I am trained as an organic chemist, and I have performed research on a variety of projects that fall under the broad umbrella of chemical biology.  More recently I have worked in process development for various types of pharmaceuticals including synthetic small molecules, biologics, and hybrid conjugated molecules.  These projects have spanned the development paradigm from pre-FIH to process characterization.

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The increasingly blurred boundary between traditional disciplines has presented us with countless exciting opportunities for creative new research.  Chemical biology is a two-way street--while the "classical" definition involves the use of chemical tools to study biology, why confine ourselves to this unidirectional concept?  We now have the ability to use biology to enhance chemistry, and we should be working towards both of these ends with equal vigor.

My current interests include the creation and application of new tools for directed evolution and the exploration of recently developed conjugation methods for manufacture of drug substances for clinical investigation.  Despite frequent reports of new technologies in these areas, there remains very little rigorous evaluation of their suitability for well-controlled manufacturing processes.

My other interests include using directed evolution to engineer the molecular recognition properties of proteins.  The distinct recognition of molecular species is an ability that remains largely beyond the reach of organic chemists.  The creation of new recognition elements for artificial sensing and signaling is a long-term goal of mine, as is the incorporation of such elements into catalysts for organic synthesis and energy-related applications.

Experience:

2016-now       Sr. Scientist, Process Development, Amgen

2013-2016     Scientist, Chemical Process R&D, Amgen

2008-2012     NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, Columbia University (Prof. Virginia Cornish)

2003-2008     Graduate Student, University of California, Berkeley (Prof. Matt Francis)

2001-2003     Undergraduate Researcher, Carnegie Mellon University (Prof. Bruce Armitage)

2000                Undergraduate Researcher at University of Pennsylvania (Prof. Virgil Percec)