Educational Background:

PhD, Yale University BS, University of Iceland

Awards:

• General Motors Cancer Research Scholar

Research Description:

The main focus of our research group is the development of new synthetic methods and synthesis of intriguing natural products with promising biological profiles. These two goals are interconnected since most of our new synthetic method development is inspired by natural products. Today's molecular architects need at their disposal tools that are general, predictable, economical and efficient in assembling their desired molecular frameworks. In order to achieve that goal, it is essential to continue the development of new synthetic methods. Natural products, in addition to being excellent lead structures for the development of new biological probes and therapeutic agents, serve as an ideal training ground for tomorrow's molecular architects.

Selected Publications:

Rogers, E.; Araki, H.; Batory, L. A.; McInnis, C. E.; Njardarson, J. T. Highly Selective Copper-Catalyzed Ring Expansion of Vinyl Thiiranes: Application to Synthesis of Biotin and the Heterocyclic Core of Plavix® J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, ASAP.

Batory, L. A.; McInnis, C. E.; Njardarson, J. T. Copper Catalyzed Rearrangement of Vinyl Oxiranes J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 16054.

Njardarson, J. T.; Gaul, C.; Shan, D.; Huang, X.-Y.; Danishefsky, S. J. Discovery of Potent Cell Migration Inhibitors through Total Synthesis: Lessons from Structure-Activity Studies of (+)-Migrastatin J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 1038.

Spiegel, D. A.; Njardarson, J. T.; McDonald, I.; Wood, J. L. Innovation and Art in Organic Chemistry: Synthetic Efforts Toward the Phomoidrides Chem. Rev. 2003, 103, 2691.

Gaul, C.; Njardarson, J. T.; Danishefsky, S. J. The Total Synthesis of (+)-Migrastatin J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 6042.

Njardarson, J. T.; Biswas, K.; Danishefsky, S. J. Application of Hitherto Unexplored Macrocyclization Strategies in the Epothilone Series: Novel Epothilone Analogs by Total Synthesis Chem Commun. 2002, 2759.

Biswas, K.; Lin, H,; Njardarson, J. T.; Chappell, M. D.; Chou, T.-C.; Guan, Y.; Tong, W. P.; He, L.; Horwitz, S. B.; Danishefsky, S. J. Highly Concise Routes to Epothilones: The Total Synthesis and Evaluation of Epothilone 490 J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 9825.

Drutu, I.; Njarðarson, J. T.; Wood, J. L. Reactive Dienes: Intramolecular Aromatic Oxidation of 3-(2-Hydroxyphenyl)-propionic Acids Org. Lett. 2002, 4, 493.

Njarðarson, J. T.; MacDonald, I.; Spiegel, D. A.; Inoue, M.; Wood, J. L. An Expeditious Approach Towards the Total Synthesis of CP-263,114 Org. Lett. 2001, 3, 2435.

Njarðarson, J. T.; Wood, John. L. Evolution of a Synthetic Approach to CP-263,114 Org. Lett. 2001, 3, 2431.