Department of Chemistry

Research in the Hong group focuses on using chemical tools to understand the signaling pathways underlying cell and developmental biology.

1. Synthesis of Natural Products and Study of Mode of Action: We synthesize biologically interesting natural products and explore the modes of action in order to investigate intracellular signaling pathways and identify novel targets for drug design.

2. Development of Novel Synthetic Methodology: We design and develop unique and efficient synthetic strategies which will allow rapid access to molecular complexity and structural diversity.

3. Screen of Small Molecule Libraries for Identification of Small Molecule Modulators of Biological Processes

Through multidisciplinary approaches, the cellular components and molecular events that embody cancer, immune response, and neurodegenerative diseases are systematically explored. Compounds employed in these studies could also advance the development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of human diseases.