Medicinal Chemist

Location:

Reno, NV

Posted:

August 27, 2016

Contact this candidate

Resume:

Charles R. Robertson

**** **** ****** **.

Reno, NV 89508-8053

Tel: 801-***-****

E-mail: *************@*****.***

Personal

Statement

I am a motivated, productive, and diligent chemist that is seeking to further my development in the areas of biotechnology and pharmaceutical sciences. My objective is to work at the interface of chemistry, biochemistry, and biology and work towards the development of advanced and/or novel therapeutics.

Education University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT

Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry, May 2012. Dissertation title: “Peptide-based therapeutics: engineering galanin for systemic anticonvulsant and analgesic activity”. Advisor: Dr. Grzegorz Bulaj University of Nevada, Reno Reno, NV

M.S. in Chemistry, December 2006. Thesis title: “Chemistry towards curved polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons”. Advisor: Dr. Benjamin T. King

University of Nevada, Reno Reno, NV

B.S. in Chemistry, May 2003. Minor in biology, cell molecular biology focus. Senior project: synthesis of ortho-substituted terphenyls and triphenylenes Research

Experience

Utah-Inha DDS & Advanced Therapeutics Research Center Incheon, South Korea Postdoctoral researcher, Sept. 2012 – Aug. 2014

Headed an international team of scientists for this non-profit biological research center. Formulated and examined various buffering systems for anticonvulsant and analgesic peptide-based drugs for preclinical studies as well as generated cationic-polyplexes as nanocarriers for nucleotide-based chemotherapies for pancreatic cancer.

University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT

Research Associate, May 2007 – July 2012

Designed, synthesized, and purified neuropeptide analogs of galanin and generated systemically active, bioavailable neuropeptides that exerted anticonvulsant and analgesic effects in vivo. Synthesized subtype selective analogs, as well as orally bioavailable peptide analogs using non- natural amino acid motifs.

Biological chemistry rotations, Aug. 2006 – Apr. 2007 Organic chemistry, Dr. Jon Rainier: synthesis of ASIC antagonists for analgesia. Genetics, Dr. Tim Formosa: DNA transcription and mutagenisis in S. cerevisae. Protein Chemistry, Dr. Dale Poulter: spectroscopic characterization of engineered proteins expressed in E. coli. University of Nevada, Reno Reno, NV

Research Associate, Aug. 2003 – July 2006

Synthesized a number of highly substituted polyaromatic hydrocarbon using transition metal catalysis, butyl-lithium transformations, and air-free Schlenk-flask techniques. These PAHs were used as monomers in polymerization reactions leading to curved polyaromatic hydrocarbons.

USDA – Agriculture Research Service Reno, NV

Laboratory Technician, Oct. 2000 – Apr.2001

Performed DNA extractions on cheatgrass (B. tectorum) for the Exotic and Invasive Weed Research for USDA. The isolated DNA was then amplified by PCR and separated by SDS-PAGE; comparisons were investigated between wild-type and mutant PCR products. Teaching

Experience

University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT

Medicinal chemistry teaching assistant, Jan. 2010 – May 2010 Aided in grading exams and homework. Taught lectures to first year pharmacy students on cancer biology and virology, with respect towards pharmacologically relevant drugs. University of Nevada, Reno Reno, NV

Organic chemistry teaching assistant, Jan. 2005 – May 2005 Redesigned and taught organic spectroscopy lab using updated and modern techniques. The students were required to isolate, purify, and identify the major components of various food items using spectrographic techniques: IR, UV-Vis, GC-MS, and NMR (1H,13C, and multidimensional).

General chemistry teaching assistant, Aug. 2003 – Dec. 2004 Supervised and instructed students in general chemistry labs. Graded exams and held office hours for students. As head TA, supervised other teaching assistants and graders. Key Skills Strong knowledge in modern synthetic organic chemistry techniques with cross training in biochemistry

Expertise in analyzing and identifying organic compounds by modern analytical techniques (NMR, FT-IR, UV-VIS, GC/MS, LC/MS etc.)

