Rate My Professor David Colby

David A. Colby is a Professor of Medicinal Chemistry in the Department of BioMolecular Sciences at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy. He also serves as Research Professor in the Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Director of Online Graduate Programs for BioMolecular Sciences since 2023. Colby earned a Pharm.D. with honors in pharmacy and distinction from the University of Iowa in 2001 and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of California, Irvine in 2006. He completed postdoctoral studies at The Scripps Research Institute in 2008. From 2008 to 2014, he was Assistant Professor in Purdue University's Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, holding a joint appointment in the Department of Chemistry. In 2014, Colby joined the University of Mississippi as Associate Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, advancing to full Professor in 2022.

Dr. Colby's research interests include medicinal chemistry, natural products chemistry, organic synthesis, fluorine chemistry, drug design, and dietary supplements. His work focuses on drug discovery for neurodegenerative disorders, addiction, and cancer, utilizing natural products for inspiration and fluorine incorporation to enhance pharmaceutical properties. Key publications encompass the total synthesis of vinblastine, vincristine, and structural analogues (Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2009), direct coupling of catharanthine and vindoline to provide vinblastine (Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2008), evaluation of difluoromethyl ketones as γ-aminobutyric acid type B receptor agonists (Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2013), and application of the pentafluorosulfanyl group as a bioisosteric replacement (ChemMedChem, 2017). Colby has received the University of Mississippi Faculty Achievement Award (2020–2021), Distinguished Teacher Scholar award from the School of Pharmacy (2020–2023), AACP Academic Leadership Fellow Program selection (2025–2026), Thieme Chemistry Journal Award (2011), and AACP New Pharmacy Faculty Research Award (2010–2011). He founded Fluoriq LLC in 2023, developing fluorinated solvents for efficient pharmaceutical manufacturing; the startup placed second in the 2025 Oxford CoBuilders Pitch Competition and was selected for the NIH-funded I-RED entrepreneurial cohort.