Two Johns Hopkins drug development experts named to National Academy of Inventors

Two scientists at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine have been selected for membership in the National Academy of Inventors, the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors.

Drug development experts Jun Liu and Barbara Slusher are among 169 distinguished academic and institutional inventors in the United States to be named NAI fellows this year. The 2025 class of fellows represents 127 universities, government agencies, and research institutions, across 40 U.S. states. Collectively, this year's fellows hold more than 5,300 issued U.S. patents.

"NAI Fellows are a driving force within the innovation ecosystem, and their contributions across scientific disciplines are shaping the future of our world," said Paul R. Sanberg, president of the National Academy of Inventors. "We are thrilled to welcome this year's class of fellows to the academy."

Image caption: Jun Liu

Jun Liu is a professor of physiology, pharmacology, and therapeutics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he directs the Drug Discovery Core of FAMRI Center of Excellence at Johns Hopkins, leads the Johns Hopkins Drug Library, and co-directs the Cancer Chemical and Structural Biology Program. His research lies at the interface between chemistry, biology, and medicine, with a focus on discovering small molecules that modulate essential cellular pathways and provide new strategies for treating human disease.

Liu is widely recognized for pioneering the rapafucin platform, a versatile class of synthetic macrocycles inspired by rapamycin but engineered to achieve programmable specificity against diverse intracellular targets. These compounds act through a distinctive molecular glue mechanism that enables precise modulation of protein–protein interactions long viewed as inaccessible to traditional drug discovery. The rapafucin platform has produced novel chemical probes and therapeutic leads with broad applications, and its commercial development reflects the growing impact of this innovative approach.

Liu has also transformed the field of drug repurposing by establishing the Johns Hopkins Drug Library and demonstrating the power of systematic, mechanism-based screening of existing drugs. His team has revealed previously unrecognized activities of existing drugs, several of which have advanced into Phase 2 and 3 human clinical trials. The repositioning of antifungal drug itraconazole and antibiotic nitroxoline as novel antiangiogenic and anticancer agents exemplifies how mechanistic insight can uncover new therapeutic potential within familiar chemical scaffolds.

Image caption: Barbara Slusher

Barbara Slusher, Med '91 (PhD), Bus '91 (MS), is a professor of neurology, pharmacology, and molecular sciences, psychiatry, and behavioral sciences, neuroscience, Medicine, and Oncology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She directs Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, serves as vice director of the Pedersen Brain Science Institute, and co-directs the Johns Hopkins Center for the Advancement of HIV Neurotherapeutics.

She has published over 300 scientific papers and is an inventor on more than 100 patents. Before joining Johns Hopkins, she spent 18 years in the pharmaceutical industry, rising to senior vice president of research and translational development, and contributed to the development, launch, or post-marketing support of four FDA-approved drugs.

At Johns Hopkins, she leads the institution's largest drug discovery program, overseeing a team of more than 20 drug discovery scientists focused on identifying novel targets and advancing new therapies. She has co-founded five start-up companies that have raised over $150 million and licensed four discovery programs to pharmaceutical partners. She also founded the first International Consortium of Academic Drug Discovery Centers, now comprising more than 150 centers and 1,500 members.

Since its founding in 2012, the NAI Fellows program has grown to include 2,253 exceptional researchers and innovators, who hold over 86,000 U.S. patents and 20,000 licensed technologies. NAI Fellows are known for the societal and economic impact of their inventions, contributing to major advancements in science and consumer technologies. Their innovations have generated over $3.8 trillion in revenue and generated 1.4 million jobs. The 2025 class of fellows will be honored and inducted at the NAI 15th Annual Conference on June 4 in Los Angeles.