The research of the Finney group focuses on the use of fluorescent probes to indicate the presence of important ions and small molecules. Analytes of interest range from toxicologically and biologically relevant metal ions to intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) to explosives to chemical warfare agents. Our work combines organic synthesis and spectroscopy with biological and environmental science, producing results that no one field can lay claim to. Fundamental work on the design of new fluorophores and conjugated π-systems is also of great interest.

The research in the Chung group focuses on understanding the role of microglia in neuroinflammation. Inflammation is a key component of pathophysiology of both acute injuries and chronic diseases including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Microglia activation/chemotaxis is prerequisite for microglia function whether neuroprotective or inflammatory, making understanding essential for design of rational approaches for therapeutic modulation and regulation of microglia proliferation and chemotaxis.  Emphasis is on control of activation/chemotaxis of resident microglia in the brain in early stages of neuroinflammation.  Unraveling complex networks of signaling downstream of P2Y12 receptor during microglia chemotaxis is an important target.  Elucidation of neurotoxic effects of microglia observed in depression is another area of research interests.

The research efforts of the Dai group encompass two areas:  1) The role of retinoid-related orphan receptor RORα in controlling skin homeostatis, and 2) Control of normal mitosis by protein kinase haspin.  In the first area, the main interest is on the interplay between intra- and inter-cellular signaling pathways involved in control of skin tissue homeostasis and tumor development. Focuses on the role of the nuclear orphan receptor RORα in controlling keratinocyte differentiation and skin tumor formation, as well as the therapeutic potential of RORα agonists/antagonists in treatment of skin diseases.  In the second area, the group is interested in exploring the role of haspin in cancer development and the potential of haspin inhibitors as anti-tumor drugs.

The research area of the Du group involves investigation of hypervalent iodine (III) – mediated transformations, including oxidative coupling, rearrangement, cascade reactions, and asymmetric reactions.  Additionally, the group develops metal-free methodology for the constructionof heterocyclic compounds and pharmaceutical agents.

The research of the Gao group covers medicinal chemistry and molecular targeting, synthetic chemistry and organo catalysis, and computer-aided drug design, aimed at the discovery of functional drug delivery carriers and understanding mechanisms of molecular targeting. Specific areas include a) strategies for development of small molecular anti-cancer drugs for targeted therapy, b) design and development of actively transportable small molecule drugs or protein-drug conjugates, c) discovery and development of novel drug-delivery carriers and pharmaceutics based on supramolecular chemistry, d) computer aided molecular design and modeling for innovative drug discovery and mechanistic study of drug transporters.

The research of the Huang group encompasses the following main areas:  

1) Molecular design (AIDD & Chiral Catalyst/ligand Design)

3) New Chemical Space Exploration

The research in the group of Olson is focused on systems chemistry with emphasis in surface science/surface chemistry and molecular recognition and self-assembly. Focus is on the role of long-range non-covalent interactions and electrostatics in synthetic macromolecules and how these forces affect the thermodynamic equilibrium and kinetics of self-assembly in solution, on surfaces, and at the solvent-nanoparticle interface.  Specific directions include, 1) development of functional information of rich structural motifs and investigation of their performance characteristics in solution as molecular entities, 2) carry over of successful systems into the macromolecular world of polymer scaffolds, colloids, and nanoparticulates, eventually leading to 3) incorporation of these macromolecular components into device setting.

Research Interest: Osteoimmunology, bone biology, osteoporosis, tissue engeneering (bone and cartilage regeneration)

My research is mainly focus on to unravle the mechanism of systemic inflammation-induced osteoporosis. 

Fig: Mechanism of inflammation-induced osteoporosis

The research in the group of Siegel encompasses molecular design, chemical synthesis, and structural analysis, which constitute the three principle components of modern stereochemistry. Robust transmission of structural and stereo-chemical information is fundamental to selective chemical processes such as (bio)molecular recognition, enantioselective reactions, and the assembly of designed materials. Beyond symmetry and molecular bonding, stereochemical investigations draw upon concepts from many disciplines and implement techniques such as synthetic methodology, X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, and computational theory.  Research combines synthetic and physical organic chemistry with an eye toward issues of pharmaceutical, material, and life science.

The research in the group of Srinivasan encompasses two main areas, 1) Developing new reaction methodologies: The research topics under this area include bioorthogonal reactions, late-stage modification of advanced chemical entities, C-H activation, and high-throughput amenable synthesis – aiming at advancing the way organic molecules are made for drug discovery and chemical biology applications. 2) Inhibitor discovery based on fragment-based approaches: Design and synthesis of ‘unconventional’ fragments with rich structural diversity. These fragments will be used as a starting point towards novel inhibitors for unexplored biological targets such as the AurB-INCENP interaction.

The research in the group of Wang encompasses four main areas, including 1) Functional polymeric materials (biodegradable polymeric materials, smart polymeric materials such as thermo-sensitive and pH sensitive polymers, dendrimers etc.), 2) Nanotechnology for solubility improvement of water-insoluble drugs, 3) Targeted and controlled drug release systems, and 4) Self-assembled nanostructures for controlled drug release.

The research in the group of Wang involves the design, synthesis, and biological activity evaluation of new compounds, with focus on industrialization of generic drugs, intermediates, and fine chemicals.  Specific areas include 1) Design and synthesis of the Rho kinase inhibitor, 2) Design and synthesis of the PDE4 inhibitor, and 3) Design and synthesis of antihistamine drugs

The research in the Woycechowsky group focuses on the supramolecular chemistry of proteins. In particular, we are interested in proteins that assemble into symmetrical, closed-shell, polyhedral capsid structures. Protein capsids can act as molecular containers and delivery vehicles for a variety of molecular cargoes, and therefore are useful for bionanotechnological applications, such as drug delivery, catalysis, and materials synthesis. Protein engineering strategies are used to explore and exploit the supramolecular chemistry of protein capsids. This approach is inherently interdisciplinary, utilizing methods from biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, organic chemistry, and cell biology. Research projects in our lab fall into three main areas, including 1) capsid self-assembly, 2) molecular encapsulation, and 3) drug delivery.

The research in the group of Zhang is encompassed in the areas of chiral separation and proteomics analysis.

研究方向为疾病药物靶点发现、疾病诊断、安全评价等，承担和参与国家自然科学基金面上项目以及科技部、中医药管理局等重大研发计划，近5年作为主通讯作者在Hepatology、Nature Communications、JECCR等杂志上发表多篇SCI论文。担任美国毒理学会官方杂志《Toxicological Sciences》副主编、美国生物化学和分子生物学会杂志《Journal of Lipid Research》编委、国内杂志《Medicine Advances》编委。

The research in the group of Zhao encompasses four main areas, including (1) Stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems; (2) Ferroptosis-targeting nanomedicines; (3) Photo-triggered microtubule inhibitors; (4) Pharmaceutical micelles, biomaterials and nanomaterials.

(1) Development of novel phototherapy molecules for disease treatment

(2) Develop new biological probes to assist disease diagnosis and biological mechanism research

The research in the group of Zhou encompasses three main areas, including, 1) Investigation of molecular pathogenesis of diseases and cell signaling pathways, and pharmacological mechanism of drug action, 2) Development of new small molecule based targeting anticancer drugs, e.g., TRAF6 as a new target of anti-tumor therapy, 3) Development of cells and C. elegans models, for high-throughput screenings, e.g., anti-aging drugs.