Dale Boger

Professor Dale Boger is a faculty member at The Scripps Research Institute in the Department of Chemistry. He previously held positions at the University of Kansas (1979–1985) and Purdue University (1985–1991). His career spans over four decades, focusing on synthetic organic chemistry and chemical biology.

• Education:
  • B.S. in Chemistry, University of Kansas (1975)
  • Ph.D. in Chemistry, Harvard University (1980)

Research Interests: Internationally recognized for pioneering work in organic synthesis, heterocyclic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, natural products total synthesis, and their biological evaluation. His research emphasizes developing synthetic methodologies (e.g., hetero Diels-Alder reactions, acyl radical additions, MHAT chemistry) to address clinically relevant compounds like vancomycin analogs and antitumor agents. Recent work includes redesigning antibiotics to combat resistance through multi-mechanistic approaches.

Publications & Impact: His recent studies (2017–2020) focus on vancomycin analogs with three synergistic mechanisms of action to overcome resistance, achieving unprecedented potency (MIC = 0.01–0.005 μg/mL) and low resistance propensity. Key journals include PNAS, JACS, and Accounts of Chemical Research.

• Scientific Awards:
  • National Academy of Sciences (2014)
  • Royal Society of Chemistry Fellow (2009)
  • NIH Merit Award (2018)
  • Tetrahedron Prize (2020)
  • Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Kansas (2023)

Grants & Collaborations: Funded by NIH Grant CA041101, he collaborates on biological data acquisition, NMR studies, and molecular modeling of drug-target interactions. His lab (The Boger Group) is affiliated with The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology.