Jennifer Albaneze-Walker initially studied to become a registered nurse, which she practiced in New York for eight years before returning to school to pursue her love of chemistry. Jennifer obtained her B.A. and Ph.D. degrees in chemistry from Rutgers University. Her post-graduate work at UCLA highlighted metal-templated benzannulations in the total synthesis of Calphostins; a family of compounds showing potent and specific protein kinase C inhibitory activity and possessing interesting atropisomerism. In 1997, Jennifer joined the Merck Process Research Department in Rahway NJ., where she was involved in many synthetic challenges, including the synthesis and scale up of several phosphodiesterase IV inhibitors as drug candidates for the treatment of asthma. In 2005, Jennifer left Merck & Co., and joined the Synthetic Chemistry Department of Schering-Plough Corp in Union NJ where she is currently a Principal Scientist. Perhaps because of her nursing background, Jennifer is acutely aware of the importance and necessity of pharmaceutical chemistry as a means to alleviate suffering, conquer diseases, and improve and extend the quality of human life.

Jennifer’s research interests include the design and development of practical catalytic organometallic methods for carbon-carbon bond formation. She is also interested in the application of supercritical fluid as both a reaction medium and in chromatographic purification. Jennifer is routinely engaged in the discovery and development of chemistry suitable for the large scale preparation of drug candidates and her chemistry is frequently executed on multi-kilogram scale, although she has a personal ambition to achieve ton scale!

Jennifer is an avid reader of science fiction, particularly of terraforming epics of Mars and Venus. She and her husband Matt spend their time at home with their children Nicholas and Danny who, at ages 7 and 1-½, keep them very busy!

From Discovery to Pilot: Concise Synthesis of Two Potent PDEIV
Inhibitors
Efficient process syntheses of two potent PDE IV inhibitors will be described. The first synthesis is highlighted by a mild and efficient copper-free Sonogashira coupling.  The second, by two practical and efficient catalytic reactions: a highly selective catalytic palladium mediated carbonylation of the pyridine side chain and an unprecedented palladium-catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura coupling of a chloropyridine-N-oxide.