---
title: Alum Scientist Targets ‘Undruggables’ With AI
date: 2025-10-21T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/alum-scientist-targets-undruggables-with-ai"
section: Articles
---
# Alum Scientist Targets ‘Undruggables’ With AI

*October 21, 2025* — by [Leslie Miller](/author/leslie-miller)


> Technology Makes Painstaking Drug Development Research Faster, Cheaper

*Protein Adobe Stock 349211935 1920x1080 — An artist's depiction of a complex protein structure hints as the challenge a recent UMD alumna faces working on pharmaceutical discovery for so-called "undruggable" proteins. (Illustration by Adobe Stock)*

The name sounds like an action movie parody, but “the undruggables” are a real-life roadblock in the fight against disease. That’s what pharmaceutical industry dubbed proteins associated with the progression of various illnesses that have staved off drug therapies against them because of their size, complexity or other problematic structures.

A recent University of Maryland alumna aims to use the unique ability of artificial intelligence (AI) to crunch numbers and spot patterns to make them “druggable” after all.


*Rui Yin headshot*



**Sidebar note:**

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**Topics:** [People](https://today.umd.edu/tags/people)


**Tags:** [Artificial Intelligence](https://today.umd.edu/topic/artificial-intelligence), [Biology](https://today.umd.edu/topic/biology), [Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics](https://today.umd.edu/topic/cell-biology-and-molecular-genetics), [Health Care](https://today.umd.edu/topic/health-care), [Alumni](https://today.umd.edu/topic/alumni)


**Units:** [College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-computer-mathematical-and-natural-sciences)