Patrick Jokiel

Degrees

Professional Experience

• Assistant Professor, The College of Saint Rose, Department of Physical and Biological Sciences, August, 2016 – Present
• Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Bates College, August, 2012 –July, 2016.
• Adjunct Professor, Department of Chemistry, the College of New Jersey, June, 2010 – July, 2012.
• Senior Scientist 1, Celgene Corporation, April, 2009 – January, 2010.
• Research Investigator, Ligand, Inc., January, 2009 – April, 2009.
• Principal Scientist, Pharmacopeia, Inc., April, 2008 – December, 2008.
• Senior Scientist, Pharmacopeia, Inc., October, 2006 – April, 2008
• Research Scientist, Pharmacopeia, Inc., March, 2006 – October, 2006.
• Scientist, Pharmacopeia, Inc., May, 2003 – March, 2006.  .
• Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Pennsylvania, September, 2000 – May, 2003.

Teaching Interests

I teach first and second semester organic chemistry, lecture and laboratory, here at the College of Saint Rose. The lecture courses are designed from a mechanistic perspective. In the first semester (CHM201), we build a rigorous foundation in molecular structure. We also cover those spectroscopic methods (IR, NMR, mass spectrometry) used by organic chemists in the elucidation of molecular structure. The connection between molecular structure and reactivity is established through examination of the proton transfer reaction and other elementary steps common to a variety of multistep reaction mechanisms. In the second semester (CHM202), we examine multistep reactions by mechanism type and develop the ability to design reasonable chemical syntheses. The laboratory courses (CHM201-L and CHM202-L) teach the techniques used by practicing organic chemists in the laboratory and provide additional practice with material covered in the lecture sequence.

I also teach an upper level laboratory course in organic chemistry (Advanced Synthesis and Characterization, CHM306). In this course, students are assigned projects in chemical synthesis. In executing these projects, students learn advanced laboratory techniques that include the safe handling of air- and moisture-sensitive chemicals, the use of specialized laboratory glassware and the operation of instrumentation (NMR, IR, HPLC). Students learn how to manage a research project by planning their own experimental work for the semester. The semester concludes with a formal report and presentation.

In addition to the organic chemistry offerings, I teach a course in medicinal chemistry (CHM370).  Two semesters of organic chemistry constitute the prerequisite for this course. We begin with a study of the structure and function of common drug targets, including enzymes, nucleic acids and receptors. Building on this foundation, we examine the interaction of drugs with these targets  (pharmacodynamics) and how these interactions produce a biological response. The means by which drugs reach their targets and are metabolized and excreted from the body (pharmacokinetics) are then discussed. Armed with an understanding of how drugs reach and act at their targets, we discuss the techniques used by medicinal chemists in the design and discovery of new drugs (lead discovery and lead optimization). This process is highlighted through a series of case studies in drug discovery and development. Students choose a drug from the list of best-selling and most-prescribed pharmaceutical products, investigate the process by which it was discovered and present their findings to the class in an oral presentation at the end of the semester.

Research/Creative Works

My research students and I are interested in the synthesis of heterocyclic organic molecules via transition-metal catalyzed oxidative C-H amination. We have demonstrated the synthesis of diversely substituted benzimidazolone derivatives using palladium (II) acetate as catalyst and sodium percarbonate as oxidant. Ongoing student projects include kinetic and mechanistic studies of this reaction, the investigation of copper catalysis and the application of this methodology to sulfamide substrates. Two Saint Rose students have been awarded summer research grants to work on these projects. My research students have presented posters on their work at the undergraduate research symposium here at the College of Saint Rose, at the annual meeting of the Albany chapter of Sigma Xi  and at the annual undergraduate research symposium hosted by the Eastern New York Section of the American Chemical Society.