Although involved in numerous diverse programs from chemical education and outreach, optimization of Bath and Body Works bubble baths, chemical and biological diversity acquisition, and high throughput drug discovery technology, my major areas of emphasis were medicninal chemistry and new target and drug discovery against cancer and infectious diseases, particularly tuberculosis.
I have broad research interests from pure organic synthesis and the generation of novel, biologically relevant chemical diversity to medicinal chemistry and drug design targeting cancer and underserved diseases such as tuberculosis.
Currently, my programs primarily involve drug design against single and essential targets in Mycobacterium tuberculosis including the asparyl-t-RNA synthetase (AspS), filamenting temperature sensitive protein Z (FtsZ), D-alanyl-D-alanine ligase (Ddl) and the highly related cell wall ligases MurC-F (crucial enzymes in cell wall biosynthesis), and shikimate kinase (MtSK).
Finally, and relating to my early interests and roots in anticancer drug discovery, I have begun a collaboration with Dr. Zaneta Nikolovska-Coleska, the University of Michigan, investigating the epigenetic target Disruptor-of-Telomeric-Silencing-1-Like (DOT1L) protein.
