James Kweon

Oh Sang (James) Kweon is a synthetic medicinal chemist working in the Drug Discovery Lab headed by Prof. Varghese John. Previously, he received his B.A. in chemistry at Columbia University, where he conducted research in the lab of Professor Laura J. Kaufman, exploring the role of membrane blebs in a hybrid mode of cancer cell invasion.

His doctoral work in Professor Jonathan A. Ellman’s lab at Yale University centered on the discovery and synthesis of N-heterocyclic drug-like compounds by leveraging novel rhodium-catalyzed C-H activation methods, with collaborative projects that have included the development of the first potent G-protein- biased agonists towards the 5-HT2A receptor utilizing virtual screening, as well as SAR work for a novel class of allosteric MKP5 inhibitors. 

James then transitioned into a postdoctoral scholar position at Yale with Professor Craig M. Crews, developing novel Phosphorylation Targeting Chimeras (PhosTACs) for oncology indications. In the Drug Discovery Lab at UCLA, he is currently working on synthesizing novel bifunctional molecules towards the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease.