Alison Axtman

Alison D. Axtman is an Assistant Professor and Maureen Daly Blouin Distinguished Fellow in the Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry Department in the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, where she also serves as a Principal Investigator in Medicinal Chemistry at the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC-UNC). Dr. Axtman’s research sits at the interface of chemistry and biology, with a focus on harnessing high-quality small molecule probes to illuminate and modulate underexplored, disease-propagating pathways, particularly those implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. Her laboratory integrates innovative assay development with iterative medicinal chemistry to create robust chemical tools that enable rigorous exploration of target biology and therapeutic potential. Through these efforts, the Axtman laboratory aims to expand the druggable human proteome, uncover new opportunities for therapeutic intervention, and advance novel chemical modalities capable of addressing challeng