Mark Janik

Dr. Mark Janik serves as Associate Professor at the State University of New York at Fredonia, where he teaches Organic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, and related courses. His academic foundation includes a Ph.D. in Organic/Medicinal Chemistry from Binghamton University (1998) and post-doctoral training at University at Stony Brook (1998-2000).

Educational background:

• Post-Doc., University at Stony Brook (1998-2000)
• Ph.D. Organic/Medicinal Chemistry, Binghamton University (1998)
• B.A., Chemistry, Hamilton College (1992)

Dr. Janik's research program centers on Medicinal Chemistry and Organic Synthesis for cancer drug discovery, specifically targeting tubulin-microtubule dynamics. His work combines synthetic chemistry with biochemical evaluation to develop novel anti-mitotic agents, focusing on natural product modification (curcumin, podophyllotoxin) and rational design of colchicine-site binders. Key methodologies include structure-activity relationship analysis and fluorescence-based binding studies to optimize compound efficacy.

Analysis of his 7 publications (2002-2011) reveals consistent progression in tubulin-targeted therapeutics: early work established synthetic routes for tropone derivatives (2005), while later studies characterized binding mechanisms of curcumin (2011) and dansyl-modified isocolchicine (2005). The research spans Organic Synthesis, Biophysical Chemistry, and Cancer Pharmacology, with emphasis on colchicine-site interactions and microtubule inhibition.

No specific scientific awards are documented in the available information.

Dr. Janik actively mentors undergraduate researchers in synthetic and biochemical projects, though student names aren't listed. His publication record suggests sustained research funding, likely from federal or institutional sources supporting cancer drug discovery. Current grant details aren't specified, but the 9-year publication span indicates consistent project support.

Based in the Science Center at SUNY Fredonia, his research group operates without a named laboratory but maintains focus on tubulin-targeted anti-cancer compound development. The team integrates organic synthesis with biological testing to advance structure-based drug design, contributing to the university's chemistry research profile through publications in high-impact medicinal chemistry journals.