James K. Bashkin

James K. Bashkin is a Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL), affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. He received his B.A. from the University of California, Irvine, a D.Phil. from Oxford University, and completed postdoctoral research at Harvard University as an NIH fellow.

• Current research focuses on chemical genomics, antiviral/anticancer agent design, and Green Chemistry
• Collaborates with Dr. Chris Fisher (NanoVir LLC), Dr. Cynthia Dupureur (UMSL), and Dr. W. David Wilson (Georgia State University)
• Develops DNA-binding polyamides to target HPV16/18 and regulate gene expression
• Patents and publications address HPV-related cervical cancer prevention and RNA cleavage mechanisms

His work combines chemical synthesis, biochemical testing, and biophysical analysis to advance therapeutic and environmentally sustainable chemistry. Collaborative studies utilize DNase I footprinting, EDTA-polyamide cleavage, and capillary electrophoresis for DNA binding characterization.