New Trends in Drugs: Licit and Illicit

Professor Gerald Buchanan
Emeritus Professor of Chemistry
Carleton University

Tuesday, 19 January 2010
6:30pm, dinner at 7:00pm
Al's Steak House, 327 Elgin Street (free parking in back, access from Lewis)

Abstract

A short survey of some new approaches to pharmaceutical drug design will be described.  These include isotope substitution of deuterium for hydrogen to produce "hydrogen heavy".  Some new approaches to cancer treatment based on mitochondrial DNA targets will be discussed.

Some licit drugs (including the potent painkiller Oxycontin) are being widely abused. Current trends in these and some other street drugs will be documented. New medications, such as Ambien, have recently been approved for treatment of sleeping disorders. These drugs have significant side effects and have been taken by many celebrities, including Tiger Woods.  Some of these side effects may be contributing factors in behavioural disorders.

About the speaker

Research Interests:
  Organic Chemistry; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and MRI. 148 publications to date.

PhD Western Ontario 1969
BSc Western Ontario 1965

Post-doc: UCLA

Faculty positions:
  University of Windsor 1970-71
  Carleton 1971-present

Rank:
  Chancellor's Professor (until retirement) in 2008
  Presently Emeritus Professor of Chemistry

Teaching Awards: Carleton University Teaching Achievement Award 2003

Teaching Interests: Now concentrated on Chemistry of Food , Health and Drugs : CHEM 1003 being offered on CUTV and as a live version with ~230 students.

About Al's Steak House

Note that there is a free parking lot behind the restaurant: Go east on Gilmour St, one block down Cartier and then out Lewis to the lot. You can use the back entrance for convenience.

Standard Menu, $35.00 (includes choice of meal and tea/coffee).   Drinks and desert extra.  Vegetarian or other meals can be ordered with a few days notice.

Please confirm by Friday January 15 that you will be coming so we can arrange for the meals and space.   As always, guests are welcome.