Experience

University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy

• United States
• Higher Education
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Research Assistant Professor

  • Aug 2018 - Present

  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States



HylaPharm LLC. and Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Kansas

• Scientist and Adjunct Industry Research Associate

  • Dec 2017 - Aug 2018

  Lawrence, Kansas Area • Project 1. Synthesis of platinum-based anticancer drugs: Development and optimization of synthetic method to generate cisplatin and oxaliplatin derivatives for animal cancer study. • Project 2. Synthesis of salicylanide analogs for cancer study: Development and discovery of new method for the construction of salicyanide derivatives and biological evaluation for cancer drug development.



The University of Kansas

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Postdoctoral Fellow and Lab manager

  • Mar 2014 - Dec 2017

  Lawrence, Kansas Area Managed multicultural international chemistry group to develop new synthetic methods for translational research in drug discovery and natural products synthesis. • Led and designed several projects such as synthesis of novel β-keto-sultam analogs, vinyl sultams, sultam analogs via domino Heck-aza-Michael (HaM) and 10-membered benzo-fused sultams which were designed as potential electrophilic probes (Michael acceptors). • Mentored 4 graduate students. • Have written and submitted… Show more Managed multicultural international chemistry group to develop new synthetic methods for translational research in drug discovery and natural products synthesis. • Led and designed several projects such as synthesis of novel β-keto-sultam analogs, vinyl sultams, sultam analogs via domino Heck-aza-Michael (HaM) and 10-membered benzo-fused sultams which were designed as potential electrophilic probes (Michael acceptors). • Mentored 4 graduate students. • Have written and submitted two NIH milestone reports with collaborator. • Led writing a book chapter. Title: Synthesis of P-, S-, Si-, B-, and Se-Heterocycles via Ring-Closing Metathesis. (Cossy et al, Eds). • Led the CRO project to synthesize (2S,3S)-Epicatechin in 17 steps within 2 months. During the process, new Friedel-Craft alkylation method was developed to increase yield up to 94% from low reported yield. Show less



SAIC

• United States
• IT Services and IT Consulting
• 700 & Above Employee

• Scientist I

  • Aug 2009 - Jun 2013

  National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD Worked as a synthetic medicinal chemist as a member of a multidisciplinary group of chemists and computational chemist working to develop novel anticancer agents. • Collaborated with MD Anderson Cancer Center and synthesized 40 derivatives of Oncrasin analogs to study antitumor activity in 60 cancer cell line. • Identified 5 sulfamide compounds as potential candidates for anticancer study in NCI-60 cell line screening. • Resynthesized bioactive compounds for investigational… Show more Worked as a synthetic medicinal chemist as a member of a multidisciplinary group of chemists and computational chemist working to develop novel anticancer agents. • Collaborated with MD Anderson Cancer Center and synthesized 40 derivatives of Oncrasin analogs to study antitumor activity in 60 cancer cell line. • Identified 5 sulfamide compounds as potential candidates for anticancer study in NCI-60 cell line screening. • Resynthesized bioactive compounds for investigational drugs to support ongoing and planned projects - PF-04449913, XL-413, and PF-4942847.

• Research Associate II

  • Nov 2007 - Aug 2009

  National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD Worked as a synthetic organic chemist and was one of the first chemists. Worked to set up the chemistry lab and worked with molecular modeling and chemical biology team for translational research in drug discovery and development. • Independently initiated/planed project and identified novel piperidinyl sulfamide compound as Tdp1 inhibitor. • Actively collaborated with chemical biologists and molecular modeling chemists at NCI for the Gel study and Protein docking study to design… Show more Worked as a synthetic organic chemist and was one of the first chemists. Worked to set up the chemistry lab and worked with molecular modeling and chemical biology team for translational research in drug discovery and development. • Independently initiated/planed project and identified novel piperidinyl sulfamide compound as Tdp1 inhibitor. • Actively collaborated with chemical biologists and molecular modeling chemists at NCI for the Gel study and Protein docking study to design Tdp1 inhibitor.



GSK

• United Kingdom
• Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Research associate

  • Jun 2005 - Nov 2007

  RTP, Raleigh, NC Worked as an organic chemist as part of CCR5 team to research and discover a novel anti-HIV drug to cure AIDS, a deadly global disease. • Over 150 piperidine based diphenyl urea compounds were synthesized, and SAR analysis study of drug candidates led to the identification of the discovery of effective and potent anti-HIV drugs