Eric+Abbey

I am a graduate student working in the Liu Lab at the University of Oregon. My research focus is air-free organoboron chemistry, with the end goal being the creation of unnatural amino acids containing boron. These amino acids will have the same shape as the natural compounds they will mimic. If biological systems cannot tell the difference between the natural amino acids and their boron-containing mimics, they can potentially be used as imaging agents that can track the boron in living systems. Furthermore, they will be tested as anti-cancer drugs, with the boron essentially acting as a nuclear bomb that can destroy the tumor cells that uptake the boron-containing amino acid.

I grew up in the country outside of Junction City, OR, near Eugene. I spend much of my free time in the outdoors fishing, hiking, hunting and camping. I also enjoy listening to and playing music, cooking and gardening. I am pursuing a career as a teaching professor at a small college, similar to Whitman College, the undergraduate school I attended.