Lindsey James

Lindsey James is an Associate Professor in the Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She earned her PhD in Chemistry from UNC Chapel Hill in 2010 and her BA in Chemistry and Sociology from Colgate University in 2005. After completing her doctorate, James undertook a postdoctoral fellowship in the Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy from 2010 to 2012. She advanced through successive roles, including Research Assistant Professor from 2013 to 2016, Research Associate Professor from 2017 to 2019, and Assistant Professor from 2019, culminating in her promotion to Associate Professor. Since 2017, she has served as Director of Chemical Biology at the Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery. James holds memberships in the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center's Cancer Therapeutics Research Program and the UNC HIV Cure Center.

James's research centers on the chemical biology of chromatin regulation, with a focus on developing small molecule chemical probes for epigenetic reader proteins, particularly the methyl-lysine reader target class. Her lab has pioneered biochemical assays and medicinal chemistry strategies to assess probe selectivity, mechanism of action, and cellular activity, advancing understanding of molecular targets in diseases like cancer and HIV latency. Key publications include “Recruitment of FBXO22 for targeted degradation of NSD2” (Nat. Chem. Biol., 2024), “Discovery of a potent and selective targeted NSD2 degrader for reduction of H3K36me2” (JACS, 2023), “A chemical probe targeting the PWWP domain alters NSD2 nucleolar localization” (Nat. Chem. Biol., 2022), “Degradation of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 with an EED-targeted bivalent chemical degrader” (Cell Chem. Biol., 2020), and “Discovery of a chemical probe for a methyl-lysine reader domain: L3MBTL3” (Nat. Chem. Biol., 2013). Her work has fostered collaborations with industry partners such as Deerfield Management, HitGen, OpenBench, and Sphaera Pharma for translational efforts. James received the 2025 Phillip and Ruth Hettleman Prize for Artistic and Scholarly Achievement, UNC Junior Faculty Development Award (2017), and Structural Genomics Consortium Fellow (2014). She contributes to graduate training programs and serves on search committees, oversight boards, and scientific advisory panels.

Professional Email: ingerman@email.unc.edu