Associate Professor, Chair
Organic Chemistry

Chemistry & Biochemistry

Link to Amy Dounay's CV

BIOGRAPHY AND RESEARCH INTERESTS

Amy Dounay '96 returned to Colorado College as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in 2012. She obtained her Ph.D. in organic chemistry at the University of Minnesota, where she researched the synthesis of marine natural products. She then completed a National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship in organic chemistry at the University of California, Irvine. Her postdoctoral research focused on applications of the intramolecular asymmetric Heck reaction toward the synthesis of alkaloid natural products. From 2004-2012, she worked at Pfizer in the Neurosciences Medicinal Chemistry division, where she was a laboratory head and chemistry team leader on numerous drug discovery projects for psychiatry and neurodegeneration. Her current research at Colorado College is focused on the discovery of new medicines to treat African sleeping sickness. She is also developing new pedagogical approaches for organic chemistry education, including involving students in introductory courses in research toward new antibiotics. Her research program at Colorado College has been funded by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement Cottrell College Science Award, the Boettcher Foundation Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Award, and a National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation grant.

COURSES

CH 204: Foundational Concepts in Organic Chemistry

CH 250: Structures of Organic Molecules

CH 251: Reactions of Organic Molecules

CH 351: Synthesis of Organic Molecules

CH 400: Advanced Topics in Chemistry: Medicinal Chemistry

CH 201/301/401: Investigations in Chemistry (mentored research)

CH 490: Senior Seminar

SELECTED RECENT PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

Publications (^ǂUndergraduate co-authors)

Dounay, A. B.; O'Donnell, M. J.; Samaritoni, J. G.; Popiolek, L.; Schirch, D.; Biernasiuk, A.; Malm, A.; Lamb, I. W.; Mudrack, K.; Rivera, D. G.; Ojeda, G. M.; Scott, W. L. "Globally Distributed Drug Discovery of New Antibiotics: Design and Combinatorial Synthesis of Amino Acid Derivatives in the Organic Chemistry Laboratory." J. Chem. Educ. 2019, 96 (8), 1731-1737.

Scott, W.L.; Samaritoni, J.G.; O'Donnell, M. J.; Dounay, A. B.; Fuller, A.A.; Dave, P.S. ^ǂ; Sanchez, J.M. ^ǂ; Tiano, D.G. ^ǂ; Rivera, D.G. "Ernest Eliel Workshop - US and Cuba Collaboration in Chemistry Education and Neglected Disease Drug Discovery" in Stereochemistry and Global Connectivity: The Legacy of Ernest Eliel, Schmid, D. G.; Maryanoff, C.; Miller, B.; Cheng, H. N., Eds. ACS Publications, 2017.

Pham, T.; ^ǂ Walden, M.; ^ǂ Butler, C.; Diaz-Gonzalez, R.; Pérez-Moreno, G.; Ceballos-Pérez, G.; Gomez-Pérez, V.; García-Hernández, R.; Zecca, H.; ^ǂ Krakoff, E.; ^ǂ Kopec, B.; ^ǂ Ichire, O.; Mackenzie, C.; ^ǂ Pitot, M.; ^ǂ Ruiz, L.M.; Gamarro, F.; González-Pacanowska, D.; Navarro, M.; Dounay, A. B. "Novel 1,2-dihydroquinazolin-2ones: Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation against Trypanosoma brucei," Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2017, 27, 3629-3635.

Dounay, A. B.; Driscoll, L. L.; Blessing, P. M.;^ǂ Comfort, H. M.;^ǂ Mares, J. M.^ǂ "Agony and Ecstasy: Party Drug or Breakthrough Treatment for PTSD," National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, [Online] 2017, http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/files/mdma.pdf.

Ichire, O.; Jans, P.;^ǂ Parfenov, G.;^ǂ Dounay, A. B. "A Safe and Selective Method for Reduction of 2-Nitrophenylacetic Acid Systems to N-Aryl Hydroxamic Acids Using Continuous Flow Hydrogenation," Tetrahedron Lett. 2017, 58, 582-585.

Dounay, A. B.; Tuttle, J. B.; Verhoest, P. R. "Challenges and Opportunities in the Discovery of New Therapeutics Targeting the Kynurenine Pathway" J. Med. Chem. 2015, 58, 8762-8782.

Dounay, A. B. "Telaprevir (Incivek) and Boceprevir (Victrelis): NS3/4A Inhibitors for Treatment for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)." in Innovative Drug Synthesis, Li, J. J.; Johnson, D. S., Eds.: Wiley, New York, 2015.

