From crystallography to alt-ac drug discovery to NIH
Leigh Allen · Structural Dynamics · 2025
Leigh Allen is a chemist/structural biologist (Wake Forest University BS ’06, Duke University PhD ‘11, Hauptman-Woodward Institute 2011-2014, NC State University 2014-2016) who became a Program Officer in the federal government (NIH) after an “alternative academic” (alt-ac) career at an academic drug discovery center and medicinal chemistry department at the University of Minnesota (2016-2022). Her initial research focus was the study of the mechanisms underpinning antibiotic resistance and bacterial biofilms, but that has evolved into a focus on contraception research, reproductive biology and women’s health as well as dual-indication products referred to as multipurpose prevention technologies. While she does not directly oversee structural biology projects as part of her current portfolio, her branch manages drug discovery and product development research with structure often interspersed whenever possible. Her branch also runs contract facilities for product developers seeking pre-clinical data, where the scope includes protein production and x-ray crystallography services. Leigh Allen is a chemist/structural biologist (Wake Forest University BS ’06, Duke University PhD ‘11, Hauptman-Woodward Institute 2011-2014, NC State University 2014-2016) who became a Program Officer in the federal government (NIH) after an “alternative academic” (alt-ac) career at an academic drug discovery center and medicinal chemistry department at the University of Minnesota (2016-2022). Her initial research focus was the study of the mechanisms underpinning antibiotic resistance and bacterial biofilms, but that has evolved into a focus on contraception research, reproductive biology and women’s health as well as dual-indication products referred to as multipurpose prevention technologies. While she does not directly oversee structural biology projects as part of her current portfolio, her branch manages drug discovery and product development research with structure often interspersed whenever possible. Her branch also runs contract facilities for product developers seeking pre-clinical data, where the scope includes protein production and x-ray crystallography services.