Amy E. Wright, Ph.D., a research professor at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, has been awarded the Norman R. Farnsworth ASP Research Achievement Award by the American Society of Pharmacognosy (ASP). This award is the highest honor given by the ASP and recognizes Wright’s sustained contributions to marine natural products with pharmaceutical potential.
The ASP, established in 1959, focuses on research into natural products from plants, microbes, and marine life that may be used as medicines. The organization encourages collaboration among scientists to discover new drugs from these sources.
Wright has spent over four decades researching deep-water marine ecosystems to find new compounds for treating cancer, infectious diseases, and other health issues. Her work has connected marine science with biomedical innovation through the search for therapeutic agents from ocean sources.
“Dr. Wright’s pioneering work in marine natural products chemistry has transformed the way we approach drug discovery from the ocean. Her extraordinary achievements continue to inspire the scientific community, demonstrating how dedication, innovation and collaboration can unlock the therapeutic treasures hidden within our planet’s oceans,” said James M. Sullivan, Ph.D., executive director of FAU Harbor Branch. “This award is a fitting tribute to her remarkable career, and we are proud to have her as a cornerstone of our team.”
Wright holds a B.S. degree from California State University at Dominguez Hills and both an M.S. degree and Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of California at Riverside.
She is recognized as a leader in marine natural products research with more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and six book chapters on topics related to drug discovery and ocean exploration. As an inventor on 33 U.S. patents, she has contributed significantly to identifying new uses for compounds derived from marine organisms.
Her research programs have received over $25 million in external funding grants supporting both basic science and applied projects. She was elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors in 2017 and became president of ASP in 2022 after being named an ASP Fellow in 2018.
Among her key achievements is co-authoring work that described ecteinascidins 729 and 743—discoveries that led to Trabectedin (Yondelis), one of the first FDA-approved anticancer drugs sourced from marine environments now used internationally for certain cancers.
Wright’s laboratory has discovered more than 100 biologically active compounds with properties ranging from anti-mitotic to antibiotic effects. Some notable discoveries include leiodermatolide (anti-mitotic), neopeltolide (mitochondria-targeting), dictyostatin (mitotic spindle poison), and aphrocallistin (selective activity against specific cancer mutations). Her team also found that dictyostatin stabilizes microtubules—a mechanism under investigation for Alzheimer’s disease treatment.
Since its inception in 1984, FAU Harbor Branch’s biomedical team has completed over 100 expeditions using submersibles such as Johnson-Sea-Link vessels for collecting samples across thousands of sites resulting in more than 32,000 macro-organism specimens—many previously unknown—which serve ongoing research efforts.
“I’m truly honored and humbled to receive this recognition from the American Society of Pharmacognosy,” said Wright. “This award represents a significant milestone in my career and reflects the collective efforts of the many talented colleagues and collaborators I’ve had the privilege to work with over the years. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the impact of marine natural products research recognized in this way.”
Supported by agencies including NOAA, NSF, and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation funding continues expanding Wright’s program into new areas such as public online access portals showcasing sample images collected during four decades’ worth of expeditions.
“The oceans have long been a remarkable source of natural products, many with significant pharmaceutical potential,” said Wright. “Our ongoing exploration of deep-water habitats has revealed an incredible diversity of compounds – both novel and familiar – with new activities that hold great promise for future drug development. The possibilities are vast, limited only by our imagination and determination to explore the unknown.”
