Joel R. Huff has 30 years of experience in discovering and developing drugs at Merck Research Laboratories. He initially joined Merck as a senior research chemist and was subsequently promoted to positions of increasing responsibility, resulting in his appointment to Vice President of Medicinal Chemistry in 1994. Dr. Huff retired from Merck in 2004. During his tenure at Merck, he led efforts to develop therapeutic agents for HIV that resulted in the discovery of indianvir (Crixivan®), and efavirenz (Stocrin®, Sustiva®). Dr. Huff has authored or co-authored 98 publications and patents. He has been the recipient of various awards including the Merck Board of Directors Award (1998), the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Discoverer's Award (1999), the ACS Philadelphia Section Award (2002), the ACS Alfred Burger Award in Medicinal Chemistry (2006), and induction into the ACS Division of Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame (2007). He holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Texas, Austin, TX., and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.