The majority of the research personnel in my group are currently engaged in three general fields of interest:  the development of new synthetic methods, the total synthesis of biologically active natural products, and medicinal chemistry. We are pursuing the total synthesis of several promising antitumor agents, e.g., tedanolide and 13-deoxytedanolide, dichlorolissoclimide, haterumaimide E, the auripyrones, the cucurbitacins, and laurenediterpenol. The use of epoxide rearrangements in synthesis, e.g., the non-aldol aldol process, and others, is under investigation as well, especially for the synthesis of new antibiotics of the erythromycin class. We are also studying the use of various reactions (e.g., Diels-Alder reactions and [3,3] rearrangements) for the synthesis of biologically active molecules, e. g., the immunosuppressive agent brasilicardin A; the antibiotic fusidic acid,; the acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, the arisugacins and territrems; the antibacterial agent mycosporulone; and multiple drug resistance reversing agents such as welwitindolinone C. In particular, we are developing the mixed Lewis acid system, 5-10:1 AlBr₃:AlMe₃, in a variety of reactions, e.g., cycloadditions, nucleophilic additions, etc. We are developing new processes for the efficient synthesis of polyhydroxylated steroids, e.g., the cardioactive agent ouabain and the anticancer agent rhodexin A. We have several collaborative programs in medicinal chemistry, e.g., to prepare and test a novel small molecule androgen receptor antagonist which is very active at inhibiting the growth of hormone refractory prostate cancer; the preparation of various naturally occurring oxidation products of arachidonic acids, the epoxy isoprostanes such as PEIPC (which are involved in the onset of atherosclerosis); to develop a new method of delivering antibacterial agents to resistant bacterial strains; to prepare and test new selective binders for the estrogen receptor as potential anti-breast cancer agents; to prepare and test small molecules which differentiate stem cells into osteoblasts; the design and preparation of small; molecule inhibitors of the growth of several viruses, e.g., Nipah virus; design and preparation of small molecule inhibitors of mycolyl transferase as anti-TB agents; and to prepare molecules that bind to the Sortase-A binding pocket to determine the structure of this important medicinal target. We are also investigating the development of new reaction  for synthesis, e.g., the non-aldol aldol process, the bridged Robinson annulation, and the mixed Lewis acid Diels-Alder process.