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Dr. SEAN M. KERWIN

Dr. Kerwin earned his B.S. in Chemistry (with high honors) from the University of Notre Dame and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. He completed postdoctoral research at UC San Francisco before joining The University of Texas at Austin, where he served as a faculty member from 1991 to 2015. He later joined Texas State University, becoming a Professor in 2017 and a Regents’ and University Distinguished Professor in 2024.

The Kerwin group is a synthetic medicinal chemistry group interested in drug design and discovery. We work at the interface of organic, medicinal, and biochemistry. 

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EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS

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  • Ph.D. in Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley B.S. in Chemistry (with high honors), University of Notre Dame

 

 

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

 

Synthetic applications of N-alkynyl heterocycles in the total synthesis of natural products and natural product-inspired libraries. Drug discovery targeting cancer and infectious diseases.  Novel approaches to targeting kinases. Mechanistic and synthetic studies of drugs affecting nucleic acid-associated enzymes and receptors, especially those targeting G-quadruplex DNA and other non-canonical nucleic acid structures.  Design of novel diradical- and carbene-generating reactions as synthetic tools and for use in covalent targeted drug design.  Novel reconfigurable soft materials based on extended chromophores.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

 

 

  • Regents’ Professor, Texas State University, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, 2024 - present

  • University Distinguished Professor, Texas State University, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, 2024 -present

  • Professor, Texas State University, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, 2017 - 2024

  • Associate Professor, Texas State University, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, 2015 - 2017

  • Associate Professor, The University of Texas at Austin, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, 1997 - 2015

  • Assistant Professor, The University of Texas at Austin, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, 1991 – 1997.

  • Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of California, San Francisco,  1989 - 1991

LEADERSHIP POSITION

 

 

  • Interim Director, Integrated Molecular and Biophysical Chemistry Program (2024-present)

  • Director, Materials Science, Engineering, and Commercialization Program (2022-present)

  • Interim Director, Materials Science, Engineering, and Commercialization Program (2021-2022)

  • Chair, Department Safety Committee (2019-present)

  • Chair, Ad Hoc Committee on PhD Programs (2019-2021)

  • Vice-Chair, University of Texas Press Advisory Committee (2013-2015)

  • Co-Chair, Facilities Self-Study Committee, UT Austin College of Pharmacy (2009-2010)

  • Chair, College of Pharmacy PharmD/PhD and Honors Programs (1996-2015)

  • Chair, Cell and Molecular Biology graduate program in Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery (2007-2015)

  • Chair, College of Pharmacy Academic Performance Committee (2009-2015)

  • Founder and Director, Pharmacy Student Research Training Program (2003-2015)

  • Chair, Students and Student Affairs Self-Study Task Force, UT Austin College of Pharmacy (2002-2004)

  • Chair, College of Pharmacy Safety Committee (1998-2000)

 

 

PROFESSIONAL HONORS, AWARDS, AND POSITIONS:

 

  • Presidential Distinction Award for Service (2024)

  • College of Science and Engineering Excellence in Teaching Award (2020 and 2021)

  • Alpha Chi Favorite Professor Award (2019)

  • Listed in Top 2% Scientist Worldwide by Stanford University composite index score for career publications (2017-2023)

  • American Association for Cancer Research, Chemistry in Cancer Research (CICR) Steering Committee member (2015-2017)

  • Editor-in-Chief, Natural Products Chemistry & Research (2012- present)

  • Editor-in-Chief, Reports in Organic Chemistry (2011-2017)

  • Member, Co-Op Hamilton Book Award Committee, UT Austin (2012)

  • Member, Graduate School Continuing Fellowship Award Committee, UT Austin (2012)

  • Member, University Independent Inquiry Flag Committee, UT Austin (2009-2012)

  • Member, Center for Research on Environmental Disease, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Science Park (2004-present)

  • Co-Editor-in-Chief, Current Medicinal Chemistry- Anti-Cancer Agents (2002-2014)

  • Welch Foundation Norman Hackerman Award Nominee (2002)

  • Advisory Committee Member, Curriculum Supplements, Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (2001-2002)

  • Editorial Advisory Board Member, Current Medicinal Chemistry - Anti-Cancer Agents

  •                (2000-2002)

  • Editorial Advisory Board Member, Drug Design Reviews-Online (2003-present)

  • Assistant Editor, Bioorganic Chemistry (1998-2015)

  • G. D. Searle Fellow (1998-2015)

  • Dean's Fellow, College of Pharmacy (1997-1998)

  • Regents Fellowship, Univ. of California, Berkeley (1984-1986)

  • Biochemistry Award, Univ. of Notre Dame (1984)

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