C. Leigh Allen, PhD
Assistant to Department Head, Department of Medicinal Chemistry

Contact Info
Assistant to Department Head, Department of Medicinal Chemistry
Assistant to Director, Institute for Therapeutics Discovery and Development
Postdoctoral, Structural Biology, North Carolina State University, 2016
Postdoctoral, Structural Biology/X-ray Crystallography, Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, 2014
PhD, Chemistry, Duke University, 2011
BS, Chemistry, Wake Forest University, 2006
Summary
I have been involved in scientific research since 2003, which has included organic synthesis, purification, molecular biology, protein biochemistry, x-ray crystallography, assay development and NMR dynamics. Now, I have stepped away from the bench to assist Dr. Gunda Georg in grant and project management, as well as with her roles as Medicinal Chemistry Department Head and ITDD Director.
Research
Publications
1. Milton, M.E., Allen, C.L., Feldmann, E.A., Bobay, B.G., Jung, D.K., Stephens, M.D., Melander, R.J., Theisen, K.E., Zeng, D., Thompson, R.J., Melander, C., Cavanagh, J. (2017) Structure of the Francisella response regulator QseB receiver domain, and characterization of QseB inhibition by antibiofilm 2-aminoimidazole-based compounds. Mol. Microbiol., 106 (2), 223–235.
2. Draughn, G.L., Allen, C.L., Routh, P.A., Stone, M.R., Kirker, K.R., Boegli, L, Schuchman, R.M., Linder, K.E., Baynes, R.E., James, G, Melander, C, Pollard, A, and Cavanagh, J. (2017) Evaluation of a 2-aminoimidazole variant as adjuvant treatment for dermal bacterial infections. Drug Des. Dev. Ther., 11, 153-162.
3. Drake, E.J., Miller, B.R., Shi, C., Tarrasch, J.T., Sundlov, J.A., Allen, C.L., Skiniotis, G., Aldrich, C.A. and Gulick, A.M. (2015) Structures of Two Distinct Conformations of holo-Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetases. Nature, 529, 235–238.
4. Kholodar, S.A., Allen, C.L., Gulick, A.M. and Murkin, A.S. (2015) The Role of Phosphate in a Multistep Enzymatic Reaction: Reactions of the Substrate and Intermediate in Pieces. J Am Chem Soc, 137 (7), 2748-2756.
5. Allen, C.L., and Gulick, A.M. (2014) Structural and bioinformatic characterization of an Acinetobacter baumannii type II carrier protein. Acta Cryst, D70, 1718-1725.
6. Kholodar, S.A., Tombline, G., Liu, J., Tan, Z., Allen, C.L., Gulick, A.M., and Murkin, A.S. (2014) Alteration of the Flexible Loop in 1-Deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate Reductoisomerase Boosts Enthalpy-Driven Inhibition by Fosmidomycin. Biochemistry, 53 (21), 3423-3431.
7. Parish, D.A., Zhou, Z., Allen, C.L., Day, C.S. and King, B.S. (2005) A convenient method for the synthesis of N-hydroxyureas. Tetrahedron Letters, 46, 8841-8843.