Kevin Burgess

Kevin Burgess is the Rachal Professor of Chemistry at Texas A&M University, leading the Burgess Research Laboratory. His work focuses on designing small molecules to target protein-protein interactions and cancer cell receptors, with a strong emphasis on metastatic cancer and neurotrophic signaling. He holds the Rachal Chair since 2005 and has received prestigious awards such as the Humboldt Research Award (2016) and the Royal Society of Chemistry Fellow distinction (2013).

Education: PhD from the University of Cambridge, UK, followed by postdoctoral research at the University of Wisconsin. His research integrates computational methods (e.g., Exploring Key Orientations) with synthetic chemistry to develop probes for biomedical applications, including photodynamic therapy and targeted drug delivery.

Key research areas include Trk receptor agonists for dry-eye disease, PROTAC-mediated CDK degradation for cancer therapy, and near-infrared dyes for deep-tissue imaging. His lab collaborates on in vivo studies and employs advanced techniques like massively parallel molecular dynamics and machine learning for protein-binding prediction.

• Awards: Over 10 major honors, including NIH and Sloan Fellowships.
• Advising: Mentored students like Dr. Anyanee Kamkaew (Women In Science Award recipient). Open to motivated PhD candidates and postdocs with synthetic or computational expertise.
• Labs/Teams: Burgess Group focuses on organic synthesis, biophysical assays, and interdisciplinary collaborations.