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Dr. Daniel Afosah

Assistant Professor

University of North Texas

Department of Chemistry

(940) 369-8201-

Email: daniel.afosah@unt.edu

Education

  • PhD, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2017
    Major: Pharmaceutical Sciences
    Specialization: Medical Chemistry

Professional Positions

    Academic - Post-Secondary

  • Assistant Professor, University of North Texas. University of North Texas. (2024 - Present).
  • K99 Postdoctoral Fellow, Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University. (2022 - 2024).
  • Assistant Professor, Washington and Lee University. Washington and Lee University. (2021 - 2022).
  • K12 Postdoctoral Scholar, Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University. (2018 - 2021).
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Virginia Commonwealth Universty. Virginia Commonwealth Universty. (2017 - 2018).
  • Adjunct Faculty, University of Richmond. University of Richmond. (2017 - 2018).

Professional Memberships

  • Society for Glycobiolgy. (September 1, 2019 - Present).
  • American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. (January 5, 2019 - Present).
  • American Chemical Society. (May 12, 2015 - Present).

Development Activities

  • Workshop, ATG Fall Faculty Grantsmanship Workshop, Division of Research and Innovation, University of North Texas. Denton,TX,United States of America. (December 10, 2024).
  • Workshop, K to R01 Virtual Workshop, NIH-NHLBI. United States of America. (October 22, 2024 - October 23, 2024).

Teaching

Teaching Experience

    University of North Texas

  • CHEM 4670 - Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry, 1 course.
  • CHEM 5640 - Selected Topics in Organic Chemistry, 1 course.
  • CHEM 6940 - Individual Research, 2 courses.

Teaching at Other Institutions

  • Washington and Lee University, CHEM 341 Biochemistry I, Fall 2021.
  • Washington and Lee University, CHEM 110 General Chemistry Lab, Fall 2021.

Directed Student Learning

  • Major Professor, "Thrombopoietic properties of NSGMs.," Chemistry. (December 2024).
  • Major Professor, "Inhibitors of coagulation cascade proteases," Chemistry. (December 2024).
  • Dissertation Committee Member, "Expression of lyngbyatoxin genes (ltx A-C) in Aspergillus oryzae NSAR1," Chemistry. (August 2024).
  • Major Professor, "Synthesis and application of NSGM probes," Chemistry. (August 2024).
  • Major Professor, "Thrombopoietic properties of NSGMs.," Chemistry. (August 2024).

Awards and Honors

  • Best Poster Award, Society for Glycobiology Annual Meeting. (November 2020).
  • Society for Glycobiology Travel Award, Society for Glycobiology. (September 2019).
  • ASBMB IMAGE Grant-Writing Workshop Award, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. (April 2019).
  • ASBMB Postdoctoral Researcher Travel Award, American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. (January 2019).
  • Carl Storm Underrepresented Minority Fellowship, Gordon Research Conferences - Medicinal Chemistry. (July 2018).
  • VCU School of Pharmacy Blake Putney Award, Virginia Commonwealth University. (May 2017).
  • VCU School of Pharmacy Rector and Rorrer Award for Graduate Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University. (May 2017).
  • VCU School of Pharmacy J. Doyle Smith Award, Virginia Commonwealth University. (April 2017).
  • VCU School of Pharmacy Graduate Travel Award, Virginia Commonwealth University. (May 2016).
  • Outstanding Poster Presentation, VCU ISBDDD 3D Summit, Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery, and Development, Virginia Commonwealth University. (February 2016).
  • VCU Phi Kappa Phi School of Pharmacy Scholarship Award, Virginia Commonwealth University Phi Kappa Phi Chapter. (February 2016).
  • VCU Phi Kappa Phi School of Pharmacy Scholarship Award, Virginia Commonwealth University Phi Kappa Phi Chapter. (April 2014).
  • VCU Department of Medicinal Chemistry Best Seminar, Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Medicinal Chemistry. (August 2013).

