Dr. Richard A. Friesner is a distinguished computational chemist and preeminent leader in theoretical chemistry whose work has fundamentally shaped modern drug discovery methodologies. He currently holds the prestigious position of William P. Schweitzer Professor of Chemistry at Columbia University, where his research has flourished since 1990. Born in 1952, Friesner received his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Chicago in 1973 and completed his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley in 1979 under Kenneth Sauer, followed by postdoctoral research at MIT with Robert Silbey. His academic journey began at the University of Texas at Austin in 1982, where he rose from Assistant to Associate Professor before making his significant transition to Columbia University.
Friesner's groundbreaking contributions center on the development of computational methods that have revolutionized structure-based drug design and molecular modeling across the pharmaceutical industry. He co-founded Schrödinger, Inc. in 1990 and has led the creation of several widely adopted software platforms including Jaguar for quantum chemistry calculations, Glide for protein-ligand docking, WaterMap for analyzing water thermodynamics in binding sites, and Prime for high-resolution protein structure prediction. His research spans computational modeling of complex biological systems and nanomaterials, with particular focus on protein structure prediction, enzyme reaction mechanisms, and nanosystems for solar energy applications. These innovative computational tools have become industry standards, enabling more efficient drug discovery processes and significantly advancing both theoretical understanding and practical applications in medicinal chemistry.
As a highly influential figure in computational chemistry, Friesner served as Director of the Columbia University Center for Biomolecular Simulation from 1992 to 2001, establishing it as a premier hub for interdisciplinary research. His exceptional contributions have been recognized with election to both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2008 and the National Academy of Sciences in 2016, alongside earlier honors including the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship and the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award. With over 250 peer-reviewed publications, Friesner continues to push the boundaries of computational chemistry, particularly in applications related to solar energy conversion systems and complex biological processes. His ongoing research maintains a strong industry connection through Schrödinger while training generations of computational chemists who now lead research efforts worldwide.
