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Department of Medicinal Chemistry

 

Ole Gisvold Lecture

2009 Gisvold Symposium on Natural Products and Antibacterial Drug Discovery

Tuesday, October 27, 2009, 1–5 pm Coffman Memorial Union Theater

A diverse panel of invited speakers will speak on topics of interest to scientists working in the fields of medicinal chemistry, bioorganic chemistry, biochemistry, and structural biology. 

Symposium Program:
 
1:00 p.m.
Welcome
Dean Marilyn K. Speedie, College of Pharmacy
Dr. Robert Fecik, Gisvold Symposium Chair

1:10 - 1:40 p.m.   
Courtney C. Aldrich, Ph.D.
University of Minnesota, Center for Drug Design
“Inhibition of Natural Product Biosynthesis”

1:40 - 2:10 p.m.
Robert A. Fecik, Ph.D.
University of Minnesota, Department of Medicinal Chemistry
“Affinity Labels for Understanding the Basis of Specificity in Polyketide Synthase Didomains”

2:10 - 2:50 p.m.
Kenneth A. Jacobson, Ph.D.
National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bioorganic Chemistry
“Drug Design Based on Purine and Pyrimidine Receptors”

2:50 - 3:10 p.m.
Break

3:10 - 4:00 p.m.
Natalie C. J. Strynadka, Ph.D.
University of British Columbia, Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology
“Structure-Based Inhibition of the Glycosyltransferase and Transpeptidase Steps in Bacterial Peptidoglycan Synthesis” 
 
Ole Gisvold was born in Stanley Wisconsin in 1904. He received his B.S. in pharmacy in 1930 and his Ph.D. in pharmaceutical chemistry in 1934 from the University of Wisconsin. In 1935 he joined the College of Pharmacy as an assistant professor and thus began his lifelong association with the Department of Medicinal Chemistry. In 1941 he became a full professor and head of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, a position he held until 1969. Dr. Gisvold retired in 1973 and was professor emeritus until his death in 1977.

Professor Gisvold had a long and distinguished career in medicinal and natural products chemistry. His scientific achievements in natural products research were recognized by the scientific community on numerous occasions throughout his career. He was awarded the Ebert Prize in 1942 and 1953; one of the few people to have received this award twice. He was also the recipient of the American Pharmaceutical Association's Research Achievement Award in Natural Products Chemistry in 1962 and the University of Wisconsin's Outstanding Achievement Award in 1966. Dr. Gisvold had a profound effect on the development of medicinal chemistry here at the University of Minnesota and as one of the principal authors of the well-known Textbook of Organic Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry he greatly influenced the teaching of medicinal chemistry throughout the nation.

It is in Professor Gisvold's memory that the Gisvold Lecture in Medicinal Chemistry has been established. Through this lecture the Department hopes to recognize scientists who have made outstanding contributions to medicinal and natural products chemistry.

2007, November -Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn, Ohio State University
"Plant Natural Products as Lead Compounds in Drug Discovery: Still of Interest After All This Time"

2006, April -Robert J. Linhardt, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
"Heparin: Sturcture and New Biological Activities in Drug Developmnet"

2003, September -Dr. Ronald Breslow, Columbia University
"The Two Faces of Bioorganic Chemistry"

2002, February -Dr. Caroline R. Bertozzi, University of California Berkeley
"Chemical Strategies for Modulating Cell Surface Architecture"

1999, November -Dr. Dale Boger, The Scripps Research Institute
"Natural Products and Nature's Solutions to the Sequence Selective Recognition of Duplex DNA"   

1998, March -Dr. Kohi Nakanishi, Columbia University
"Photoaffinity Studies of Ligand-Receptor Interactions"

1993, October -Dr. Heinz Floss, University of Washington
"Biosynthesis of Thiopeptide Antibiotics"

1991, October -Dr. John P.N. Rosazza, University of Iowa
"Metabolism of the Catharanthus Alkaloids:From Streptomyces to Monoamine Oxidase B"

1990, February -Dr. Lester A. Mitscher, University of Kansas
"Progress in the Chemistry and Biology of the Quinolone Anti-infective Agents"

1987, November -Dr. Laurence Hurley, University of Texas
"DNA Sequence Specificity as a Basis for Drug Design"

1986, November -Dr. John M. Cassady, Purdue University
"Discovery & Design of Potential Anticancer Agents"