Senior Principal Scientist
Merck & Co., Inc.
Yongchao Su is a Senior Principal Scientist at Merck & Co., Inc., with a decade of expertise spanning discovery, formulation, and analytical roles, specifically as project lead for sterile liquid and lyophilized biologics. He is passionate about connecting fundamental understanding with drug product design by elucidating the molecular mechanisms of drug stability and delivery. Yongchao has authored over 140 peer-reviewed articles in chemistry, biophysics, and pharmaceutical sciences, and holds several patents, including high concentration liquid and suspension formulations of Pembrolizumab. In addition to his primary role, he holds academic positions as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the College of Pharmacy at both the University of Texas at Austin and Purdue University, and as a Professor of Practice at the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy. He serves on the Physical Analysis Committee of USP and is a member of the Editorial Advisory Boards for Molecular Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Research, and Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. In 2022, Yongchao was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC). His commitment to teaching and mentoring is evident in his role as Chair of the Career Development Committee at AAPS in 2023, and he is the current Editor-in-Chief of AAPS Open.