Aptinyx Chief Scientific Officer Joseph Moskal, Ph.D. Named Fellow by National Academy of Inventors and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering

Evanston, Ill., Feb. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aptinyx Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing transformative therapies for challenging neurologic disorders, today announced that Joseph Moskal, Ph.D., chief scientific officer, has been elected to the 2016 class of Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), and also has been elected to the College of Fellows for the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).

"Joe's research has laid the foundation for tremendous advances in our understanding of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor's potential as a therapeutic target in neurologic disorders. Without his dedication to this field, the advances made by Naurex and Aptinyx would not have been possible," said Norbert Riedel, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Aptinyx. "We celebrate Joe's election to these two prestigious organizations and the recognition of his contributions to advancing research for our companies, the biomedical engineering department at Northwestern University, and the neuroscience community at large."

Added Dr. Moskal, "It is an honor to be recognized by these two organizations that prioritize the nurturing and growth of innovative research in science and medicine."

The NAI election recognizes innovators who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society. Dr. Moskal joins 756 additional Fellows who, collectively, are named inventors on more than 26,000 issued U.S. patents. Past recipients include members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; recipients of the U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation and U.S. National Medal of Science; and more than two dozen Nobel Laureates. The NAI is a non-profit member organization comprising U.S. and international universities, and governmental and non-profit research institutes, with over 3,000 individual inventor members and Fellows spanning more than 240 institutions, and growing rapidly.

With the AIMBE election, Dr. Moskal joins clinicians, industry professionals, academics and scientists in the prestigious College of Fellows. Fellows are inducted based on distinguished contributions in research, industrial practice, or education with a common goal of embracing innovation to improve the healthcare and safety of society. AIMBE Fellows include recipients of the Presidential Medal of Science and the Presidential Medal of Technology and Innovation, members of the Institute of Medicine, as well as members of the National Academies of Engineering and Sciences.

Prior to co-founding Aptinyx, Dr. Moskal founded Naurex and served as its chief scientific officer until the company was acquired by Allergan. He is also distinguished professor of biomedical engineering at Northwestern University and director of the university's Falk Center for Molecular Therapeutics. Dr. Moskal previously served as assistant professor and director of the neurosurgery laboratories at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Earlier, he was a staff fellow at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Moskal received a B.S. and a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame.

About Aptinyx

Aptinyx Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovery and development of transformative therapies for challenging neurologic disorders. Aptinyx has a proven platform for discovering compounds that enhance synaptic plasticity, or strengthen the network for neural cell communication. Molecules discovered by Aptinyx achieve this through a novel mechanism that modulates NMDA receptors, resulting in drugs that are both highly effective and well tolerated. This mechanism has applicability across a number of disorders of the brain and nervous system. For more information, visit www.aptinyx.com.

SOURCE Aptinyx Inc.

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