Familiarity of Waters, Varian, and Agilent HPLC hardware and software. Analytical to preparative scale-up proficient.

Manual and automated peptide synthesis on a Protein Technologies Symphony 12 channel synthesizer.

Sterile mammalian cell culture techniques and basic cell culture protocols: cell counting, MTT assays, ELISA assays, live/dead, and CaCo-2 drug permeability assay. Calcium flux functional assays performed on FLEXstation. Computer proficiency in Microsoft Office, ChemDraw, ISIS draw, PyMol, and Adobe Illustrator. Accomplished, peer reviewed author with command of English language and grammar. Publications Robertson, C. R.; Pruess, T. H.; Grussendorf, E.; White, H. S.; Bulaj, G. (2012) “Generating orally active galanin analogues with analgesic activities.” ChemMedChem 7, 903-909. Robertson, C. R.; Flynn, S. P.; White, H. S.; Bulaj, G. (2011) “Anticonvulsant neuropeptides as drug leads for neurological diseases.” Nat. Prod. Rep. 28, 741-762. McIntosh, J. A.; Robertson, C. R.; Agarwal, V.; Nair, S. K.; Bulaj, G.; Schmidt, E. W. (2010)

“Circular logic: nonribosomal peptide-like macrocyclization with a ribosomal peptide catalyst.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 132, 154**-*****.

Robertson, C. R.; Scholl, E. A.; Pruess, T. H.; Green, B. R.; White, H. S.; Bulaj, G. (2010)

“Engineering galanin analogues that discriminate between GalR1 and GalR2 receptor subtypes and exhibit anticonvulsant activity following systemic delivery.” J. Med. Chem. 53, 1871-1875. Zhang, L.; Robertson, C. R.; Green, B. R.; Pruess, T. H.; White, H. S.; Bulaj, G. (2009) “Structural requirements for a lipoamino acid in modulating the anticonvulsant activities of systemically active galanin analogues.” J. Med. Chem. 52, 1310-1316.

Han T. S.; Zhang, M. M.; Walewska, A.; Gruszczynski, P.; Robertson, C. R.; Cheatham, T. E. 3rd Yoshikami, D.; Olivera, B. M.; Bulaj, G. (2009) “Structurally minimized K-conotoxin analogues as sodium channel blockers: implications for designing conopeptide-based therapeutics.” ChemMedChem. 4, 406-414.

Bulaj, G.; Green, B. R.; Lee, H. K.; Robertson C. R.; White, K.; Zhang, L.; Sochanska, M.; Flynn, S. P.; Scholl, E. A.; Pruess, T. H.; Smith, M. D.; White, H. S. (2008) “Design, synthesis, and characterization of high-affinity, systemically-active galanin analogues with potent anticonvulsant activities.” J. Med. Chem. 51, 8038-8047.

Presentations

and

Conferences

5th Utah-Inha DDS & Advanced Therapeutics Research Center Symposium and 7th International Symposium on Intelligent DDS – Songdo, Incheon, South Korea, May 2013 22nd American Peptide Symposium – Harbor Island, San Diego, CA, June 2011 Annual University of Utah Bioscience Symposium – 2006-2012 237th ACS National Meeting – Salt Lake City, UT, Mar. 2009 Bioorganic Chemistry Symposium, Northwest and Rocky Mountain Regional Meeting – Park City, UT, June 2008

39th National Organic Chemistry Symposium – University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT June 2005 References Dr. Grzegorz Bulaj

Assoc. Prof

Dept. Med. Chem

30 South 2000 East

Salt Lake City, UT 84112

801-***-****

*****@*****.****.***

Dr. Hee-Kyoung Lee

Senior Research Scientist

Jade Therapeutics

675 Arapeen Dr. Ste. 302

Salt Lake City, UT 84108