معرفی
Dr. Darren Derksen is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Calgary's Faculty of Science, and serves as Associate Head (Research) for the Department. He is a Full Member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, and an Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute Child Health & Wellness Researcher. His research focuses on synthetic organic chemistry applied to natural product-based drug discovery, particularly targeting cancer therapies, with an emphasis on brain-related malignancies. He earned his B.S. (2003) and Ph.D. (2008) in Organic Chemistry from the University of Alberta.
Research Interests: Dr. Derksen’s group develops novel therapeutics through synthetic organic chemistry, emphasizing environmentally sustainable methods. They investigate natural product analogs for cancer treatment, focusing on glioblastoma and pain management. Key themes include pannexin channel inhibitors, epigenetic modifiers (e.g., macroH2A2), and PROTAC-based protein degradation strategies. The lab integrates organic synthesis with biological evaluation to advance translational research.
Notable Contributions: His work bridges chemistry and medicine, with recent publications addressing chronic pain inhibitors, glioblastoma epigenetics, and protein degrader design. He received the 2020 GSA Excellence in Supervision Award from the University of Calgary Graduate Students’ Association, reflecting his mentorship of students. His research aligns with University strategic initiatives in brain health and cancer research.
Labs/Teams: The Derksen Research Group actively collaborates across disciplines, leveraging multidisciplinary approaches to address complex biomedical challenges. They maintain a dedicated website for group activities and publications.
