Mary Tanga

Mary Tanga is the director of the Center for Infectious Disease and Biodefense Research in SRI Biosciences. 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, a medicinal chemist, has more than 30 years of experience in the design and synthesis of biologically active molecules. Her successes in drug discovery have led to drugs on the market and in clinical trials. Her extensive medicinal chemistry experience includes anti-infectious agents, wound-healing agents, central nervous system agents, cancer therapeutic agents, and extensive work with imaging agents.

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

Tanga received SRI's Mimi Award in 2010.