Vanderbilt University
Congrats to our latest graduates: Paige Thorpe, Ph.D. and Darius Johnson, B.A.
PEAC in JACS! Congrats Zihang, Jenna, Mahesh, Julius, & Cody!
International TOP 5! Congrats to the group on another successful submission to the Merck Synthesis Challenge!
Transitions! We thank Chase as he heads home to Utah State!
We wish Emil well as he begins his MD/PhD studies at VU!
Our total synthesis of feglymycin dropped in Angewandte!
AY25 Kicks Off: Welcome new chemistry graduate students!
Congrats to our latest graduates: Paige Thorpe, Ph.D. and Darius Johnson, B.A. PEAC in JACS! Congrats Zihang, Jenna, Mahesh, Julius, & Cody! International TOP 5! Congrats to the group on another successful submission to the Merck Synthesis Challenge! Transitions! We thank Chase as he heads home to Utah State! We wish Emil well as he begins his MD/PhD studies at VU! Our total synthesis of feglymycin dropped in Angewandte! AY25 Kicks Off: Welcome new chemistry graduate students!
Summer 2025 Row 1 left to right: Melanie Padalino, Emil Dominguez, Destiny Harrison, Chloe Vernon, Yi-Ching Lin Row 2: Preston Gourville, Scott Benner, William Stark, Chase Pyrah, Albert Wang, Reed Tucker, Dr. Johnston. Not pictured: Cody Funk.
Since 1999, we have been uncovering new modes of reactivity and applying these discoveries in chemistry to the development of fundamentally new concepts in enantioselective catalysis and basic reaction development. Complex natural product total synthesis is the beginning and end of the project development cycle, and we have more recently succeeded in applying our discoveries to the de novo synthesis of therapeutics. These pages summarize some accomplishments across the areas of target synthesis, therapeutic development, and enantioselective catalysis. With several colleagues in biochemistry, cancer biology, and drug development, we collaboratively advance the discipline of chemical biology to leverage the power of chemical synthesis, thereby clarifying our basic understanding of the pathology and treatment of disease.
Congratulations Paige!
Paige successfully defended her dissertation covering her work to optimize the properties of ent-verticilide as a therapeutic for dysregulated RyR2. Paige made dozens of difficult modifications to the verticilide backbone to determine the factors that endow the molecule with its cell membrane-penetrating behavior. We wish her all the best as she starts her professional career in process chemistry at Corden Pharma in Boulder, CO!
Congrats to Darius on the occasion of his graduation! He stopped by to get a picture with his favorite TA, en route to a position with Agilent.