Jenny Grissom is a medicinal chemist with a strong interest in advancing small-molecule drug discovery for hard-to-treat diseases. She earned both her BS in Biochemistry and her MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a concentration in Medicinal Chemistry from Creighton University, where she also competed as a Division I student-athlete on the women’s soccer team in the Big East Conference.
Driven by the intersection of chemistry and therapeutic innovation, Grissom's research has focused on rational drug design guided by structural biology. Her work contributed to the development of novel inhibitors with pan-antimycobacterial activity, culminating in co-authorship on a publication in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. Her scientific interests lie in understanding the molecular interactions between small molecules and their biological targets—and leveraging that knowledge to create life-saving therapeutics.
Grissom has been recognized with numerous academic honors, including multiple placements on the Big East All-Academic Team and Dean’s List, as well as receiving a Graduate Research Assistantship and a Graduate Student Government Travel Award at Creighton. Her blend of research rigor and team-oriented mindset reflects a unique balance of scientific discipline and leadership.
Now pursuing her PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the St. Jude Graduate School, Grissom is excited to immerse herself in a research environment where basic discovery and clinical application are seamlessly integrated. She was drawn to St. Jude for its mission-driven approach to pediatric healthcare and its robust infrastructure supporting translational science. She looks forward to contributing to the development of new therapies that offer real-world impact for children with life-threatening diseases.
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
Education:
2025 - MS, Pharmaceutical Sciences (Concentration in Medicinal Chemistry) – Creighton University
2023 - BS, Biochemistry – Creighton University
Awards/Honors/Scholarships:
2025 - Graduate Student Government Travel Award
2023 - Graduate Research Assistantship, Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions
2020-23 - Dean’s List (3x)
2019-22 - Big East All-Academic Team
Publications:
Bhattarai, P., Hegde, P., Li, W., Prathipati, P. K., Stevens, C. M., Yang, L., Zhou, H., Pandya, A., Cunningham, K., Grissom, J., Roman Sotelo, M., Sowards, M., Calisto, L., Destache, C. J., Rocha-Sanchez, S., Gumbart, J. C., Zgurskaya, H. I., Jackson, M., & North, E. J. (2023). Structural Determinants of Indole-2-carboxamides: Identification of Lead Acetamides with Pan Antimycobacterial Activity. Journal of medicinal chemistry, 66(1), 170–187.