Research

Published Intellectual Contributions

    Abstracts and Proceedings

  • Afosah, D. (2023). Simultaneous targeting of the PDZ1 and PDZ2 domains of MDA-9 inhibits melanoma metastasis.. 83 3394.
  • Afosah, D. (2022). Non-Saccharide Glycosaminoglycan Mimetics as Inhibitors of Cathepsin G. 32 1016-1017.
  • Afosah, D. (2021). Quantitative Analysis of Highly Sulfated, Lipid-conjugated Mimetics of Glycosaminoglycans in Human Plasma. 31 1753.
  • Afosah, D. (2020). Cholesterol modification enhances potency and pharmacokinetic properties of a selective cancer stem cell targeting agent. 80 6353.
  • Afosah, D. (2019). A small, synthetic glycosaminoglycan mimetic as an inhibitor of human heparinase.. FASEB Journal. 33 (Suppl 1) 675.12-675.12.
  • Afosah, D. (2019). Computational modeling of 2-O, 3-O-desulfated heparin interaction with p300 histone acetyl transferase.. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. 257
  • Afosah, D. (2019). Glycosaminoglycans and Glycosaminoglycan Mimetics as Human Neutrophil Elastase Inhibitors for Cystic Fibrosis Management. FASEB Journal. 33 (Suppl 1) 782.2-782.2.
  • Afosah, D. (2019). Lipophilic Modification of an Anti‐Cancer Stem Cell Agent Improves Pharmacokinetic and Anti‐Cancer Properties.. FASEB Journal. 33 (Suppl 1) 782.17-782.17.
  • Afosah, D. (2019). Many Apparently Non-Selective GAG – Protein Systems May Exhibit Interesting Selectivity Features: The Case of Human Neutrophil Elastase.. 29 953.
  • Afosah, D. (2019). Relationship between modified heparin-derived oligosaccharide non-polar surface areas and electrospray ionization response. 29 951.
  • Afosah, D. (2019). Selective Inhibition of a Panel of Cancer Stem Cell Lines by Novel Glycosaminoglycan Mimetics. FASEB Journal. 33 (Suppl 1) 675.11-675.11.
  • Afosah, D. (2017). Molecular Determinants of Neutrophil Elastase Inhibition By 2-O, 3-O Desulfated Heparin. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 195 A1287.
  • Afosah, D. (2017). Neutrophil Elastase Inhibition by DNA or Heparin is Polymer Length Dependent.. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 195 A1286.
  • Afosah, D. (2016). 2-O, 3-O Desulfated Heparin Blocks High Mobility Group Box1 Release from Macrophages by Inhibition of P300 Acetyltransferase Activity. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 193 A5566.
  • Afosah, D. (2016). Computational modeling of 2-O, 3-O-desulfated heparin interaction with p300 histone acetyl transferase.. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. 252
  • Afosah, D. (2016). Reducing bleeding risks of anticoagulants through a novel partial inhibition approach. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. 252

    • Book Chapter

  • Afosah, D., Morla, S., Campbell, C., Desai, U. (2021). Natural products for Cardiovascular Diseases Treatment.. 1 San Diego, Cognella.

