Eric Lansdon
Executive Director - Structural Biology & Chemistry Gilead Sciences
Eric Lansdon brings over 21 years of experience in biotechnology and pharmaceutical drug discovery, leading high-impact projects from target identification through clinical development. At Gilead Sciences, he directs structural biology efforts, applying protein crystallography and cryo-EM to understand protein structure and function, guiding the design of next-generation therapeutics. He has contributed to multiple clinical candidates, including Ainuovirine, Entosplientinib, Lanraplenib, Selonsertib, GS-1427, and Bavtavirine, and combines deep technical expertise with strategic leadership to translate complex structural insights into actionable drug discovery solutions.
Seminars
As the toolbox of techniques and modalities continues to expand, structure-based drug design is at a crossroads. This interactive panel invites the audience and expert panellists to reflect on the most pressing challenges, biggest opportunities, and future directions to maximize the impact of structural insights on drug discovery.
Key Discussion Points:
- What are the key bottlenecks still limiting the impact of SBDD (resolution, dynamics, integration, translation to clinic)?
- Which emerging tools (AI, cryo-ET, integrative modelling, real-time structural methods) will reshape the field in the next 5 years?
- How can we bridge the gap between structural data and actionable design decisions for both small molecules and biologics?
- What collaborations, technologies, or standards are still needed to make SBDD more predictive and accessible?
- Demonstrating how Cryo-ET complements Cryo-EM and computational approaches to resolve heterogeneity in large molecular complexes
- Case studies where Cryo-ET combined with modeling (e.g. AlphaFold) enables structural insights into viruses and challenging biological assemblies
- Practical considerations: sample prep, overcoming technical hurdles, and leveraging maps for better modelling of complex assemblies
- Exploring the role of Cryo-ET within an integrated workflow to accelerate mechanism-driven drug discovery
