Research in my group will focus on methodology development to form new C-C and C-N bonds. We have developed an efficient, two-step non-traditional reduction of esters to ethers using ReactIR to monitor the reduction. Our group is also part of a collaboration at USM to synthesize and assay new scaffolds for HIV integrase inhibition. We have also began to explore squaramide organocatalysts using a feedback loop containing computational methods to help design new catalysts to explore new modes of reactivity. Lastly, my research group is interested in alkaloid natural products containing a piperidine ring. Alkaloids are structurally complex natural products and have interesting biological properties. During my graduate work, I was part of the team that completed the first total synthesis of the Lycopodium alkaloid, serratezomine A, and my current research interests stem from that experience. My postdoctoral work provided me with background in natural production isolation and structure elucidation and is an area of interest that I have pursued in terms of developing a Structure Elucidation course at USM. Students in my research group will learn a variety of synthetic organic methods and purification techniques as well as analytical methods including NMR (both 1D and 2D pulse sequences), IR, HPLC (including chiral HPLC), and MS.
