Solomon Tadesse Zeleke

BPharm, MSc, PhD

Assistant Professor

BMS

Office: 255 • Leonard Hall • Pocatello Campus

(208) 380-3779

solomonzeleke@isu.edu

 Curriculum Vitae

 Google Scholar

 Zeleke Lab

 Prophy.ai

Drug Discovery & Development • Medicinal Chemistry • Chemical Biology • Pharmacognosy • Ethnopharmacology • Computational and AI-Driven Drug Discovery

Dr. Solomon Tadesse Zeleke earned his Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Development from the University of South Australia. He holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) and an M.Sc. in Pharmacognosy and Natural Product–Based Drug Discovery. Dr. Zeleke completed postdoctoral training at both the University of South Australia and the Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida, USA. He has led multidisciplinary research and mentorship initiatives across the United States, Australia, Africa, and Europe, focusing on the discovery and development of small-molecule kinase inhibitors for cancer therapy. Dr. Zeleke is also a recipient of the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship, awarded by the German government, in recognition of his international contributions to medicinal chemistry and cancer drug discovery.

Dr. Zeleke’s research focuses on drug discovery and development. His work involves the design, synthesis, and evaluation of small-molecule therapeutics targeting cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and related pathways that drive cancer. He has identified novel CDK4-, CDK4/6-, and CDK12-selective inhibitors, including compounds that have advanced to clinical trials. His laboratory uses computational and AI-driven drug discovery methods, drug design, natural product–inspired chemistry, and structure-guided synthesis to elucidate molecular mechanisms governing kinase selectivity and resistance. Current efforts focus on developing next-generation CDK-selective inhibitors and molecular-glue degraders to overcome therapeutic resistance in cancer, while exploring bioactive compounds from medicinal plants as promising lead structures.

Past Trainee's

PharmD Students

Undergraduate Students/Summer Research Mentoring/Advising

Postgraduate Students (PhD in Medicinal Chemistry): 

Active Grants and/or Previous Grants

Zeleke S (PI, 07/01/2026 – 04/30/2030) Mechanism-Driven Development of CDK2/4/6 Inhibitors to Combat Resistance and Broaden the Clinical Reach of CDK Inhibitors. National Institutes of Health. $680,000.

Zeleke S (PI, 08/01/2026 – 07/31/2028) Harnessing Artificial Intelligence and Conventional Drug Discovery to Develop Dual Mechanism Molecules Targeting DNA Repair and Transcription in Osteosarcoma. Department of Defense. $140,000.

Zeleke S (PI, 07/01/2026 – 06/20/2027) Artificial Intelligence Guided Discovery of Dual Mechanism Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 12 (CDK12)/Cyclin K Modulators for Targeted Osteosarcoma Therapy. The State Board of Education, Idaho. $100,000.

Zeleke S (PI, 2024) Integrated Structure- and Ligand-Based Design Approach for Identification of Novel Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 11 (CDK11) Selective Inhibitors for Potential Treatment of Osteosarcoma. Idaho State University Internal Grant. 5/1/2024 – 6/30/2025. Idaho. USA. $20,000.

Zeleke S (PI, 2023) Startup Grant. Idaho State University College of Pharmacy. 1/7/2023 – 6/30/2026. Idaho. USA. $250,000.

Monastyrskyi A (PI), Tadesse S (Investigator) (2020). Irreversible Targeting of the CDK12 Active Site Tyrosine Residue for Treatment of Brain Metastatic Breast Cancers. Florida Breast Cancer Foundation. USA. $250,000.

Tadesse S (PI, 2021) E-MedP-A Curated Database of Endemic Medicinal Plants of Ethiopia: Ethnopharmacology, Chemistry and Biological Activities. Research and Technology Transfer Office of Addis Ababa University. Ethiopia. ETB 100,000.

Tadesse S (PI, 2013). Evaluation of the Hypoglycaemic Effects of Ethiopian Traditional Medicinal Plants. Science & Technology Minister. Ethiopia. ETB 100,000.

Hiring Graduate Students/ Post-Docs/ Lab Assistants

Yes