Professor Alexandros Makriyannis, the George D. Behrakis chair of pharmaceutical sciences and director of the Center for Drug Discovery, has been honored with the Merit Award from the Medication Development Division of the National Institute on Drug Abuse for his work on drugs to combat methamphetamine addiction, and in recognition of his major contributions to drug discovery. Makriyannis’s projects include a drug to help break addictions to substances like tobacco and cocaine, an anti-obesity medication, an appetite stimulant to combat nausea from cancer treatments, and neuropathic pain blockers.

The citation notes Makriyannis’s "pre-eminence as an authority in the field of drug design and discovery." The honor is not just a pat on the back but a boon to his research: the award doubles the financial backing of the National Institutes of Health, bringing in an additional $3 million to $4 million in funding.