On May 3, 2016, Professor Silas P. Cook of Indiana University Bloomington visits our university, and gave a wonderful report to the teachers and students of School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering. The report was emceed by Prof. Liang Ni, about one hundred faculties, graduate students and overseas students attended this report.
Prof. Cook’s report entitled “The Search for Efficiency in Synthesis: From Natural Products to Catalysis”. The report described their recent efforts to develop an affordable synthesis of the antimalarial drug artemisinin. Intriguing reactivity in palladium catalysis discovered a route to the englerins, a family of anti-renal cancer natural products was also highlighted. After the report, he briefly communicated with the faculties and students, who benefited a lot from the presentation.
Prof. Cook received his Ph.D. degree in organic chemistry from Columbia University in 2006, and joined Indiana University Bloomington in 2009. Prof. Cook’s area of expertise lies in organic synthesis. Up to now, he has published about 6 papers in J. Am. Chem. Soc. and Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.. He received 2 United States Patents, and also received many awards: Amgen Young Investigator Award (2015), IU Outstanding Junior Faculty Award (2013), ACS PRF Doctoral New Investigator Award (2012) and so on.