Research in our group is best described by our publications, and, in short, it draws on the rich structural diversity of natural products as the source of ideas for the development of new methodology for chemical synthesis. As such, natural products and synthetic methodology are central themes in our group, and serve as a link to projects in the areas of biological and medicinal chemistry. Particular attention is directed at innovative synthesis planning that would allow for assembly of complex targets in a concise and efficient manner. With effective planning, total synthesis becomes competitive, and sometimes the only source of material for subsequent biological studies. Understanding the mechanistic details of chemical reactions, design of new transformations, and the development of methods of broad utility for stereocontrolled chemical synthesis are fundamental and intrinsically related objectives that we also pursue. Our synthetic targets are selected for distinctive features in their chemical composition and intriguing biological properties.
