About me
Dr. Kay earned a doctorate in chemistry and has over 30 years of anticancer and antiviral research experience. She is lead inventor on 16 awarded patents. Diverse research projects include developing novel antiviral and anticancer drugs, deterring harmful algae blooms, improving slow-release fertilizers, using supercritical fluids to encapsulate drugs, developing diagnostic assays and conducting regional studies to detect and quantify environmental toxins. These projects included construction of a mobile laboratory through a Congressional Award and developing protocols (QAPs) for measuring environmental pollutants for the EPA. She collaborated with faculty at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center as a lead inventor of molecules inhibiting STAT3 pathways for the treatment of multiple types of cancers. Her current work is focused on developing antiviral drugs and corresponding diagnostic assays.
Select Accomplishments:
• Authored 14 peer-reviewed journal articles, including in Nature Medicine
• Mentored 12 undergraduate students with sponsored internships at Jericho Sciences
• Awarded 16 U.S. patents with ongoing pending patent applications
• Awarded several NIH SBIR/STTR nondilutive small business grants
• 1 of 24 selected for the SBA T.H.R.I.V.E. Emerging Leaders DC Cohort
• 1 of 13 selected Women for BIO inaugural RTP 3.8 Initiative to increase start-up board leadership in North Carolina life sciences.
• 1 of 28 Showcase Companies selected by the National Institutes of Health SEED Program at the BIO International Convention in 2022.
• Selected Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) Venture Connect Company (2023).
• Selected NIH Redefining Early-Stage Investments (RESI) Conference Pitch Company (2021).
• Selected NIH Commercialization Accelerator Program (CAP) Participant.
