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About the author
Dr. Ma is currently a Principal Scientist in the Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics at Genentech Inc. Previously he was a Senior Principal Scientist at Schering-Plough (now Merck) and a Senior Scientist at Amgen. He received his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Purdue University under the direction of Professor R. Graham Cooks. He also had two years of postdoctoral training in biological mass spectrometry at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine under Professor Richard Caprioli. Dr. Ma has authored 55 research articles in peer-reviewed journals and 4 book chapters, covering broad areas of mass spectrometry and its applications. His current research interests include the development of novel LC/MS-based techniques for metabolite detection and investigation of biotransformation and bioactivation of xenobiotics.Dr. Chowdhury is currently a Director of DMPK at Takeda Pharmaceutical International Co. in Cambridge, MA, responsible for evaluating metabolism, toxicity, and potential for drug-drug interaction due to modulation of activities of metabolizing enzymes and transporters by compounds in discovery and development. Dr. Chowdhury obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Alberta in 1987. After spending a year and a half as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Toronto, Dr. Chowdhury joined Rockefeller University as a Research Associate in the laboratory of Professor Brian Chait. At Rockefeller University, Dr. Chowdhury was involved in the early stage of the development of atmospheric pressure ionization (API) mass spectrometry. This early research on API led to the introduction of a novel API system for LC/MS. After leaving Rockefeller University, he worked on the applications of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry techniques at several non-academic organizations, including at Schering-Plough Research Institute (SPRI), where he worked for fifteen years in the Department of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics. The focus of his research at SPRI was to investigate the biotransformation of drugs in support of drug discovery and development. He was involved with the development and registration of a number of pharmaceuticals including Temodar, Clarinex, Zetia, Noxafil, Nasonex/Asmanex, and Victrelis. Dr. Chowdhury is an author of nearly 100 original publications covering a broad area of drug metabolism and drug-drug interaction and analytical technologies to evaluate them.
