Elias Jackson, Jr, PhD
Co-Founder and Director of Translational Medicine
Vyripharm Biopharmaceuticals
The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) is pleased to highlight alumnus Elias Jackson, Jr, PhD. Dr. Jackson received his bachelor’s degree in biology from The University of Texas at San Antonio and earned his doctoral degree in 2005 at UTMB in cell biology under the mentorship of Dr. Sankar Mitra. Dr. Jackson then completed his postdoctoral training at the Yale University School of Medicine Cardiovascular Disease Research Institute.
Following his post-doctoral training, Dr. Jackson was appointed as a research faculty member in the Yale School of Medicine Cardiovascular Research Institute. Four years later, he accepted the position of assistant professor of physiology at The American University of Antigua School of Medicine. Dr. Jackson’s research background is extensive and varied, and includes the development of new drug formulations, studying the effects of microgravity on the trans-localization of cellular proteins to the nucleus, and the effects of ionizing radiation on human DNA. He has also worked with ILEX Oncology, helping to develop drugs to fight cancer. He has multiple peer-reviewed publications in the areas of diabetes, DNA damage and repair, pharmacology, cellular biology, molecular biology and cardiovascular disease.
Currently, Dr. Jackson is the Co-Founder and Director of Translational Medicine for Vyripharm Biopharmaceuticals, located at The Texas Medical Center Innovation Institute in Houston. Vyripharm is a Precision Medicine Biopharmaceutical firm which develops drug delivery systems and diagnostic platforms for neurologic disorders and cancer. “The future of graduate education rests within creating pathways for our young scientists to gain an integrated experience in biopharma and medical technology research and development,” says Dr. Jackson. He has assisted in concepts and contributions to several inventions and patents in Vyripharm. Dr. Jackson’s company was issued the first-ever patent for comprehensive cannabinoid testing from agriculture to clinical applications. This patent is considered ground-breaking because there is currently no comprehensive analytical approach to assure public safety with respect to medical cannabinoids and medical cannabinoid based products. Dr. Jackson believes that we are on the cusp of dynamic change in natural science research. Congratulations to Dr. Jackson on being selected for this 50th Anniversary Alumni Spotlight!