Medicinal Chemistry

Chang Guo Zhan

Chang Guo Zhan
Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
University of Kentucky, USA

Biography

Chang-Guo-Zhan received a PhD in Chemistry Physical Chemistry from University of Notre Dame and a PhD in Science Molecular Physics from Institute for Molecular Science IMS Japan Graduate University of Advanced Studies. Dr. Chang-Guo-Zhan performed his postdoctoral research training as a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at Department of Medicine Columbia University.  After that he served as Associate Research Scientist at Department of Medicine Columbia University and a Visiting Scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory at the same time. Dr. Zhan joined the UK College of Pharmacy faculty as Associate Professor in July 2003 and was promoted to Professor in July 2007.

Research Interest

Dr. Zhans main research interest is drug design and discovery through integrated computational-experimental studies. Drugs designed and discovered in Dr. Zhans lab are either small molecules (as inhibitors of enzymes or agonists/antagonists of receptor proteins or DNA-binding molecules etc.) or engineered proteins (mutants with significantly improved biological functions and/or increased circulation time in the body). In order to rationally design a drug, Dr. Zhans lab may perform whatever types of molecular modeling (including homology modeling and molecular docking), simulations (e.g. MD and Monte Carlo), calculations (e.g. QM, QM/MM, MM-PBSA, QM/MM-PBSA, FEP, and QM/MM-FEP etc.), statistical analysis (including QSAR and Artificial Neural Network), and molecular design (automated virtual screening and de novo design) that are necessary for a project. The computational design is followed by wet experimental tests (chemical synthesis, site-directed mutagenesis, protein expression, purification, in vitro activity assays, and in vivo tests etc.).