Publications
• B.S. 1953, Wayne University
• Ph.D. 1958, Wayne State University
Research Interests
Natural products, antibiotics, antivirals, antimutagenics/ chemopreventive agents, antitumor agents.
The Mitscher group has a long-term interest in the identification through directed screening of pharmacologically
active natural products, determination of their structural formulae, evaluation of their therapeutic potential and
synthesis (partial and total) of analogues in attempts to improve their therapeutic potential. In the quinolone
antibacterial field, his group is exploring the molecular mode of action and resistance mechanisms through synthesis
and evaluation against purified enzyme (DNA gyrase) of this important class of drugs.
Professor Mitscher has received the Smissman Award and Medicinal Chemistry Award (ACS), Research Achievement Award
(APhA), Volweiler Award (AACP), the Higuchi-Simons Award (KU), and is an elected Fellow of the American Association for
the Advancement of Science. He served as chair of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry from 1975-1993, and has held posts
in numerous professional organizations. He consults for several major pharmaceutical firms, and is on the editorial advisory
boards of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Heterocycles, the Journal of Antibiotics, Biorganic and Medicinal Chemistry,
Biorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, and the Saudi Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
For More Information, Please Contact:
Dr. Lester A. Mitscher
Department of Medicinal Chemistry
4070 Malott Hall
Tel: 785-864-4495
FAX: 785-864-5326
Email: lmitscher@ku.edu