Dounay, A. B.; Anderson, M.; Bechle, B. M.; Evrard, E.; Gan, X.; Kim, J.-Y.; McAllister, L. A.; Pandit, J.; Rong, S.; Salafia, M. A.; Tuttle, J. B.; Zawadzke, L. E.; Verhoest, P. R. "PF-​04859989 as a template for structure-​based drug design: Identification of new pyrazole series of irreversible KAT II inhibitors with improved lipophilic efficiency" Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2013, 23, 1961.

Dounay, A. B.; Curran, T. "Imidazoles and Benzimidazoles." In Heterocyclic Chemistry in Drug Discovery, Li, J. J., Ed.; Wiley, New York, 2013.

Dounay, A. B.; Bechle, B. M.; Campbell, B. M.; Claffey, M. M.; Gan, X.; Hayward, M. M.; Kim, J. -Y.; Rong, S.; Salafia, M.; Tuttle, J. B.; Verhoest, P. R. "Discovery of brain-penetrant, irreversible kynurenine aminotransferase II inhibitors for schizophrenia" ACS Med. Chem. Lett. 2012, 3, 187.

Dounay, A. B.; Barta, N. S.; Campbell, B. M.; Coleman, C.; Collantes, E. M.; Denny, L.; Dutta, S.; Gray, D. L.; Hou, D.; Iyer, R.; Maiti, S. N.; Ortwine, D. F.; Probert, A.; Stratman, N. C.; Subedi, R.; Whisman, T.; Xu, W.; Zoski, K. "Design, Synthesis, and Pharmacological Evaluation of Phenoxy Pyridyl Derivatives as Dual Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors and 5-HT_1A Partial Agonists," Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2010, 20, 1114.

Conference Oral Presentations and Posters

^ǂPham, T.; ^ǂWalden, M.; ^ǂZecca, H.; ^ǂPitot, M.; ^ǂKrakoff, E.; ^ǂKopec, B.; Diaz Gonzalez, R.; Navarro, M.; Pollastri, M.; Dounay, A. B. "Design and Synthesis of Novel 1,2-Dihydroquinazolin-2-one Derivatives for the Treatment of Human African Trypanosomiasis" (oral, selected for short oral presentation as winning poster in academic division) Gordon Research Conference on Medicinal Chemistry, New London, NH, August, 2016.

^ǂPham, T.; ^ǂWalden, M.; ^ǂZecca, H.; ^ǂPitot, M.; ^ǂKrakoff, E.; ^ǂKopec, B.; Diaz Gonzalez, R.; Navarro, M.; Pollastri, M.; Dounay, A. B. "Design and Synthesis of Novel 1,2-Dihydroquinazolin-2-one Derivatives for the Treatment of Human African Trypanosomiasis" (poster) Gordon Research Conference on Medicinal Chemistry, New London, NH, August, 2016.

Dounay, A. B. "Finding the perfect job: Careers for organic chemists in pharma and industry" (oral) 251^st ACS National Meeting & Exposition, San Diego, CA, March 13-17, 2016.

Dounay, A. B. "Building a new research program in medicinal chemistry at a small liberal arts college" (oral) 251^st ACS National Meeting & Exposition, San Diego, CA, March 13-17, 2016.

Dounay, A. B. "Novel Tactics for Synthesis of Functionalized Aryl Hydroxamic acids," (Oral) 2015 International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies, Honolulu, HI, December, 2015.

Dounay, A. B. "Discovery of a Series Irreversible Inhibitors of KAT II for Schizophrenia" (oral) Gordon Research Conference on Medicinal Chemistry, New London, NH, August 2012.

Invited Seminars

University of Vermont, Department of Chemistry Seminar Series, Dounay, A. B. "Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of New Drugs for African Sleeping Sickness," Burlington, VT, April 6, 2017.

2017 CC Books on the Beach, Dounay, A. B., "Innovating Medical Discovery: Where Trial, Error, Profitability, and Ethics Intersect," Rio Del Mar, CA, March 18-19, 2017.

CC Alumni Mini-Books on the Beach, Dounay, A. B., "New Drugs for Bad Bugs: Discovering Medicines for Neglected Diseases," San Francisco, CA, March 16, 2017.

Colorado College, Faculty Lunch seminar series, Dounay, A. B., "New Drugs for Bad Bugs: Discovering Medicines for Neglected Diseases," December 2016.

