Our main goal is to enable translational medicines with molecular-level insights at the interface of chemistry and biology. 

Drug Discovery & Structure-Guided Design

The combination of medicinal chemistry, structural biology, and diverse assay systems enable the discovery and optimization of first-in-class small-molecules therapeutics. We take a mechanistic-driven approach to identify novel targets and molecular-level understandings to produce novel drugs to address unmet needs in human health and disease.

Targeted Therapies in Cancer

The comprehensive genomic-level understanding of oncogenic driver mutations in consequential signaling pathways has identified highly effective opportunities for novel anticancer drugs. Developing and designing small-molecule tool compounds with targeted (tumor-specific) activity can be accomplished by considering the liabilities of both extrinsic and intrinsic properties of human cancers with no current available treatment options. Our goal is to utilize structural understanding of oncogenic driver mutations to study and discover novel mutant-selective targeted therapies and tool compounds in cancer.

Medicinal Chemistry in Oxidant-Dependent Signaling

Biology is fueled by oxidation-reduction chemistry and improper balances of cellular oxidants & reductants are established factors in disease. We take a target-focused approach to develop novel small-molecule drugs that directly regulate cellular oxidants. Additionally, cysteine-targeting covalent inhibitors are uniquely efficacious due to the unique structural environments around reactive cysteine side chains. We seek to further understand through novel techniques to discern these promising properties of yet unrecognized protein targets.