Paul F. Torrence, PhD, joined the National Institutes of Health in 1969 and served as Chief of the section on Biomedical Chemistry at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases from 1989–1999. From 1999–2007, he was a Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Northern Arizona University where he taught organic, bioorganic, and medicinal chemistry, as well as drug discovery.Professor Torrence's research pursued drug discovery for the diseases of smallpox, HIV, West Nile Virus, and cancer with grant support from the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, the U.S. Army Institute of Infectious Diseases, the Arizona Disease Control Research Commission, Arizona Proposition 301 funds, and Research Corporation. Presently he is Emeritus Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Northern Arizona University.