of Victoria
BSc (UBC), PhD (UBC), PDF (McGill), NSERC PDF (Caltech), Investigator/Scientific Leader (GlaxoSmithKline)
Organic synthesis, catalysis, high-throughput experimentation, process chemistry, mechanism
The central goal of the Leitch group research program is to map chemical space: understanding the mechanistic complexities of entire reaction classes, predicting the performance of catalysts, and developing new methods to access truly novel chemical matter. We achieve this by a combination of state-of-the-art high-throughput experimentation and data analytics, physical organic chemistry, and synthesis using both batch and flow chemistry approaches. We seek not only to develop a deep fundamental understanding of organic reaction systems, but to apply this knowledge to practical problems at the forefront of drug discovery and development.
Teaching
Dave is enthusiastic about teaching all aspects of organic chemistry, including physical and mechanistic aspects, synthesis and catalysis, and applications in drug discovery and development.