Songnian Lin

Senior Research Chemist
Medicinal Chemistry
Merck & Co, Inc.
Rahway, New Jersey

B.S. University of Science & Technology of China Hefei, China
Ph.D. at Stony Brook 2000
Advisor: Professor Iwao Ojima

Sigma Xi Award for Excellence in Research 1999

What have you been doing since you left Stony Brook?
I joined Prof. Samuel J. Danishefsky's research group at Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research (SKI), New York, New York, where I was a US Army Post Doctoral Research Fellow (2000-2002). While at SKI, I accomplished the first total synthesis of proteasome inhibitors TMC-95A &B (Angew Chem. Int. Ed. 2002, 41, 512-515), and the first total synthesis of diterpene Guanacastepene A (Angew Chem. Int. Ed. 2002, 41, 2188-2191). .

What are some the things you remember about your experience as a member of the Stony Brook Chemistry Department?
Knowledgeable & friendly faculty, spacious research labs, Departmental colloquium and seminar series, the annual departmental picnic, Lauher's Halloween Party, the grand graduation ceremony, etc..

How did your years at Stony Brook help to prepare you for your present position?
Very well, includes scientific knowledge, lab technique, oral presentation and scientific writing skill, inter-personal management. I own all these to the Chemistry Department and my Ph.D. advisor Prof. Ojima.

What advice would you give to a student going to graduate school today?
Do not miss Stony Brook.

July 2002