Jennifer E. Golden

Jennifer, a 1996-2000 Self Fellow, completed her Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry in 2002. She received a BS (1996) in chemistry with university and departmental honors from Eastern Illinois University. Her preliminary research project at KU dealt with the construction and purification of synthetically challenging and interesting products. Jennifer then accepted a post-doctoral appointment at Stanford University and worked on the development of novel kinase inhibitors as potential cancer therapies. She later joined biotechnology giant, Amgen, in southern California and contributed to the small molecule drug development program in the areas of inflammation, hematology, and central nervous system disorders. In 2009 Jennifer returned to KU to serve as the Assistant Director of the KU Specialized Chemistry Center (KU SCC).

The role of such a Center is to facilitate high impact, world-class research with expert biological collaborators. This is done by providing medicinal chemistry expertise and research tools that will advance understanding of diverse biological targets and accelerate the development of new therapeutics. Since January 2009, the KU SCC has built a staff of about 30 people and supports a diverse portfolio of 29 projects in conjunction with the network of scientists funded by NIH.

Jennifer is currently a member of the Board of Governors of the Society of Self Fellows.

Mentor: Jeffrey Aubé, Professor, Medicinal Chemistry