Frank McDonald, PhD

Research Program

Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics
Phone Number

404-727-6102
Email Address

fmcdona@emory.edu

Biography

Frank McDonald, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Chemistry at Emory University. Dr. McDonald is a member of the Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University.

Education

Dr. McDonald earned his PhD from Stanford University and was an American Cancer Society postdoctoral fellow at Yale University.

Titles & Roles

Professor, Department of Chemistry

Emory University

Research

The McDonald research laboratory explores new and improved methods for preparing organic (carbon-containing) compounds, particularly bioactive compounds that may become new pharmaceutical agents or other biologically important materials.

Publications

Title/Journal	Authors	Publication Date
Long-Term Functional Rescue of Trauma-Induced Vision Loss by a Novel, Small Molecule TrkB Activator. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology	S Modgil, CL Walker, MA Chrenek, HE Grossniklaus, FE McDonald, PM Iuvone	02/23/2025
Nontraditional Synthesis of Disaccharides via Acyclic Vinylic Ether Intermediates: Catalytic C-O Cross-Coupling as the Enabling Link. The Journal of organic chemistry	T Kim, EJ Meindl, FE McDonald	12/20/2024
Stereospecific Cu(I)-Catalyzed C-O Cross-Coupling Synthesis of Acyclic 1,2-Di- and Trisubstituted Vinylic Ethers from Alcohols and Vinylic Halides. Organic letters	SL Pham, T Kim, FE McDonald	07/21/2023
A Tropomycin-Related Kinase B Receptor Activator for the Management of Ocular Blast-Induced Vision Loss. Journal of neurotrauma	S Dhakal, L He, P Lyuboslavsky, C Sidhu, MA Chrenek, JT Sellers, JH Boatright, EE Geisert, NA Setterholm, FE McDonald, PM Iuvone	10/15/2021
Sequential exo-mode oxacyclizations for the synthesis of the CD substructure of brevenal. The Journal of antibiotics	NA Setterholm, FE McDonald	06/01/2019
Alkynylation of Pentose Derivatives with Stereochemical Fidelity: Implications for the Regioselectivity of Alkynyl Diol Cycloisomerizations to Cyclic Enol Ethers. Organic letters	FE McDonald, D Ding, AJ Ephron, J Bacsa	05/03/2019
Stereoselective Synthesis of Pyrans from Epoxyalkenes: Dual Catalysis with Palladium and Brønsted Acid. The Journal of organic chemistry	NA Setterholm, FE McDonald	06/15/2018
Synthesis of the ABC Substructure of Brevenal by Sequential exo-Mode Oxacyclizations of Acyclic Polyene Precursors. Organic letters	JA Hurtak, FE McDonald	11/17/2017
Gram-scale, chemoselective synthesis of N-[2-(5-hydroxy-1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]-2-oxopiperidine-3-carboxamide (HIOC). Tetrahedron letters	NA Setterholm, FE McDonald, JH Boatright, PM Iuvone	06/03/2015
Blockade of glioma proliferation through allosteric inhibition of JAK2. Science signaling	K He, Q Qi, CB Chan, G Xiao, X Liu, C Tucker-Burden, L Wang, H Mao, X Lu, FE McDonald, H Luo, QW Fan, WA Weiss, SY Sun, DJ Brat, K Ye	07/09/2013
Biomimetic syntheses from squalene-like precursors: synthesis of ent-abudinol B and reassessment of the structure of muzitone. Journal of the American Chemical Society	MA Boone, R Tong, FE McDonald, S Lense, R Cao, KI Hardcastle	04/14/2010
Convergent synthesis of fostriecin via selective alkene couplings and regioselective asymmetric dihydroxylation. Organic letters	O Robles, FE McDonald	12/03/2009
Stereo- and regioselective synthesis of squalene tetraepoxide. The Journal of organic chemistry	R Tong, MA Boone, FE McDonald	11/06/2009
Brønsted acid-promoted glycosylations of disaccharide glycal substructures of the saccharomicins. Organic letters	BR Balthaser, FE McDonald	11/05/2009
Total synthesis of the sphingolipid biosynthesis inhibitor fumonisin B(1). Journal of the American Chemical Society	CL Pereira, YH Chen, FE McDonald	05/06/2009
1,5-Alpha-D-mannoseptanosides, ring-size isomers that are impervious to alpha-mannosidase-catalyzed hydrolysis. Organic letters	MA Boone, FE McDonald, J Lichter, S Lutz, R Cao, KI Hardcastle	02/19/2009
Modular synthesis of the C9-C27 degradation product of aflastatin A via alkyne-epoxide cross-couplings. Organic letters	O Robles, FE McDonald	05/01/2008
Mimicking biosynthesis: total synthesis of the triterpene natural product abudinol B from a squalene-like precursor. Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)	R Tong, FE McDonald	01/01/2008

Awards

Dr. McDonald has received the following awards and honors:

U.S. National Committee Young Observer, IUPAC General Assembly (2001, 2003)
Winship Distinguished Research Professor (2002)
Novartis Award in Support of Synthetic Organic Chemistry (1998)
Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar (1997)
Eli Lilly Grantee in Organic Chemistry (1995)
National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award (1995)
Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow (1995)
Camille and Henry Dreyfus New Faculty Award (1992)