    • Journal Article

  • Dumas, A., Goyal, N., Mottamal, M., Afosah, D., Al-Horani, R. (2024). Discovery of a New Lead Molecule to Develop a Novel Class of Human Factor XIIa Inhibitors.. 57 (8) 1308-1314. Springer Nature. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11239-024-03054-2
  • Vu, K., Kar, S., Mottamal, M., Afosah, D., Al-Horani, R. (2024). Discovery of Heparin Mimetic, Potent, and Selective Inhibitors of Human Clotting Factor XIIIa. ACS Omega. 9 (28) 31105-31119. Washington, DC, American Chemical Society. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsomega.4c04518
  • Woodland, M., , A.T., , A.L., Goyal, N., Schexnaildre , J., Mottamal , M., Afosah, D., Al-Horani, R. (2024). New Triazole-Based Potent Inhibitors of Human Factor XIIa as Anticoagulants.. ACS Omega. 9 (9) 10694-10708. Washington, DC, American Chemical Society.
  • Pradhan, A., Modi, J., Maji, S., Kumar, A., Bhoopathi, P., Mannangatti, P., Gu, C., Afosah, D., Mochel, M., Mukhopadhya, N., Kirkwood, J., Wang, X., Desai, U., Sarkar, D., Emdad, L., Das, S., Fisher, P. (2023). Dual Targeting of the PDZ1 and PDZ2 Domains of MDA-9/Syntenin Inhibits Melanoma Metastasis. 22 (10) 1115-1127. Philadelphia, PA, American Association for Cancer Research. https://aacrjournals.org/mct/article/22/10/1115/729311/Dual-Targeting-of-the-PDZ1-and-PDZ2-Domains-of-MDA
  • Chiles, R., Afosah, D., Al-Horani, R. (2023). Investigation of the Anticoagulant Activity of Cyclic Sulfated Glycosaminoglycan Mimetics.. 529 108831. Amsterdam, Elsevier. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0008621523000939
  • Afosah, D.K., Fayyadd, R., Puliafico, V., Merrell, S., Langmia, E., Diagne, S., Al-h, R., Umesh, D. (2023). Non-Saccharide Glycosaminoglycan Mimetics as Potent Inhibitors of Human Cathepsin G. 13 (5) 760. Basel, MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/13/5/760
  • Afosah, D., Abdelfadiel, E., Gunta, R., villuri, B., Sanakaranarayanan, N., Desai, U. (2023). Designing Smaller, Synthetic, Functional Mimetics of Sulfated Glycosaminoglycans as Allosteric Modulators of Coagulation Factors. 66 (7) 4503–4531. Washington, DC, American Chemical Society. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00132
  • Morla, S., Ongolu, R., O'Hara, C., Vera, A., Abdelfadiel, E., Fayadd, R., Afosah, D., Sharon, C., Fernandez, L., Shah, S., Patel, B., Desai, U. (2023). Designing Synthetic, Sulfated Glycosaminoglycan Mimetics That Are Orally Bioavailable and Exhibiting In Vivo Anticancer Activity. 66 (2) 1321-1338. Washington, DC, American Chemical Society. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01511
  • Al-Horani, R., Afosah, D., Kar, S., Aliter, K., Mottamal, M. (2023). Sulphated Penta-Galloyl Glucopyranoside (SPGG) Is Glycosaminoglycan Mimetic Allosteric Inhibitor of Cathepsin G. 2 (1) 1–9. Oxford, Oxford Press. https://academic.oup.com/rpsppr/article/2/1/rqad001/6972762
  • Al-Horani, R., Afosah, D., Mottamal, M. (2022). Triazol-1-Yl Benzamides Promote Anticoagulant Activity via Inhibition of Factor XIIa.. 21 (2) 108-119. Sharjah, Bentham Science Publishers. https://www.eurekaselect.com/article/127299
  • Boothello, R., Sankaranarayanan, N., Sisthla, J., Nagarajan, B., Sharon, C., Chittum, J., Niyaz, R., Roy, S., Nandi, A., O'Harra, C., Gangji, R., Afosah, D., Ongolu, R., Patel, B., Desai, U. (2022). Glycan Modulation of Insulin‐like Growth Factor‐1 Receptor. Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 134 (49) e202211320. Weinheim, Wiley-VCH GmbH. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.202211320
  • Afosah, D., Ofori, E., Mottamal, M., Al-Horani, R. (2022). Factor IX(a) Inhibitors: An Updated Patent Review (2003-Present). 32 (4) 381-400. Oxford, Taylor & Francis. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13543776.2022.2026926
