Department of Medicinal Chemistry
Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery are crucial to the development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of various diseases. The Department of Medicinal Chemistry aims to achieve these goals through a robust research- and academic-based program leveraging synthetic chemistry, biochemistry, computational chemistry, molecular biology, and pharmacology. Currently consisting of three faculty, the Department focuses on the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel small molecules with applications in cancer, virology, and cystinuria. The Department of Medicinal Chemistry is located within the School of Pharmacy at Rutgers University and operates as a member of Rutgers Health. Within the Department is housed the Graduate Program in Medicinal Chemistry. The graduate program is an interdisciplinary program which draws upon faculty from multiple departments including Medicinal Chemistry, Chemistry, Plant Biology, Pharmacology, and Food Sciences and provides training for future scientists in drug discovery.
A Word from the Chair, Professor Longqin Hu:
“Our Department is committed to providing a thorough understanding of those factors that influence drug design to both pharmacy and non-pharmacy majors at Rutgers. The Graduate Program in Medicinal Chemistry is dedicated to developing skilled professionals capable of capitalizing on scientific advances as they emerge. The twenty-first century has begun with the mapping of the human genome. This opens unparalleled opportunities for the development of novel drugs with ever increasing selectivity and efficacy. Medicinal Chemistry stands out as a discipline exquisitely poised to take advantage of this major scientific advance.”
Department News
9/1/2025: Tom Lin joins faculty
The Department of Medicinal Chemistry is pleased to announce that Dr. Zongtao (Tom) Lin will be joining us as an Assistant Professor, effective September 1, 2025. Dr. Lin brings a strong background in medicinal chemistry and chemical proteomics. After earning his B.S. in Pharmacy from Zhengzhou University and an M.S. from Peking University, he completed his Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center. He then spent four years as a postdoctoral associate in chemical proteomics at the University of Pennsylvania before moving to Washington University in Saint Louis, where he most recently served as an instructor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics. Dr. Lin’s research program focuses on developing Arginylation Targeting Chimera (ArgTAC) technology as a novel anti-cancer therapy. His work aims to establish ArgTAC as a new Targeted Protein Degradation (TPD) technology for drug development, clarify the role of arginylation in cancer, and create a public database of cancer arginylome profiles. His research will ultimately deepen our understanding of the arginylation pathway, paving the way for new therapeutic targets against human cancers. More infromation on Dr. Lin’s research can be found at his website.
9/1/2025: Jun Wang wins Tetrahedron Young Investigator
Dr. Jun Wang has been awarded the 2026 Tetrahedron Young Investigator Award for Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, one of the most prestigious and influential awards in the global chemistry community. This award, which is granted annually to a young scientist who has demonstrated “extraordinary creativity and outstanding contributions” in the field, is hosted by the internationally renowned publisher Elsevier. The award has a long history and broad impact, and has been conferred upon several leading chemists, including Nobel Laureates David MacMillan and Carolyn R. Bertozzi. More information.
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