Leadership

Ken’s primary interest and expertise is application of various methods for conducting early drug and chemical probe discovery research. These techniques include development of biochemical and cell assays, high-throughput screening, DNA-encoded library technology, peptide phage display, and mechanistic/biophysical studies. Projects are typically collaborative efforts with labs across the UNC campus and span numerous therapeutic areas, with a particular focus on oncology. He is motivated by collaborative team-based and therapeutically-aligned science, training the next generation of discovery scientists, and contributing to service opportunities at UNC.

Upon completing his PhD in Chemistry (Biology Division) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Pearce spent over 18 years with GlaxoSmithKline and legacy companies in the Molecular Discovery Research organization until joining CICBDD in mid-2015 as the Director of Lead Discovery and Characterization.