Dongwook Wi, MS

Dongwook is a Senior Medicinal Chemist with over five years of experience in modern organic synthesis and structure-based small molecule drug design. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, where he conducted two years of research in Dr. Wayland Noland’s laboratory. There, he focused on the synthesis of Diels-Alder adducts containing nitrogen-based heterocycles, targeting therapeutic applications for dementia. His early work involved fundamental medicinal chemistry techniques, including solid-liquid extraction and small-molecule activity screening.

He received his Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Southern California in 2021 and subsequently joined UCLA’s Drug Discovery Lab (DDL), where he currently holds a key role as a Senior Medicinal Chemist. In this capacity, Dongwook leads the design, synthesis, and optimization of brain-penetrant small molecule mimetics of the Humanin peptide for neurodegenerative diseases. He also plays a pivotal role in therapeutic programs addressing Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, focusing on skeletal muscle and pulmonary dysfunction. His responsibilities include structure-activity relationship (SAR)-driven lead optimization, development of scalable synthetic routes, and translational alignment with ADME and pharmacokinetic requirements.

Dongwook’s technical expertise encompasses advanced synthetic methodologies—including flash chromatography, flow chemistry, and liquid-liquid extraction—as well as analytical platforms such as NMR spectroscopy, Agilent 1290 HPLC, and Agilent 6460 Triple Quadrupole LC-MS/MS. His work bridges medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and bioanalytical chemistry, enabling the progression of novel chemical entities from early discovery through preclinical development.