Andrew Riley

    Email Address: apriley@uic.edu
    College: Pharmacy Department: Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy
    Title: Assistant Professor
    Office: 505 PHARM
    Participating in the Chancellor’s Undergraduate Research Awards program: Yes

    Research Interest:
    As a drug discovery lab, research in the Riley Lab is focused at the interface of chemistry and biology. We apply the techniques of modern organic chemistry to isolate and synthesize natural products and their structural derivatives. We then employ these molecules as chemical probes to understand how they interact with their protein targets and exert a biological effect. This approach is applied to a number of disease targets all with the aim of developing new treatments for chronic and severe pain.

    Minimum time commitment in hours per week: 10

    Qualifications of a Student:
    Minimum GPA: 3.5
    Prerequisite classes: Organic chemistry
    Preferred majors: chemistry, biochemistry, or related fields
    Prior experience not necessary but a passion for science and strong work ethic is!

    Brief Summary of what is expected from the student:
    Students will work alongside graduate students, postdocs, and other members of the lab to acquire the skills and techniques of modern organic and medicinal chemistry. This may include the: isolation of natural products, planning and execution of synthetic reactions, purification of complex mixtures, spectroscopic characterization of organic small molecules, and biological evaluation of compounds in biological assays. In addition to learning these valuable technical laboratory skills, undergraduate researchers will have the opportunity to build and hone scientific communication skills through participation in group meetings and publication preparations.

    Return to Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy list

    Return to Departments list