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There are several projects ongoing in my research group.

1. We are investigating the stability, metabolism and reactivity of polyphenols. We have observed that di-catechol lignans and diphenylethanes can undergo intramolecular cyclizations under oxidizing conditions to form dibenzocyclooctadienes and dibenzocyclohexadienes respectively. We are continuing to prepare analogues in an effort to better understand the effect that substituents play on stability, reactivity and metabolism.

2. We have prepared a number of novel compounds designed to interact with alpha-synuclein, a protein involved in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's Disease and are investigating their in vitro hepatic metabolism. We continue to design and prepare additional analogues to improve alpha-synuclein binding properties.

3. We are designing synthetic pathways to prepare 18F-labelled compounds as Positron Emission Tomography imaging probes for the bifunctional compounds. We are also designing photoaffinity labelling probes to investigate ligand interactions with alpha-synuclein and other protein targets of interest.

4. We observed that the naturally-occurring polyphenol quebecol is largely resistant to quinone methide formation. This has led us to investigate the structural factors that influence formation of reactive quinone methides as a result of metabolism of phenols consisting of two or three aromatic rings. We are synthesizing novel multi-ring phenols to probe the functionalities that may impede quinone methide formation.

Graduate Studies

Graduate students can join my group from a wide variety of academic backgrounds in the basic sciences including chemistry, biochemistry, biology, toxicology, pharmacology and physiology to name a few. Students with nationally competitive scholarships such as NSERC or CIHR can apply to receive tuition waivers from the College.

As a graduate student in my lab you would receive training in several of the following areas:

• drug metabolism
• analytical method development
• product purification and identification
• organic synthesis
• physical-organic chemistry
• probe development

We utilize the NMR and Mass Spec facilities in the Saskatchewan Structural Sciences Centre (SSSC) and Mass Spec facilities in the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition (AB Sciex 4000 Q Trap, AB Sciex 6500 Q Trap). We also have access to the Pharmaceutical and Nutrition Sciences Research Group Common Core Equipment facility.

My research group holds group meetings and literature review meetings on alternate weeks throughout the year.

I am an Associate member of the Department of Chemistry and a member of the Toxicology Graduate Program. Therefore, students may also join my research group through these programs.

For information regarding application for graduate studies in the College of Pharmacy & Nutrition please click here.