Medicinal Chemistry
A diverse education in chemistry and biology that prepares students for the evolving multidisciplinary research of the pharmaceutical industry and academia.
Medicinal Chemistry
Medicinal Chemistry is a dynamic, multifaceted scientific discipline that is dedicated to the improvement of human health through research that leads to the design and development of safe and effective therapeutic, diagnostic, and environmental agents.
Research Areas
Biosafety/ biosecurity, cancer and neurological drug discovery, chemical neuroscience, chemoprevention and carcinogenesis, combinatorial biosynthesis, computer-aided drug design, drug metabolism, gene therapy, high-throughput screening, immunology, NMR, non-hormonal contraception, peptidomimetics and X-ray crystallography.
Faculty Spotlight: Courtney Aldrich
Dr. Aldrich received a $3.8 million NIH grant for the project "Siderophore Inhibitors for Tuberculosis that Block Mycobactin Biosynthesis" on which he is the sole PI. Also, his collaborative research was the focus of a LA times article.
Faculty Spotlight: Natalia Tretyakova
Dr. Natalia Tretyakova has been named a Distinguished McKnight University Professor.
Faculty Spotlight: Gunda Georg
Dr. Gunda Georg’s research towards male contraceptives was featured on several broadcast news outlets including the front page of the Star Tribune.
Institute for Therapeutics Discovery & Development
The ITDD carries out interdisciplinary research, helps educate the next generation of scientists, and enhances the biomedical research infrastructure by creating opportunities for drug discovery and early pre-clinical drug development.
Dr. Vadim Gurvich and his researchers Dr. Ricardo Gallardo-Macias and Andrew Goode are featured in the recent Minnesota Daily article "UMN Collaboration Produces Thousands of Gallons Hand Sanitizer." The Institute for Therapeutics Discovery and Development scientists have been working in collaboration with M Health Fairview to produce hand sanitizer to the FDA's specifications.
Four of our Medicinal Chemistry graduate students were recently annouced as winners of the Outstanding TA Award from the College of Pharmacy! Students Abhishek Kulkarni, Bill McCue, Connor McDermott, and Nick Weirath were all honored for Spring 2020.
Congratulations to Dr. Leigh Allen, Assistant to the Department Head, for her election to the Academic Professionals and Administrators (P&A) Senate as an alternate Senator. The P&A Senate is an elected body that represents and acts on behalf of around 6,500 P&As at the University, enabling participation in the University's Governance. Dr. Allen will serve as an alternate Senator representing the College of Pharmacy from July 1, 2020–June 30, 2023.
Join Drs. Jonathan Lai (Albert Einstein College of Medicine), Raymond Forslund (Syner-G), and our own Courtney Aldrich as moderator as they discuss the scientific aspects of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Discussion will include an overview of the virus and therapeutic strategies regarding vaccines, antivirals, serum strategies, and timelines, as well as an understanding of why has this become a pandemic. You can register for the webinar here.
Pages
Research Facilities
Make use of the Department's over 30,000 square feet of modern research laboratory space located within the Academic Health Center and the Biomedical Discovery District. Read more about our instrumentation, laboratories, facilities and faculty research.
Events
Student Spotlight: Sara Coulup
Sara Coulup wins the best oral presentation at MIKI 2018.
Student Spotlight: Alex Strom
Alex Strom was awarded the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education Pre-Doctoral Fellowship.