Leslie Aldrich

Email Address: aldrich@uic.edu
College: Liberal Arts and Sciences Department: Chemistry
Title: Assistant Professor

Webpage: http://thealdrichlab.com
Participating in the Chancellor’s Undergraduate Research Awards program: Yes

Research Interest:
Research in the Aldrich lab investigates complex biological phenomena using novel small-molecule probes derived from diversity-oriented synthesis. Our research interests span three major areas of chemical biology:

(1) Development of methods to access synthetic “unnatural product” scaffolds that are reminiscent of biologically active natural products.

(2) High-Throughput and High-Content Screening to identify small molecules that modulate complex biological pathways.

(3) Exploration of cellular processes that are important in human health using newly discovered small-molecule probes, with the ultimate goal of discovering novel therapeutic strategies for treating diseases.

Minimum time commitment in hours per week: 15

Qualifications of a Student:
Minimum GPA: 3.50/4.00
Prerequisite classes: Organic Chemistry I/II (for students interested in organic synthesis or medicinal chemistry)
General Biology I/II (for students interested in biochemistry or cell biology)
Preferred major: Chemistry or Biology
Year in College: Sophomore-Senior
No prior experience necessary outside of college classes/labs.

Brief Summary of what is expected from the student:
Students in the Aldrich lab investigate topics at the interface of synthetic chemistry and biology with a focus on human health and disease. The highly interdisciplinary projects in our group enable trainees to develop expertise in synthetic organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, cell biology, and chemical biology.

Individual student projects will focus on one or more of the above areas, depending on the student's interests. It is expected that students will be able to come to the lab at least 3-4 days of the week to have ample time to plan, execute, and complete experiments and to analyze collected data. If course schedules permit, students will also be expected to attend group meetings.

NOTE: This researcher is currently not accepting applications for the Undergraduate Research Experience program.

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