David MacMillan

David MacMillan is the A. Barton Hepburn Professor of Organic Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry at Princeton University.

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Biography

Professor MacMillan was born in Bellshill, Scotland in 1968. He received his undergraduate degree in chemistry at the University of Glasgow, where he worked with Dr. Ernie Colvin. In 1990, he left the UK to begin his doctoral studies under the direction of Professor Larry Overman at the University of California, Irvine. During this time, he focused on the development of new reaction methodology directed toward the stereocontrolled formation of bicyclic tetrahydrofurans. Dave's graduate studies culminated in the total synthesis of 7-(-)-deacetoxyalcyonin acetate, a eunicellin deterpenoid isolated from soft coral Eunicella Stricta.

David moved to a postdoctoral position with Professor David Evans at Harvard University in 1996, where his studies centered on enantioselective catalysis, in particular, the design and development of Sn(II)-derived bisoxazoline complexes (Sn(II)box). These Sn(II)box complexes have found extensive utility in a broad range of asymmetric transformations including the first enantioselective catalytic anti-aldol process.

David began his independent research career as a member of the chemistry faculty at the University of California, Berkeley in July of 1998. He joined the department of chemistry at Caltech in June of 2000, where his group's research interests centered around new approaches to design, enantioselective catalysis and natural product synthesis. In 2004, he was appointed as the Earle C. Anthony Professor of Chemistry. Most recently, he accepted a position at Princeton University and joined the faculty in September 2006 as the A. Barton Hepburn Professor of Organic Chemistry.

Notable contributions

Professor MacMillan's Research Group has made significant developments in the field of asymmetric, organocatalysis in addition to focusing on the quick and efficient development of complex molecular structures.