On behalf of the Gateway Award selection committee, the St. Louis Section of the American Chemical Society is pleased to announce that Dr. Bobby Trawick has been selected as the first-ever recipient of the Gateway Award.
Dr. Bobby Trawick is a senior pharmaceutical research and development leader with more than 25 years of experience in pharmaceutical research, process development, and manufacturing operations across domestic and international organizations. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Global Technical Operations & Development at Keenova Therapeutics in the St. Louis area. With deep expertise in organic chemistry and pharmaceutical operations, he has led teams responsible for the development and approval of active pharmaceutical ingredients, drug products, and drug/device combination products. Known for his strategic vision, technical breadth, and critical thinking, Bobby has driven innovation and organizational change while serving as a trusted advisor to leaders across the life sciences industry and academia.
Bobby earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Morehouse College, where he was selected as a Ronald E. McNair Scholar and conducted research on liquid crystalline materials for the U.S. Army. He later received a Chancellor’s Graduate Fellowship to pursue a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at Washington University in St. Louis under Prof. James Bashkin. His doctoral research focused on synthetic ribonucleases for site-specific RNA cleavage and potential catalytic antisense drug applications. After graduate school, Bobby joined MetaPhore Pharmaceuticals, contributing to the discovery and development of small-molecule superoxide dismutase mimics for inflammatory disorders; two candidates advanced to late-stage clinical trials using scalable processes he developed.
During his 20-year tenure at Keenova, Bobby has contributed to projects of increasing scope and complexity, including API manufacturing of regulated compounds, peptides, and biologics. He has led early- and late-stage development programs involving small molecules, oligonucleotides, and targeted nanoparticles. He served as the technical leader for two multi-year collaborations with the Washington University Center for Drug Discovery and received the company’s inaugural “Inventor of the Year” award for discovering novel Toll-Like Receptor 9 antagonist compounds with potential applications in pain, autoimmune disease, and stroke.
Bobby’s work has supported collaborations with academic and medical partners including St. Louis University, Yale University, the University of Colorado, Morehouse School of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He is also passionate about teaching and served for many years as an adjunct instructor in Organic Chemistry I and II at Washington University’s University College.
His community and professional service includes advising Research Enabled, supporting Hikari Medical Technologies, championing the Family Workforce Centers of America-Career Institute, judging the Washington University LEAP Innovation Program and St. Louis Arch Grants, presenting on scientific career paths at the Mathews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club, and supporting STEM tutoring at University City High School.
Bobby and his wife, Leonora, have two children: Samaya, a graduate in Public Health from Xavier University of Louisiana, and Aydan, a fourth-year Software Engineering major at Morehouse College. His hobbies include woodworking, building DIY audio equipment, 3-D printing, and playing drums.
Stay tuned to the Chemical Bond for details on the upcoming Gateway Award celebration!