EDUCATION
Ph.D. Organic Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Germany, December 1995

Dissertation Title: “Synthesis, Enantioseparation and Investigation of the Conformational Stability of Axially Chiral Biphenyls” Advisor: Professor Wilfried A. König
Diploma Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Germany, February 1993
B.S. Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Germany, September 1990

APPOINTMENTS
Director, Medicinal Chemistry Shared Resource Center, GU, Washington, DC August 2018 - present
Full Professor, Georgetown University, Chemistry Department, Washington, DC August 2011 - present
Associate Professor, Georgetown University, Chemistry Department, Washington, DC August 2006 - 2011
Assistant Professor, Georgetown University, Chemistry Department, Washington, DC August 2000 - July 2006
Senior Scientist, Chemical Development, R&D, SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, King of Prussia, PA December 1997 - July 2000
Alexander von Humboldt Feodor Lynen Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Illinois, Chemistry Department, Urbana-Champaign, IL. Advisor: Professor William H. Pirkle February 1996 – October 1997
Visiting Scholar at the University of Aix-Marseille III, Marseille, France July - August 1994, March - April 1995
Visiting Scholar at the University of Reading, Reading, UK April - June 1991

HONORS AND AWARDS

Crystal Award for Outstanding Contributions to Drug Development and Commercialization, 2021

NSF Creativity Extension Award, 2020

Georgetown Career Research Achievement Award, 2016

Distinguished Georgetown University Investigator, 2016
President’s Award for Distinguished Scholars-Teachers, 2015
Georgetown University Patent Awards, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019
National Academy of Inventors Fellow, 2014
NSF CAREER Award, 2004-2009
TLTSI Award, Teaching, Learning, and Technology Summer Institute, 2003
Junior Faculty Research Fellowship, Georgetown University, 2003
Gold Impact Award, SmithKline Beecham, Pharmaceuticals, 2000
Silver Impact Award, SmithKline Beecham, Pharmaceuticals, 1998
Feodor Lynen Fellowship, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, 1996-1997
Ph.D. Fellowship, German Chemical Industry, 1993-1995
Erasmus Fellowship, European Union, 1991

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Synthetic Methodology

Asymmetric Catalysis

Reaction Mechanism
Catalyst Design (Wolf Bisoxazolidines available at Strem and others)
Fluorine Chemistry & C-F Bond Functionalization
Ynamide Chemistry
Green Chemistry

Chiral Recognition and Chemosensing
Stereoselective UV, Fluorescence and CD Sensing Methods
High-Throughput Asymmetric Reaction Screening Methodology
NMR Spectroscopy with Chiral Solvating Agents

Dynamic Stereochemistry of Chiral Compounds
Racemization, Diastereomerization and Atropisomerization Processes
Chiral Amplification and Asymmetric Transformation of the 1st and 2nd Kind

Transition Metal Catalysis
Cross-Coupling of Aryl Halides with Alkynes, Boronic Acids, Siloxanes, Grignard Reagents, Organozinc Compounds and Stannanes
Cross Electrophile Coupling Reactions

Applications of Palladium Phosphinous Acid and Chlorophosphine Complexes

Medicinal Chemistry
Sensing of Biomarkers
Drug Development (Cancer, MS, Parkinson, Alzheimer Treatments etc.)

Chiral Chromatography, Dynamic Chromatography
DGC, DHPLC, DSFC, Stopped Flow Methods
 

CURRENT COLLABORATIONS
Industrial

Chris Welch, Welch Innovation LLC, Cranbury, NJ, USA
Chiral Compound Analysis

Ed Sherer, Merck, Rahway, NJ, USA
Pharmaceutical Sciences

Panorama Research Inc., Sunnyvale, CA
USP Inhibitors

KeifeRx, Mclean, VA 22101
Neurodegenerative Diseases

Academic

Andrea Mazzanti, University of Bologna, Italy
Dynamic NMR Spectroscopy, Dynamic Stereochemistry

Eric Anslyn, University of Texas, TX, USA
Optical Sensing Technology

Aykut Uren, Georgetown University, Oncology Department, Washington, DC, USA
Anticancer Drugs

Charbel Moussa, Georgetown University, Department of Neurology, Washington, DC, USA
Development of Treatments for Neurological Diseases

Jeffrey Huang, Georgetown University, Department of Biology, Washington, DC, USA
Therapeutics for Multiple Sclerosis & Brain Inflammation

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TEACHING
Graduate Courses

Synthesis (Chem 502)

Stereochemistry (Chem 577)

Career Perspectives for Ph.D. Chemists (Elective Graduate Course)

Undergraduate Courses
Organic Chemistry Lecture I (Chem 115)
Organic Chemistry Lecture II (Chem 116)
Organic Chemistry Laboratory I (Chem 117)
Organic Chemistry Laboratory II (Chem 118)
Organic Chemistry Lecture II for Majors (Chem 120)
Synthetic Methods (Chem 228)

ENTREPENEURSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Chemical Society
Alexander von Humboldt Association
Editorial Board Member of Chirality
Cofounder of Enantiosense LLC (commercialization of Wolf chirality sensing technology)

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