  • Afosah, D., Kar, S., , R., Bankston, P. (2021). Lignosulfonic Acid Sodium Is a Noncompetitive Inhibitor of Human Factor XIa. 14 (9) 886. Basel, MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/14/9/886
  • Boothello, R., Sankaranarayanan, N., Afosah, D., Al-Horani, R., Karuturi, R., Desai, U. (2020). Studies on Fragment-Based Design of Allosteric Inhibitors of Human Factor XIa. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry. 28 (23) 1101-1105. Oxford, Elsevier.
  • Afosah, D., , R. (2020). Sulfated Non-Saccharide Glycosaminoglycan Mimetics as Novel Drug Discovery Platform for Various Pathologies. 27 (21) 3412-3447. Sharjah, Bentham Science Publishers.
  • Al-Horani, R., Abdelfadiel, E., Afosah, D., Morla, S., Sisthla, J., Mohammed, B., Martin, E., Brophy, D., Sakagami, M. (2019). A synthetic heparin mimetic that allosterically inhibits factor XIa and reduces thrombosis in vivo without enhanced risk of bleeding. Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. 17 (12) 2110-2122. Philadelphia, PA, Elsevier.
  • Afosah, D., Morla, S., Sankaranarayanan, N., Kumar, M., Kummarapurugu, A., Voynow, J., Desai, U. (2019). On the Process of Discovering Leads that Target the Heparin‐Binding Site of Neutrophil Elastase in the Sputum of Cystic Fibrosis Patients. 62 (11) 5501 – 5511. Washington, DC, American Chemical Society.
  • Patel, N., Patel, D., Kanhed, A., Patel, S., Patel, K., Afosah, D., Desai, U., Karpoormath, R., Yadav, M. (2019). 2‐Aminobenzamide‐Based Factor Xa Inhibitors with Novel Mono‐ and Bi‐Aryls as S4 Binding Elements.. 4 (3) 802-809. Weinheim, Wiley-VCH.
  • Gangji, R., Sankaranarayanan, N., Elste, J., Al-Horani, R., Afosah, D., Joshi, R., Tiwari, V., Desai, U. (2018). Inhibition of Herpes Simplex Virus-1 Entry into Human Cells by Non-Saccharide Glycosaminoglycan Mimetics.. 9 (8) 797-802. Washington, DC, American Chemical Society.
  • Kumarapurugu, A., Afosah, D., Sankaranarayanan, N., Gangji, R., Zheng, S., Kennedy, T., Rubin, B., Desai, U., Voynow, J. (2018). Molecular Principles for Heparin Oligosaccharide-Based Inhibition of Neutrophil Elastase in Cystic Fibrosis. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 293 (32) 12480 – 12490. Rockville, MD, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
  • Al-Horani, R., Afosah, D. (2018). Recent Advances in the Discovery and Development of Factor XI/XIa Inhibitors.. 38 (6) 1974-2023. Hoboken, NJ, John Wiley & Sons, Inc..
  • Afosah, D., Verespy, S., Al-Horani, R., Boothello, R., Karuturi, R., Desai, U. (2018). A Small Group of Sulfated Benzofurans Induce Steady-State Submaximal Inhibition of Thrombin.. 28 (6) 1101-1105. Oxford, Elsevier Ltd.
  • Afosah, D., Al-Horani, R., Sankaranarayanan, N., Desai, U. (2016). Potent, Selective, Allosteric Inhibition of Human Plasmin by Sulfated Non-Saccharide Glycosaminoglycan Mimetics. 60 641-657. Washington, DC, American Chemical Society.
  • Zheng, S., Kumarapurugu, A., Afosah, D., Sankaranarayanan, N., Boothello, R., Desai, U., Kennedy, T., Voynow, J. (2016). 2-O, 3-O Desulfated Heparin Blocks High Mobility Group Box 1 Release by Inhibition of p300 Acetyltransferase Activity. 56 (1) 90-98. New York, NY, American Thoracic Society.
  • Karuturi, R., Al-Horani, R., Lee, M., Afosah, D., Desai, U. (2016). Allosteric Inhibition of Factor XIIIa. Non-Saccharide Glycosaminoglycan Mimetics, but Not Glycosaminoglycans, Exhibit Promising Inhibition Profile.. PLOS One. 11 (7) e0160189. San Francisco, CA, Public Library of Science.
  • Verespy, S., Mehta, A., Afosah, D., Al-Horani, R., Desai, U. (2016). Allosteric Partial Inhibition of Monomeric Proteases. Sulfated Coumarins Induce Regulation, Not Just Inhibition, of Thrombin. Scientific Reports. 6 24043. London, Nature Publishing Group.

