Mary Tanga is the director of the Center for Infectious Disease and Biodefense Research at SRI International. In this role, she focuses on new opportunities and approaches for defeating the world’s most significant infectious diseases. Tanga leads programs in the discovery and development of diagnostics, broad-spectrum antibiotics, new antiviral agents and treatments for diseases common in developing nations such tuberculosis.

Tanga has more than 30 years of experience in the design and synthesis of biologically active molecules as a medicinal chemist. She has a record of success with drug discovery with drugs on the market and in clinical trials. Her extensive medicinal chemistry experience includes anti-infectious agents, wound healing agents, CNS agents, cancer therapeutic agents, and extensive work with imaging agents.

She has numerous research papers published and holds one U.S. patent. Tanga received her Ph.D. and M.S. in organic chemistry from the University of Cincinnati. She received her B.A. in chemistry from Northern Michigan University.