Fraser Hof

Fraser Hof is a Professor and Associate Vice-President Research in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Victoria. He holds a BSc from the University of Alberta and a PhD from The Scripps Research Institute, followed by postdoctoral fellowships at ETH Zurich. His research focuses on medicinal chemistry, molecular recognition, and supramolecular systems applied to epigenetic therapies and chemical biology. Key projects include designing host molecules to target epigenetic markers like methyllysines, developing diagnostic tools using supramolecular sensing, and exploring high-throughput methods for host synthesis.

His teaching spans organic, supramolecular, and biological chemistry, with active mentorship of undergraduate researchers through Chemistry 498/499 courses and the co-op program. Hof collaborates with biochemistry and cancer research groups to translate fundamental discoveries into clinical applications. His work bridges synthetic chemistry with biological systems, emphasizing the development of innovative chemical tools for biomedical challenges.

Research highlights include synthetic hosts that disrupt histone-epigenetic reader interactions, adaptive supramolecular networks for sensing, and antimicrobial peptide design using machine learning. Hof's lab integrates computational, synthetic, and analytical approaches, addressing 'undruggable' targets and societal health challenges.