Synthetic Discoveries from Polycyclic Natural Products

In the pursuit of the synthesis of biologically active natural products (compounds originally isolated from natural sources), powerful reactions using organic or acid catalysts (i.e., not transition metal based) have been developed. The new chemical transformations thus made available, along with the extraordinary chemical compatibility the new catalysts provide, have enabled access to a variety of new target motifs for synthesis. Increased understanding of the catalytic mechanism and of the role of each reaction component have also led to additional applications of the mechanistic paradigm to new chemical transformations that utilize other classes of catalysts.

Professor Jeremy A. May (left) grew up in Montana, then graduated cum laude from the University of Utah with a B.S. in chemistry. He pursued a PhD in organic synthesis under the guidance of Professor Brian M. Stoltz at the California Institute of Technology and received his doctoral degree in 2006. Subsequently, he completed a Ruth Kirschstein NIH postdoctoral fellowship with Professor Samuel J. Danishefsky at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He began as an Assistant Professor at the University of Houston in 2009, and was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2015. His research encompasses natural product synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and the development of novel synthetic transformations.

Location: PS 110

Time: 3:30pm-5:00pm