Research in our group involves organic synthesis, asymmetric catalysis, and chemical biology. We are working to develop new reactions and catalysts for the efficient synthesis of bioactive and therapeutically-relevant molecules. An integral part of our research is to investigate the mechanism and molecular interactions that dictate the reactivity and selectivity of these synthetic transformations.
Three specific areas of interest include:
1) Developing new organometallic and hydrogen-bonding catalysts for enantioselective synthesis, with a specific interest in the synthesis of biologically-active and therapeutically-relevant molecules.
2) Investigating the unique reactivity of organosilicon molecules for the design of new catalysts, surface modification, the stereoselective synthesis of N-heterocycles, and the discovery of new biological probes.
3) Using synthetic organic chemistry and chemical biology to address challenges for biofuel production, biomaterials, bioconjugation, and imaging applications.