Barry University’s Physical Sciences Department is thrilled to welcome Dr. Conrad Fischer, a professor and accomplished researcher whose work has explored Covid-19 and cardiovascular disease interventions.
“I am fascinated by nature’s interaction mechanisms,” Dr. Fischer says. Recently, that interest, coupled with the urgency of our global moment, spurred his participation in a groundbreaking study of Covid-19 drug therapies. “I was lucky to be part of a research team that developed aldehyde inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 (the current Coronavirus),” he says. The team was led by University of Alberta professor Dr. John Vederas, who supervised Dr. Fischer’s postdoctoral fellowship. Overall, the results of the project were promising. “We successfully showed that these drugs bind to a target protease and therefore stop virus replication,” Dr. Fischer says. “Animal and human trials are planned to prove efficacy in medical intervention against COVID-19.”
A desire to treat and prevent modern illnesses drives much of Dr. Fischer’s work. Since joining Barry’s faculty in January, he has been splitting his time between the chemistry classroom and his lab, where he plans to forward his study of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide. “In my research at Barry, I would like to explore how certain body-own peptide hormones regulate cardiovascular health and how we can improve their activity,” he says. “This is important for understanding, treating, and improving cardiovascular health, which is a major concern in our modern society.”
Dr. Fischer is also particularly excited about teaching organic chemistry and biochemistry to Barry’s Physical Sciences students, who immediately impressed him with their creativity and eagerness to learn. “I am struck by how respectful, motivated, and enthusiastic students at Barry are,” he says. “It is a rare find these days, in academia, and Barry is a great base to create confident young scientists.” Students are equally happy about working with Dr. Fischer. His research projects have already caught the interest of three undergraduate students, who are preparing their first poster presentation that will be conducted during the annual STEM Research Symposium.
Originally from Saxony, Germany, Dr. Fischer earned his Master of Science and PhD in Chemistry from Technical University Freiberg, where he also worked as a research associate and teaching assistant. His research efforts have resulted in 37 publications in peer-reviewed journals, and he has been an invited lecturer at various conferences throughout Europe and Canada. He joins Barry fresh from his postdoctoral fellowship at University of Alberta, Canada, and is already enjoying the Miami weather. “It is not widely known that Germans in fact have a fascination with Florida; I am ecstatic that I can claim that I found a new job in such a paradise.”