Research in the Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy spans activities in contemporary chemical biology and drug discovery and blends the principles and experimental techniques of chemistry and biology with computational science. While maintaining a traditional emphasis on the drug candidate, we integrate contemporary biological methods to merge small molecule and target biomolecule research. This approach allows for elucidation of disease pathways and mechanisms of drug action. Our program encompasses nearly all aspects of drug discovery, including bioactive natural products, organic chemistry, computational drug design, assay development, high throughput screening of chemical libraries, and studies in living cells.

The division works closely with biotech and pharmaceutical companies in North Carolina’s Research Triangle and is a campus-wide leader in new scientific inventions. Discoveries made by CBMC investigators have led to three FDA-approved drugs, two spin-off companies, and several compounds in advanced phases of clinical trials for cancer and infectious diseases.