Michael Klein

Sr. Lecturer

Dr. Klein is molecular pharmacologist with extensive experience in neuropharmacology and drug discovery science. He obtained his bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the State University of New York at Albany and his Ph.D. in Neuropharmacology and Neuroscience from Albany Medical College in 2012. His postdoctoral experience began with the investigation of novel serotonin receptor pharmacology, leading to a fellowship at the Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery at Vanderbilt University. There, he became the lead pharmacologist for M4 muscarinic receptor research, and in association with AstraZeneca, he developed novel approaches for the treatment of cognitive deficits associated with Alzheimer’s Disease and movement disorders related to Parkinson’s Disease.

Dr. Klein began teaching graduate and medical students at Albany Medical College and served as a member of the Graduate Education Committee. His passion for teaching would lead him to his current position as Lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, which has afforded him the opportunity to introduce undergraduates to interdisciplinary research approaches in a modern research environment. His experience in drug discovery and development provides insights into these areas and a distinct awareness that basic biology research and biomedical research are becoming more reliant on the fields of physics, engineering, and computer science.