Johnny Habchi PhD
Head of Research
Dr. Habchi has served as Wren’s Head of Research since its foundation in 2016. Previously, he worked at the Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Cambridge, where his research focused on developing new methodologies in drug discovery for protein aggregation. Dr. Habchi's research included the first proof-of-principle studies demonstrating the mechanism of action of a small molecule drug targeting the misfolding and aggregation process, driven by a conceptual shift from structure-based to kinetics-based drug discovery in protein misfolding diseases.
Dr. Habchi completed his BSc in Biochemistry at the Lebanese University during which he became interested in understanding the protein folding process. He then obtained masters and doctoral degrees in protein science from Aix-Marseille University, France, where he studied the folding of unstructured (intrinsically disordered) proteins.
Dr. Habchi has co-authored more than 40 publications, is a Cambridge University Fellow in Leadership and a Fellow at Hughes Hall College, Cambridge.
Publications by Johnny Habchi PhD
-
Methods | Jun 2020
Rational design of a conformation-specific antibody for the quantification of Aβ oligomers
Aprile FA, Sormanni P, Podpolny M, Chhangur S, Needham L, Ruggeri FS, Perni M, Limbocker R, Heller GT, Sneideris T, Scheidt T, Mannini B, Habchi J, Lee SF, Salinas PC, Knowles TP, Dobson CM and Vendruscolo M.
-
Drug discovery | Oct 2018
SAR by kinetics for drug discovery in protein misfolding diseases
Chia S, Habchi J, Michaels TC, Cohen SI, Linse S, Dobson CM, Knowles TP and Vendruscolo M.
-
Drug discovery | Feb 2016
An Anticancer Drug Suppresses the Primary Nucleation Reaction That Initiates the Production of the Toxic Aβ42 Aggregates Linked With Alzheimer's Disease
Habchi J, Arosio P, Perni M, Costa AR, Yagi-Utsumi, Joshi P, Chia S, Cohen SI, Müller MB, Linse S, Nollen EA, Dobson CM, Knowles TP and Vendruscolo M.