Brian Gentry, PhD

Biography

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• International Society for Antiviral Research (ISAR)
• American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

• Chair, Poster Award Committee – ISAR
• Chair, Archive Committee – ISAR
• Co-Chair, Abstract Program Director – ISAR
• Chair, Abstract Review Committee – ASMCUE

UNIVERSITY SERVICE

• Director, Drake Undergraduate Science Collaborative Institute

COLLEGE SERVICE

• Faculty Advisor – Phi Delta Chi

HONORS AND AWARDS

• CPHS Mentor of the Year – 2014
• Hartig Distinguished Faculty Award - 2020

EXPERIENCE

Undergraduate Student Research Assistant, David W. Emerich, PhD., Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri-Columbia;
August 1998-May 2000.

Graduate Student Research Assistant, Donna S. Shewach, PhD., Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; January 2001-March 2006.

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, John C. Drach, PhD., Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; April 2006-July 2010.

Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical, and Administrative Sciences, Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; July 2010-June 2016.

Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences, Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; July 2016-June 2022.

Director, Drake Undergraduate Science Collaborative Institute (DUSCI), Drake University; August 2018-present.

Professor of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences, Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; July 2022-present.

Areas of Expertise

My research focuses on the development of novel, experimental therapeutics that can potentially be used for the treatment of systemic human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections. Current efforts are focused on the development of a multi-drug regimen for the treatment of HCMV, determining the extent of in vivo metabolism for these drugs, and elucidating the molecular mechanism of action for each of these compounds. Preliminary results indicate a good pharmacokinetic profile and a unique mechanism of action, making these compounds ideal candidates for further development.

Currently Accepting Student Researchers?  Yes

Education

• B.S. Biochemistry, University of Missouri – Columbia;
• Ph.D. Pharmacology, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

Courses Taught

• PHAR 116 - Immune System Diseases and Pharmacotherapy
• PHAR 133 - Principles of Drug Action I

Latest Projects and Publications

Gentry BG, Vollmer LE, Hall ED, Borysko KZ, Zemlicka J, Kamil JP, Drach JC. Resistance of Human Cytomegalovirus to Cyclopropavir Maps to a Base Pair Deletion in the Open Reading Frame of UL97. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 57(9): 4343-4348 (2013).

Gentry BG, Drach JC. Metabolism of Cyclopropavir and Ganciclovir in Human Cytomegalovirus Infected Cells. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 58(4): 2329-2333 (2014).

Gentry BG, Phan Q, Hall ED, Breitenbach JM, Borysko KZ, Kamil JP, Townsend LB, Drach JC. Human Cytomegalovirus Resistance to the Deoxyribosylindole Nucleosides Maps to a Transversion Mutation in the Terminase Subunit-Encoded Gene UL89. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 59(1): 226-232 (2015).

Chen H, Li C, Zemlicka J, Gentry BG, Bowlin TL, Coen DM. Potency and Stereoselectivity of Cyclopropavir Triphosphate Action on Human Cytomegalovirus DNA Polymerase. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 60(7): 4176-4182 (2016).

Lange KN, McKay D, Gentry BG, Franko J. Antimicrobial Properties of Perfusate Fluid after CS-HIPEC with Mitomycin C. Annals of Surgical Oncology 24: 3837-3841 (2017).

O’Brien MS, Markovich KC, Selleseth D, DeVita AV, Sethna P, Gentry BG. In Vitro Evaluation of Current and Novel Antivirals in Combination against Human Cytomegalovirus. Antiviral Research 158: 255-263 (2018).

Gentry BG, Bogner E, Drach JC.  Targeting the Terminase:  An Important Step Forward in the Treatment and Prophylaxis of Human Cytomegalovirus Infections.  Antiviral Research 161:  116-124 (Invited Article, Review) (2019).

Vollmer KJ, Burns AC, Sauer HE, Williams JD, Komazin-Meredith G, Cardinale S, Butler M, Aron Z, Hussein I, Busch MG, Bowlin TL, Gentry BG.  Activation of 6-Alkoxy-Substituted Methylenecyclopropane Nucleoside Analogs Requires Enzymatic Modification by Adenosine Deaminase-Like Protein 1.  Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy63(10):  1301-1319 (2019).

Sauer HE, Nguyen ML, Williams JD, Bowlin TL, Gentry BG.  Biosynthesis and Half-Life of MBX-2168-Triphosphate in Herpes Virus-Infected Cells.  Antiviral Research 175:  104713 (2020).

Hagen NR, Nguyen ML, Williams JD, Bowlin TL, Gentry BG.  Pentostatin Antagonizes the Antiviral Activity of MBX-2168 by Inhibiting the Biosynthesis of the Active Compound.  Antiviral Research 187:  105018 (2021).