Alexei Demchenko

Alexei Demchenko is a Curators' Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Missouri - St. Louis. He holds a M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Mendeleev University (1988) and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences (1993). After postdoctoral research at the University of Birmingham (UK) and the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center at the University of Georgia, he joined UMSL in 2001, becoming Curators' Professor in 2014. His research focuses on organic synthesis, carbohydrate chemistry, glycosylation, and synthetic vaccines.

Research interests include the design of antiviral and anticancer agents, spectroscopic techniques (FTIR & single-molecule detection), chromatography, and automation in carbohydrate synthesis. His work integrates medicinal chemistry with methodological advancements in glycoconjugate synthesis. Recent publications highlight innovations in glycosylation protocols, sialylation reactions, and automated carbohydrate synthesis platforms.

Demchenko’s expertise spans disciplines such as chemical engineering and organic chemistry. His lab specializes in developing novel synthetic strategies for glycans and glycopeptides, with applications in vaccine design and drug discovery. He maintains active collaborations and has authored over 240 research outputs, including articles in Carbohydrate Research, Journal of Organic Chemistry, and Chemistry - A European Journal.