“Connecting Fluorinated Dots”
Dr. Takashi Tsukamoto
Associate Professor of Neurology
Director of Medicinal Chemistry, Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery
Johns Hopkins University
December 8, 2021, 7:00 PM EST
ZOOM Event
Abstract: Looking back at my career as a medicinal chemist over the last decades, the most rewarding experience has been overcoming challenges unique to each of various drug discovery projects through molecular design and synthesis. While there seems to be no common structural feature among compounds designed and synthesized for different therapeutic targets, fluorinated molecules have occasionally played a driving role in moving projects forward.
My longstanding interests in fluorinated molecules can be traced back to the time I first began working in an organic chemistry lab in my senior year of college. Since then, I have developed a habit of incorporating fluorine atoms into molecules whenever the opportunity arises. In this lecture, I will
connect my fluorinated dots that are unrelated but have served as the backbone of my career as a medicinal chemist at the deepest level.