Alexander Mankin is Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Biomolecular Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), USA. He also holds the title of A. Neyfakh Collegiate Professor at the College of Pharmacy, UIC.

Alexander’s research focuses on the mechanisms of action of ribosomal antibiotics. Through research carried out by his laboratory and collaborations with pharmaceutical companies, he has helped identify the sites and modes of action of several important classes of antibacterials, including oxazolidinones, ketolides, odilorhabdins, and others.

Studies carried out by his laboratory have re-defined how people understand how antibiotic classes such as macrolides and phenicols work and advanced the concept of context-specific action of ribosomal antibiotics.

Alexander has consulted for a number of pharmaceutical companies in the USA and Europe; served as a panelist for many national and international granting agencies and as a reviewer for top-tier scientific journals.

Alexander has also published 150 articles in peer-reviewed journals and several book chapters; and has been invited to present at many international meetings and professional conferences. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and a recipient of the Paul R. Dawson Biotechnology Award, of the American Association of the Colleges of Pharmacy.

Alexander graduated from Moscow State University in 1978 and received his PhD and DSci degrees from the same University, in 1982 and 1989 respectively. Alexander has been a faculty member at the University of Illinois at Chicago, since 1993.