Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008
B.S. Chem., Creighton University, Summa Cum Laude, 2003
Currently Accepting Students
We are synthetic organic chemists with three predominant interests: (1) Developing innovative synthetic organic reactions for accessing therapeutically relevant drug-like compounds; (2) Exploring physicochemical and biophysical perturbations imparted by fluorinated functional groups and applying these groups towards drug design; (3) Providing medicinal chemistry support for pharmacological collaborators. In the final area, we actively collaborate with pharmacological and biochemistry experts to develop agents for treating pain, mood and anxiety disorders, aging, and inflammation.
Altmaniacs Group Website
Jessica Dianne (Jess) Bay (Graduate Student)
Pankaj Bhattarai (Graduate Student)
Ryan M. Herrick (Graduate Student)
Andrew John Intelli (Graduate Student)
Mohammed Abd El-gab Khalifa (Post-Doctoral Research Associate)
Abdulrahman Arafat Mohammed Moursy (Graduate Student)
Omos Festus Obakpolor Sr. (Visiting Scholar)
Maxwell Dominic (Max) Perrino (PULSe Graduate Student)
Brent Alan Roach (Graduate Student)
Emily Jean Struck (PULSe Graduate Student)
Trevor Allan Trombley (Graduate Student)
Coriantumr (Cori) Wayment (PULSe Graduate Student)
Austin Yunxuan Zhao (Graduate Student)
Grant Review Panels
NIH, Full Member: CSB, 2023 – 2026
NIH, Full Member: SBCA, 2021 – 2022
NIH, Ad Hoc: SBCB, MIRA R35 Panel, SBCA, 05 ZRG1 MDCN-R (86) A – Neuroscience AREA Grant Applications
DoD CDMRP ID-2 Peer Review Panel – Infectious Disease
DoD CDMRP PRE-AMR Peer Review Panel – Antimicrobial Resistance
Journal Editorial Work
ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters, Early Career Board, 2019 – Present
Green Synthesis and Catalysis, Editorial Board, 2021 – Present
In-House Training/Workshops
Chemistry of Fluorine: A Survey for the Synthetic Medicinal Chemist”, 1-Day Workshop, Taught at 3 Sites Worldwide, 2018
MCMP 205 – Organic Chemistry II
PHRM 844 – Renal Function and Diuretics, Lipids and Antihyperlipidemics, Hypertension
MCMP 570 – Drug Distribution, Metabolism, Pharmacokinetics
CHEM 255 – Organic Chemistry I
Purdue Seed for Success Acorn Award, 2023
Rho Chi Excellence in Teaching Award, 2018
ChemComm Emerging Investigator, 2017
Thieme Chemistry Journal Award, 2015
NSF CAREER Award, 2015
NIDA Early Career Award in Chemistry of Drug Abuse and Addiction, 2015
Herman Frasch Foundation for Chemical Research, 2012
Safety Champion, 2009, from Chancellor of UCI to an individual, who influences health and safety practices and helps create a culture of safety
NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein NSRA Postdoctoral Fellow, 2008 – 2011
NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein NSRA Predoctoral Fellow, 2007 – 2008
Pfizer DOC Predoctoral Fellow, 2006 – 2007
MIT Institute Fellow, 2003 – 2004
Current
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R35 GM124661)
National Cancer Institute (R21 CA270879)
National Institute on Aging (R21 AG078775)
Former
National Science Foundation (CHE-1455163)
National Institute on Drug Abuse (R33 DA036730)
National Institute on Drug Abuse (R21 DA036730)
NIGMS COBRE Protein Structure and Function (P30 GM110761)
Herman Frasch Foundation for Chemical Research (701-HF12)
American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund (52073-DNI1)
Complete List of Publications on Google Scholar
Synthetic Methodology
Herrick, R. M.; Abd El-Gaber, M. K.; Rodriguez, L. G. C.; Altman, R. A.* “A Diselenide Additive Enables a Photocatalytic Hydroalkoxylation of gem-Difluoroalkenes” Chem. Commun. 2023, 59, 5623–5626.
Koley, S.; Cayton, K. T; González-Montiel, G. A.; Yadav, M. R.; Orsi, D. L.; Intelli, A. J; Cheong, P. H.-Y.;* Altman, R. A.* “Cu(II)-Catalyzed Oxidation of gem-Difluoroalkenes Generate a,a-Difluorinated-a-Phenoxyketones” J. Org. Chem. 2022, 87, 10710–10725.
Yuan, K.; Feoktistova, T.; Cheong, P. H.-Y.; Altman, R. A.* “Arylation of gem-Difluoroalkenes Using a Pd/Cu Co-Catalytic System that Avoids β-Fluoride Elimination” Chem. Sci. 2021, 12, 1363–1367.
de Azambuja, F.; Yang, M.-H.; Feoktistova, T.; Selvaraju, M.; Brueckner, A. C.; Grove, M. A.; Koley, S.; Cheong, P. H.-Y.;* Altman, R. A.* “Connecting Remote C–H Bond Functionalization and Decarboxylative Coupling Using Simple Amines” Nature Chem. 2020, 12, 489–496.
Sorrentino, J. S.; Ambler, B. R.; Altman, R. A.* “Late-Stage Conversion of a Metabolically Labile Aryl Methyl Ether-Containing Natural Product to Fluoroalkyl Analogues” J. Org. Chem. 2020, 85, 5416–5427.
CNS Drug Discovery
Sorrentino, J.; Altman, R. A.* “Fluoroalkylation of Dextromethorphan Improves CNS Exposure and Metabolic Stability” ACS Med. Chem. Lett. 2022, 13, 707–713.
Sharma K. S.; Cassell, R. J.; Meqbil, Y. J.; Su, H.; Blaine, A. T.; Cummins, B. R.; Mores, K. L.; Johnson, D.; van Rijn, R. M.;* Altman, R. A.* “Modulating β-Arrestin-2 Recruitment at the δ- and µ-Opioid Receptors” RSC Med. Chem. 2021, 12, 1958–1967.
Altman, R. A.;* Sharma, K. K.; Rajewski, L. G.; Toren, P. C.; Baltezor, M. J.; Pal, M.; Karad, S. N. “Tyr1-Ψ-(Z)CF=CH]-Gly2 Fluorinated Peptidomimetic Improves Distribution and Metabolism Properties of Leu-Enkephalin” ACS Chem. Neurosci. 2018, 9, 1735–1742.
Kynurenine Pathway
Yang, Y.; Borel, T.; de Azambuja, F.; Johnson, D.; Sorrentino, J. P.; Udokwu, C.; Davis, I.; Liu, A.;* Altman, R. A.* “Diflunisal Derivatives as Modulators of ACMS Decarboxylase Targeting the Tryptophan-Kynurenine Pathway” J. Med. Chem. 2021, 64, 797–811.
Shin, I.; Ambler, B. R.; Wherritt, D.; Griffith, W.; Maldonado, A.; Altman, R. A.; Liu, A.* “Stepwise O-Atom Transfer in Heme-based Tryptophan Dioxygenase: The Role of Substrate Ammonium in the Epoxide Ring Opening” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 4372–4379.