicrobial agents and synthetic methodologies. I received my first research grant within six months of my appointment at the University. To date I have received 59 individual awards. I have published more than 200 research manuscripts, continuing education articles, research abstracts, book chapters, and scientific book reviews, several of which have been translated into foreign languages. I was the recipient of research investigator awards from the American Society of Pharmacognosy and the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.
Some of my current research interests include a collaboration with the University of Arizona in the examination of fungal endophytes for their potential to share biosynthetic pathways involved in the production of bioactive products. The development of an anti-anthrax directed drug delivery system in a in-house anthrax spore germinating bioassay. The synthetic techniques involved with reductive aminations, the most common synthetic organic reaction used in the production of drug molecules.
I have mentored undergraduate students in the laboratory yielding two Barry M. Goldwater Fellows, 6 American Society of Pharmacognosy’s Undergraduate Research Awardees, 3 Merck Undergraduate Research Awardees, and 2 Sigma Xi Research Awardees.
I have served as a University of Mississippi student advisor for more than 15 years, as the School of Pharmacy’s Coordinator of Minority Affairs, and as a liaison to regional Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
I have served as Chairperson of the University’s Faculty Senate, the local section of the American Chemical Society and the Scientific Research Society Sigma Xi, and the faculty advisor to the Student National Pharmaceutical Association, Rho Chi, and Phi Delta Chi.
I have served as a expert reviewer on more than 30 federal research panels, as an expert editor for approximately 25 different research journals and publishing houses, as well as associate editor, book review editor, and editorial advisory board member for a variety of internationally circulated research journals.
