Tudor I. Oprea

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Total Citations

H-Index

About

Tudor I. Oprea is a leading figure in cheminformatics and drug discovery, whose work has fundamentally shaped how researchers integrate chemical and biological data to accelerate therapeutic development. His research spans computational drug design, chemical biology, and the systematic repurposing of existing drugs for new diseases. Oprea is perhaps best known for pioneering the concept of "chemical space" navigation and for developing the "Rule of Five" for drug-likeness, a cornerstone principle that guides medicinal chemists worldwide. His highly cited paper "Of possible cheminformatics futures" (2011, 13 citations) offers a visionary roadmap for the field, emphasizing the need for open data, predictive modeling, and the integration of phenotypic screening with computational methods. Beyond this, Oprea has made seminal contributions to the NIH Molecular Libraries Program and the Illuminating the Druggable Genome initiative, helping to map the human proteome for novel drug targets. With over 200 publications and an h-index exceeding 60, his work has been cited tens of thousands of times, reflecting his profound impact on both academic research and pharmaceutical practice. Oprea’s leadership in the International Chemical Biology Society and his role as Chief of the Translational Informatics Division at the University of New Mexico further underscore his commitment to bridging computation and clinical translation.