Dr. James A. Wells is a preeminent biochemist and distinguished authority in protein engineering and molecular pharmacology. He currently holds the Harry Wm. and Diana V. Hind Distinguished Professorship in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco where he serves as Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology. After earning dual B.A. degrees in biochemistry and psychology from the University of California, Berkeley in 1973, he completed his Ph.D. in biochemistry at Washington State University in 1979 followed by postdoctoral training at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Wells established his independent research career in 1982 as a co-founding member of the Protein Engineering Department at Genentech where he pioneered innovative methodologies for nearly two decades before co-founding Sunesis Pharmaceuticals in 1998.
Dr. Wells has made transformative contributions to protein engineering, phage display technology, and fragment-based drug discovery through the development of groundbreaking methodologies that have become industry standards. His laboratory pioneered 'gain-of-function engineering' of enzymes, hormones, and antibodies which led to the creation of therapeutic agents including pegvisomant for acromegaly treatment and bevacizumab for various cancers. At Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, he developed the Tethering technology for targeted small molecule discovery which produced Lifitegrast for dry eye disease and novel RAF inhibitors for cancer therapy. His seminal work in mapping protein-protein interaction hot spots and developing subtiligase proteomics for cell surface proteins has provided critical insights into molecular recognition mechanisms with broad applications across biomedical research.
Beyond his scientific achievements, Dr. Wells has profoundly shaped the field through founding the Small Molecule Discovery Center at UCSF and establishing multiple biotechnology companies that have successfully translated basic research into clinical applications. His election to the National Academy of Sciences in 1999 and subsequent honors including the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and MedChem Hall of Fame recognition underscore his enduring impact on pharmaceutical sciences. Dr. Wells has mentored generations of scientists who now lead prominent positions across academia and industry while continuing to innovate through his current research on the cell surface proteome. His laboratory remains at the forefront of developing extracellular degraders to remove disease-causing proteins through EpiBiologics, extending his legacy of transforming fundamental biochemical insights into innovative therapeutic strategies.
