The Medicinal Chemistry Department seminars involve a mix of prominent researchers from both academic institutions and industry presenting research at the forefront of Medicinal Chemistry (broadly defined). They also include presentations from our own students (dissertation defenses & research seminars). The seminars are held remotely on Thursday, weekly at 4:00 p.m. unless otherwise stated. Select a semester from the drop-down menu below to browse the schedule. Remote Seminars for 2020-2021, Zoom links will be announced via e-mail. Please contact the department at COP-MedChemDept@med.umich.edu if you would like to be added to the MedChemSeminars e-mail announcement group.

View a list of all MedChem seminars

January 26, 2021
4:00pm
Zoom Virtual
Seminar Link
Luis Cervantes
Medicinal Chemistry Candidate, Third-Year Student Seminar
College of Pharmacy, Univeristy of Michigan

Large Scale Prediction of Relative Free Energies of Ligand Binding Using Multi-Site Lambda Dynamics (MSLD)

Faculty Host: Charles L. Brooks, III ( brookscl@umich.edu )
Speaker Abstract
January 28, 2021
4:00pm
Zoom Virtual
Seminar Link
Troy Halseth
Medicinal Chemistry PhD Candidate; Third-Year Student Seminar
College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan

Apolipoprotein-Mimetics for the Treatment of Niemann-Pick Diseases

Faculty Host: Anna Schwendeman ( annschw@umich.edu )
Speaker Abstract
February 2, 2021
4:00pm
Zoom Virtual
Seminar Link
Jinghan Liu
Medicinal Chemistry PhD Candidate; Third-Year Student Seminar
College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan

Structure and Function of Human Cytochrome P450 8B1

Faculty Host: Emily Scott ( scottee@umich.edu )
Speaker Abstract
February 9, 2021
4:00pm
Zoom virtual
Sean McCarty
Medicinal Chemistry PhD Candidate; Third-Year Student Seminar
College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan

Identification and Development of Novel Scaffolds for ꞵ-Cell Proliferation

Faculty Host: Jonathan Sexton ( jzsexton@umich.edu )
Speaker Abstract
February 11, 2021
4:00pm
Zoom Virtual
Seminar Link
Andrew McGrath
Medicinal Chemistry PhD Candidate; Third-Year Student Seminar
College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan

Nontraditional Amine-Acid Coupling Reactions to Explore Structure-Function Relationships

Faculty Host: Tim Cernak ( tcernak@umich.edu )
Speaker Abstract
February 16, 2021
4:00pm
Zoom Virtual
Seminar Link
Ryan Rutkoski
Medicinal Chemistry PhD Candidate; Third-Year Student Seminar
College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan

Development of Solid Supported Glycosyl Donors for the Glycosylation of Natural Products

Faculty Host: Pavel Nagorny ( nagorny@umich.edu )
Speaker Abstract
February 25, 2021
4:00pm
Zoom Virtual
Jesse Wotring
Medicinal Chemistry PhD Candidate, Third-Year Student Seminar
College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan

Accelerated Compound Repurposing Using High Content Imaging: Application to Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Faculty Host: Jonathan Sexton ( jzsexton@umich.edu )
Speaker Abstract
March 4, 2021
4:00pm
Zoom Virtual
Seminar Link
Sherrice Zhang
Medicinal Chemistry PhD Candidate; Third-Year Student Seminar
College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan

Development of δ-Opioid Receptor (DOR) Positive Allosteric Modulators (PAMs) for the Treatment of Depression

Faculty Host: Andy White ( whitandd@umich.edu )
Speaker Abstract
March 9, 2021
4:00pm
Zoom Virtual
Seminar Link
Yihao Zhuang
Medicinal Chemistry PhD Candidate, Third-Year Student Seminar
College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan

Discovery of Novel Natural Products that Inhibit eIF4E Protein-Protein Interactions

Faculty Host: Amanda Garner ( algarner@umich.edu )
Speaker Abstract
March 18, 2021
4:00pm
Zoom Virtual
Seminar Link
Wenbin Tu
Medicinal Chemistry PhD Candidate, Third-Year Student Seminar
College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan

Development of PROTAC degraders of SMARCA proteins for the treatment of cancer

Faculty Host: Shaomeng Wang shaomeng@umich.edu
Speaker Abstract
March 19, 2021
1:00pm
Zoom Remote
Oral Defense Link
Maha Hanafi
PhD Candidate, Department of Medicinal Chemistry
University of Michigan, Oral Dissertation Defense

Targeting Sigma-2 Receptor and ZFP91 in Pancreatic Cancer

Faculty Host: Nouri Neamati ( neamati@umich.edu )
Speaker Abstract
March 25, 2021
4:00pm
Zoom Virtual
Seminar Link
Charles Zhang
Medicinal Chemistry PhD Candidate, Third-Year Student Seminar
College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan

Human Liver Organoids to Assess Idiosyncratic Drug-Induced Liver Injury

Faculty Host: Jonathan Sexton ( jzsexton@umich.edu )
Speaker Abstract
April 8, 2021
4:00pm
Zoom Remote
Seminar Link
Rebecca T. Ruck, PhD
Executive Director of Enabling Technologies, Small Molecule PR&D
Merck Research Laboratories, Process Research & Development

Enabling Technologies for the green synthesis of Pharmaceutical Agents at Merck


Speaker Website Speaker Abstract
April 15, 2021
4:00pm
Zoom Remote:
Seminar Link:
Maud Reiter, PhD
Director of New & Renewable Ingredients, Research & Development Division
Firmenich S.A. in Geneva (Switzerland)

Firmenich’s quest towards sustainable muguet molecules

Faculty Host: Tim Cernak ( tcernak@umich.edu )
Speaker Website Speaker Abstract