Department of Medicinal Chemistry Welcomes New Faculty Member, Adam Duerfeldt, PhD

Minneapolis, Minn.

Jan. 4, 2021

Associate professor Adam Duerfeldt, PhD, joined the College of Pharmacy’s Department of Medicinal Chemistry on Dec. 28, 2020. 

Duerfeldt's research is diverse and focused in three main areas 1) developing new antibacterials for highly infectious and drug resistant bacteria, 2) understanding the properties of molecules that dictate accumulation in bacteria, and 3) developing non-invasive treatments for retinal diseases. All three of these initiatives have been awarded funding by the NIH.

“As a medicinal chemistry team, we have the opportunity to contribute our expertise to diverse areas of need,” said Duerfeldt. “Retinal conditions and infectious diseases are becoming ever more prevalent and desperately need new therapeutic interventions. This need for new medicines is the ultimate motivator for our efforts.”

Duerfeldt was drawn to the University of Minnesota and the College of Pharmacy because of the opportunities his group will have to advance their research and its influence. 

“The opportunity for my group to be immersed in a top tier medicinal chemistry program paired with the phenomenal faculty and leadership, were key determinants to my decision to move to the U,” said Duerfeldt. “I’m elated to work alongside many of the scientists I’ve looked up to over the years. Access to state of the art instrumentation and elite expertise will not only accelerate our productivity but also elevate our impact. This is the place to be and we’re excited to contribute.”

Duerfeldt is a native of Iowa and completed his undergraduate degree in chemistry at Central College in Pella, Iowa. He received his PhD degree in medicinal chemistry from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. Duerfeldt was then awarded with an American Cancer Society postdoctoral fellowship to conduct research in the laboratory of Dale Boger at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. Among his many accomplishments and honors is receipt of the 2020 American Chemical Society’s MEDI Young Investigator Award. Prior to joining the College of Pharmacy, he served on the faculty at University of Oklahoma since 2014 and was named a Vice President of Research Distinguished Faculty Fellow from 2016 to 2019. He is the co-founder of Excitant Therapeutics.