Chemical synthesis and data science are increasingly intersecting with some of the most urgent challenges in environmental health and One Health. Molecules and the methods we use to create them are naturally represented as networks, allowing us not only to streamline drug and natural product discovery, but also to address broader ecological and public health problems.

In this seminar, I’ll share our latest work on automated synthesis and the development of new amine-acid cross-coupling reactions, as well as how computer-assisted chemistry is illuminating pathways to medicines and natural products with applications ranging from human health to wildlife conservation. We are exploring combinatorially rich reaction space, where synthetic routes, reaction conditions, and bioactivity are deeply interconnected. Our interests span from pharmaceutical innovation to contemporary ecosystem health crises affecting endangered species and disease resistance.

This approach, which we call conservation chemistry, integrates molecular sciences with ecological and public health perspectives. I will present examples from our lab, including collaborative projects aimed at creating sustainable interventions for threatened ecosystems and species, illustrating how molecular innovation can benefit researchers and students across the natural and health sciences.