Our research interests include the total synthesis of natural products, development of new synthetic methodology, heterocyclic chemistry, bioorganic and medicinal chemistry, the study of DNA-agent interactions, and the chemistry of antitumor antibiotics. We place special emphasis on investigations to define the structure-function relationships of natural or designed agents.

Our ongoing investigations emphasize the development and application of hetero Diels-Alder reactions, the thermal reactions of cyclopropenone ketals, inter- and intramolecular acyl radical-alkene addition reactions, medium and large ring cyclization procedures, and combinatorial chemistry. In each instance, the methodology development represents the investigation of chemistry projected as a key step in the total synthesis of a natural or nonnatural product.