University of Richmond chemistry professor awarded National Institutes of Health grant and named a fellow of the Council on Undergraduate Research
March 12, 2008
University of Richmond chemistry professor John Gupton has been awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health-National Cancer Institute and named a fellow of the Council on Undergraduate Research.
The $202,555 NIH grant will support Gupton's research for three years, including the cost of equipment, resources and four undergraduate student researchers each year. Gupton and his team are researching the synthesis of biologically natural products which display properties that appear to fight tumors. NIH has funded the research since 1992.
The Council on Undergraduate Research distinction recognizes Gupton's success with including undergraduate students in his research. CUR's mission is to encourage student-faculty research, and the biennial fellowships are awarded to only two professors in the country, each receiving $1,000. The awards will be presented at the organization's national conference later this year.
Specializing in organic and medicinal chemistry, Gupton has received almost $3 million in grant support for research projects, including five grants from NIH. During his 25-year career, he has received more than a dozen awards for research and teaching and written more than 90 articles.
"We are building molecules with new chemistry, which could someday lead to a drug for the treatment of cancer or other diseases," he says.
Gupton joined the university's chemistry faculty in 1999. He previously was professor and chair of the chemistry department at University of North Carolina, Asheville and professor of chemistry at University of Central Florida. He received a bachelor's in chemistry from Virginia Military Institute, and master's and doctoral degrees in chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology.