The overarching goal of our research is to use small organic compounds to identify novel cellular targets that can be exploited in the treatment of diseases including cancer, neurodegeneration, and drug-resistant bacteria. The compounds used to validate these novel drug targets are identified through a variety of approaches, including natural product synthesis, combinatorial chemistry, structure-based design, and high-throughput screening. In the process, novel methods for the synthesis of various chemical building blocks and for biological assays often need to be developed. In addition, we work closely with the local medical community and perform tests directly on patient samples.