Ernest Eliel Workshop, University of Havana, Dounay, A. B. "Neglected Tropical Disease Research at Colorado College: Design and Synthesis of New Drugs for African Sleeping Sickness," October 2016.

Ernest Eliel Workshop, University of Havana, Dounay, A. B. "Implementation of the D3 Lab at Colorado College," October 2016.

Colorado State University, Cellular and Molecular Biology Program Seminar Series, Dounay, A. B. "Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of New Drugs for Human African Trypanosomiasis," Fort Collins, CO, August 2016.

Grace and St. Stephen's Church, Adult Education Program, Dounay, A. B. "New Directions for African Sleeping Sickness," Colorado Springs, CO, March, 2015.

Colorado College, Mracheck Fellowship Dinner. Dounay, A. B. "Design and Synthesis of New Drugs for Human African Trypanosomiasis," May, 2014.

Mentored Student External Presentations (Student Presenter Underlined)

Walden, M.; Dounay, A. B. "Synthesis of Drugs to Treat Human African Sleeping Sickness" Council on Undergraduate Research Posters on the Hill Symposium, Washington, D.C., April 18-19, 2016.

Pham, T.; Dounay, A. "Design and synthesis of novel 1,​2-​dihydroquinazolin-​2-​one derivatives for the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis" (poster) Colorado Springs Undergraduate Research Forum, Colorado Springs, CO, April 2, 2016.

Walden, M.; Dounay, A. "Synthesis of Quinazolinone Derivatives Designed to Treat Human African Trypanosomiasis" (oral) Colorado Springs Undergraduate Research Forum, Colorado Springs, CO, April 2, 2016.

Pham, T.; Walden, M. ^ǂ; Krakoff, E. ^ǂ; Kopec, B. ^ǂ; Gonzalez-Diaz, R.; Navarro, M.; Pollastri, M.; Dounay, A. "Design and synthesis of novel 1,​2-​dihydroquinazolin-​2-​one derivatives for the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis" (poster) 251^st ACS National Meeting & Exposition, San Diego, CA, March 13-17, 2016.

Krakoff, E.; Dounay, A. B. "Exploration of Kinase-Targeting Inhibitors for Human African Trypanosmiasis" (oral) Midstates Consortium for Mathematics and Science, Undergraduate Research Forum in Physical Sciences, Chicago, IL, November, 2015.

Walden, M.; Dounay, A. B. "Synthesis of Quinazolinone Derivatives Designed to Treat Human African Trypanosomiasis" (oral) Midstates Consortium for Mathematics and Science, Undergraduate Research Forum in Physical Sciences, Chicago, IL, November, 2015.

Pham, T.; Dounay, A. B. (oral) "Design and Synthesis of Novel Quinazolinone Derivatives for the Treatment of Human African Trypanosomiasis," (oral) Midstates Consortium for Mathematics and Science, Undergraduate Research Forum in Physical Sciences, Chicago, IL, November, 2015.

Parfenov, G.; Dounay, A. B. "Synthesis of Novel Human African Trypanosomiasis Compounds," (poster)12^th Annual Colorado Springs Undergraduate Research Forum, Colorado Springs, CO April, 2015.

Rutledge, J.; Dounay, A. B. Parfenov, G.; Kim, K. "Design and Synthesis of Novel Compounds for the Treatment of Human African Trypanosomiasis" (poster) National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Denver, CO March, 2015.

Rutledge, J.; Dounay, A. B. "Design and Synthesis of Novel Compounds for the Treatment of Human African Trypanosomiasis" (poster) Midstates Consortium for Mathematics and Science, Undergraduate Research Forum in Physical Sciences, St. Louis, MO, November, 2014.

Jans, P.; Dounay, A. B. "Synthesis of a Novel Compound for the Treatment of Human African Trypanosomiasis" (oral) 11^th Annual Colorado Springs Undergraduate Research Forum, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO, April 2014.

Nicholls, N.; Dounay, A. B. "Synthesis of a Novel Compound for the Treatment of Human African

Trypanosomiasis" (oral) Midstates Consortium for Math and Science Undergraduate Research Symposium, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, October 2013.

Kim, K.; Dounay, A. B. "Synthesis of a Novel Compound for the Treatment of Human AfricanTrypanosomiasis" (poster) Midstates Consortium for Math and Science Undergraduate Research Symposium, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, October 2013.