17th Annual Stauffer Lectureship (Day 1 of 2): Professor Erick M. Carreira

17th Annual Stauffer Lectureship (Day 1 of 2): Professor Erick M. Carreira
Date
Mon April 23rd 2012, 4:15pm
Event Sponsor
Chemistry Department
Location
Braun Auditorium

About the Seminar:

"Discovery and Surprises with Natural Products"

Stereochemically and structurally complex natural products represent an ideal forum for research at the interface of chemistry, biology, and medicine. As targets for total synthesis the molecules of nature provide inspiration for the discovery and development of both novel tactics and innovative strategies. The presentation will focus on recent development dealing with synthesis, biology, and methods development. The center piece of the talk will focus on observations we have made in the context of our interest in chlorosulfolipids, guanacastepene D, daphmanidin E, and Indoxamycin B, and oxidized lipids that are naturally occurring in humans.

 

About the Speaker:

Erick M. Carreira obtained a B.S. degree in 1984 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign under the supervision of Scott E. Denmark and a Ph.D. degree in 1990 from Harvard University under the supervision of David A. Evans. After carrying out postdoctoral work with Peter Dervan at the California Institute of Technology through late 1992, he joined the faculty at the same institution as an assistant professor of chemistry and subsequently was promoted to the rank of associate professor of chemistry in the Spring of 1996, and full Professor in Spring 1997. He is the recipient of the American Chemical Society Award in Pure Chemistry, Nobel Laureate Signature Award, Fresenius Award, a David and Lucile Packard Foundation Fellowship in Science, Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher Scholar Award, Merck Young Investigator Award, Eli Lilly Young Investigator Award, Pfizer Research Award, National Science Foundation CAREER Award, Arnold and Mabel Beckman Young Investigator Award, and a Camille and Henry Dreyfus New Faculty Award. He is also the recipient of the Associated Students of the California Institute of Technology Annual Award in Teaching and a Richard M. Badger Award in Teaching.

His research program focuses on the asymmetric synthesis of biologically active, stereochemically complex, natural products. Target molecules are selected which pose unique challenges in asymmetric bond construction. A complex multistep synthesis endeavor provides a goal-oriented setting within which to engage in reaction innovation and design. Drawing from the areas of organometallic chemistry, coordination chemistry, and molecular recognition, Carreira's group is developing catalytic and stoichiometric reagents for asymmetric stereocontrol, including chiral Lewis acids and transition-metal based reductants.