Peter Wipf

Peter Wipf’s research focuses on the total synthesis of natural products, organometallic and heterocyclic chemistry, diversity-oriented synthesis, medicinal chemistry and computational chemistry.  At the heart of his research program is the study of chemical reactivity and the use of synthesis to augment the chemical toolbox and investigate new therapeutic strategies.  A major emphasis involves the efficient preparation of polyfunctionalized nitrogen-containing building blocks for medicinal chemistry and natural product analog & total synthesis.  The discovery of fundamentally new reaction pathways is stimulated by exploratory studies of transition metal complexes, in particular zirconocenes, and strained rings, such as bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes.  One of his compounds, a PI-3 kinase inhibitor, progressed into human Phase II clinical trials in the US and Canada, and several others have been licensed by companies.  Wipf’s research is highly collaborative, he has worked with dozens of national and international academic and industrial groups, and published joint papers with more than 1,300 co-authors.  He has been the Chair of the Safety committee and served as a Chemical Hygiene Officer at the University of Pittsburgh for more than two decades.