Christian Melander

Christian Melander is the George & Winifred Clark Professor at the University of Notre Dame's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. His research addresses antibiotic therapy failures through synthetic chemistry approaches targeting bacterial biofilms and multi-drug resistant pathogens. Previously, he held professorships at North Carolina State University and conducted postdoctoral research at Scripps Research Institute and Caltech.

Education

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Columbia University (1998)
• M.Phil. in Chemistry, Columbia University (1998)
• M.A. in Chemistry, Columbia University (1995)
• B.S. in Chemistry, University of California - Davis (1994)

Research Focus

The Melander Lab develops novel therapeutic strategies against persistent bacterial infections. Primary investigations include: 1) Designing marine natural product-inspired compounds (e.g., 2-aminoimidazole derivatives) to disrupt biofilms in chronic infections like cystic fibrosis and diabetic ulcers; and 2) Creating narrow-spectrum antibiotics and antibiotic adjuvants to combat multi-drug resistant pathogens through resistance mechanism targeting and nanoparticle delivery systems.

Publication Trends

Recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate a strong focus on overcoming antibiotic resistance through two primary strategies: adjuvant development to restore efficacy of existing antibiotics (e.g., colistin, β-lactams) against resistant strains, and novel compound synthesis targeting bacterial resistance mechanisms. Work frequently involves mouse infection models, structure-activity relationship studies, and multidisciplinary approaches combining synthetic chemistry with microbiology.

Awards

• North Carolina State University Faculty Scholar (2014-2018)
• NCSU Entrepreneur of the Year (2012)
• ACS Southeastern Region Industrial Innovator of the Year (2012)
• Sigma Xi Faculty Research Award (2009)

Laboratory

Leads an active research group specializing in synthetic organic chemistry, microbiology, and translational drug discovery. The lab focuses on preclinical development of anti-infectives with collaborations spanning biochemistry, in vivo testing, and mechanistic studies.