Elliott Brickner, FCLC 2026

Major: Natural Science

Bio: I am a premed senior Natural Science major attending Fordham's Lincoln Center campus. I moved from California to attend college in New York City, where I have met some of my best friends and received an invaluable education. Last summer, I participated in a research assistantship under the guidance of my chemistry professor, Dr. Martin Di Grandi, thanks to the generosity of Dr. Mary G. Hamilton. I am applying to medical schools this cycle and plan to work in healthcare following graduation.

Title of Research: Toward the Total Synthesis of Pancratistatin

Mentor: Dr. Martin J. Di Grandi, Natural Science

Research Partners: Rudy Zarate and Cooper Razzi

Abstract: Pancratistatin is an anti-cancer natural product first isolated from the Hawaiian Spider Lily in 1984. The compound is thought to selectively induce apoptosis in cancer cells, making its synthesis an attractive research project in the field of medicinal chemistry. This project sought a novel synthetic route toward the D-ring of Pancratistatin, which contains six contiguous chiral centers. Various reactions were conducted to this end, involving common laboratory techniques such as Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging and thin layer chromatography to identify structures and track reaction progress, respectively. Two important advances were over the summer, namely the synthesis of the desired Diels Alder endo precursor and the successful protection of a vicinal diol by converting it into an acetonide. These successes opened the door toward the total synthesis of the natural product, a plan delineated as a retrosynthetic map. Future steps will follow this retrosynthetic approach with the aim of generating the highly functionalized precursor of Pancratistatin.