“The chemist who designs and completes an original and aesthetically pleasing multistep synthesis is like a composer, artist or poet who, with great individuality, fashions new forms of beauty from the interplay of mind and spirit.” –E.J. Corey

     Our research is dedicated to advancing the science of chemical synthesis through the development of new synthetic methodologies for the efficient construction of structurally complex, medicinally relevant compounds. The structural motifs and natural product targets studied are selected based on their potential medicinal relevance, especially in regards to unique anti-HIV or anti-cancer activity. Currently, the methodology program focuses on the exploitation of vinylogous reactivity and aryne cycloadditions. A supplemental focus of our group is the large scale syntheses of drugs for Neglected Tropical Diseases, which the World Health Organization has put as one of their highest priorities. These projects will likely lead to fruitful collaboration with groups in biology, computational chemistry, and medicine.