    • Manuscript

  • Afosah, D., Ongolu, R., Fayyadd, R., Hawkridge, A., Desai, U. (2025). A Robust Proteomics-Based Method for Identifying Preferred Protein Targets of Synthetic Glycosaminoglycan Mimetics. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.23.634492v1

Presentations Given

    Invited Talk

  • Afosah, D. (Author & Presenter), 4th Annual Great Lakes Translational Glycomics Symposium, Photoaffinity Labeling and Proteomics: A Powerful Strategy for Identifying the Interactome of Glycosaminoglycans and their Mimetics, Versiti Blood Research Institute, Milwaukee, United States of America. (2021).
  • Afosah, D. (Author & Presenter), University of Ghana School of Pharmacy Seminar Series, Heparin: Beyond its Use as an Anticoagulant, University of Ghana School of Pharmacy, Accra, Ghana. (2019).
  • Afosah, D. (Author & Presenter), 2nd Annual Great Lakes Translational Glycomics Symposium, Specificity of Glycosaminoglycan Interactions with Proteins, Versiti Blood Research Institute, Milwaukee, United States of America. (2019).
  • Afosah, D. (Author & Presenter), ASBMB Annual Meeting/Experimental Biology, 4. Glycosaminoglycans and Glycosaminoglycan Mimetics as Human Neutrophil Elastase Inhibitors for Cystic Fibrosis Managemen, American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Orlando, United States of America. (2019).
  • Afosah, D. (Author & Presenter), NIH Programs of Excellence in Glycosciences, Inter PEG, Identification of Defined Glycosaminoglycan Sequences for Human Neutrophil Elastase Inhibition, NIH Programs of Excellence in Glycosciences, San Diego, CA, United States of America. (2018).
  • Afosah, D. (Author & Presenter), NIH Programs of Excellence in Glycosciences, Inter PEG, Interaction of 2-O,3-O-Desulfated Heparin with p300 Histone Acetyltransferase, NIH Programs of Excellence in Glycosciences, Bethesda, MA, United States of America. (2016).

    • Oral Presentation

  • Afosah, D. (Author & Presenter), Virginia Academy of Science Annual Meeting, Computational Design of Direct Allosteric Thrombin Inhibitors, Virginia Academy of Science, Harrisonburg, United States of America. (2016).
  • Afosah, D. (Author & Presenter), Virginia Academy of Science Annual Meeting, Improving the Side Effect Profile of Anticoagulants Using Thrombin Allosterism, Virginia Academy of Science, Fredericksburg, United States of America. (2016).

Contracts, Grants, Sponsored Research

    Grant - Research

  • Afosah, D. (Principal), Jagadeeswaran, P. (Supporting), "Synthetic glycosaminoglycan mimetics as regulators of megakaryopoiesis and thrombopoiesis," sponsored by NIH-NHLBI, Federal, $682552 Funded. (2024 - 2027).
  • Afosah, D. (Principal), "Synthetic glycosaminoglycan mimetics as regulators of megakaryopoiesis and thrombopoiesis," sponsored by NIH-NHLBI, Federal, $358776 Funded. (2022 - 2024).

Copyrights, Patents

    Patent

  • Afosah, D., Lipidic Analogs of Anti-Cancer Stem Cell Agent, 2022016967. Provisional, Date of Patent Application: March 6, 2020. .

Service

University Service

  • Committee Member, Cancer Biologist Search (Academic Year 2025). (September 2024 - Present).