James Cook

University Distinguished Professor, Organic Chemistry,
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Professor Cook’s expertise in heterocycle and medicinal chemistries will play a vital role in advancing Cambridge Major’s development of a wide range of compounds as Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients.

Professor Cook's group is working on the enantiospecific synthesis of natural products with biological activity and the construction of related heterocycles with enhanced activity. Research of this type has led him into the indole, bisindole, and isoquinoline alkaloid areas, as well as the chemistry of the important alkaloids quinine, quinidine and reserpine. His group is also currently involved in the study of ligand-receptor interactions at the molecular level, in particular at bezodiazepine/gaba(a) receptors, directed toward development of nonsedating anxiolytics.

Professor Cook arrived at UW-Milwaukee in September, 1973, after postdoctoral study at the University of British Columbia. He was chair of the chemistry department at UW-Milwaukee from 1996-1999 and appointed as University Distinguished Professor in 2002. He has over 300 publications in the areas of heterocyclic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, synthetic methods, drug design, pharmacology, and natural product total synthesis.