Department of Medicinal Chemistry

Discovering and developing new therapeutic agents and targets

Medicinal chemistry, a multidisciplinary field integrating chemistry and the life sciences, applies chemical principles to study biologically active substances such as therapeutically useful drugs, natural products, toxins and drugs of abuse. Our department offers advanced training in drug design and discovery, emphasizing areas such as cardiovascular drugs, central nervous system agents, antimicrobial targets, natural product biosynthesis, anti-cancer agents and biomolecule structure elucidation. With state-of-the-art molecular modeling facilities, synthetic organic chemistry laboratories, X-ray crystallographic equipment and high-field nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers, our research is supported by cutting-edge technologies and collaborations with the Center for Drug Discovery.

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Degree Offerings

Our M.S. and Ph.D. programs offer an in-depth study of synthesizing, analyzing and designing pharmaceutical compounds.

Two current students celebrate the graduation of their Medicinal Chemistry peer at the Hooding and Diploma Ceremony while another graduate and their professor and mentor take photos of them posing together with flowers

Research

Our department is a leader in drug discovery and development.

Postdoctoral fellow Ennian Li presents research to industry partners at the school's Research Day

Courses

Review a list of medicinal chemistry courses on the VCU Bulletin site.

Students in the audience of a lecture hall share a laugh prior to the beginnning of a session at the Medicinal Chemistry Symposium

Graduate Student Association

Explore the alpha chapter of the nationally-recognized ACS MEDI Division.

Students and faculty in casual clothing gather for a teambuilding activity in a picnic shelter

Who We Are

Faculty and Staff

Meet our dedicated faculty and staff, whose expertise and commitment drive our mission and foster a dynamic learning environment.

Graduate Students

Meet our current students, who are actively contributing to cutting-edge research and advancing their fields within the department.

Alumni

Explore the achievements of our alumni, who exemplify the success and impact of our department's education and training.

Medicinal Chemistry News

Jannatun Namme stands next to a research poster she shared at Research Day 2024

July 23, 2025

Ph.D. student Jannatun Namme earns ACS National Meeting Travel Award

A student in Dr. Shijun Zhang's lab, Jannatun Namme will present her work at the Washington, D.C., meeting next month.

Six VCU School of Pharmacy faculty and staff members join the dean and Rodney the Ram (VCU's mascot) to celebrate their years of service to the university

May 23, 2025

For their service to VCU, these big numbers reflect their even bigger impact

Nearly 3,000 faculty and staff are cited for milestone years at the annual service celebration – and two School of Pharmacy faculty have dedicated at least 35 years of service to the university.

A professor in a dress shirt and blazer sits smiling in his lab in front of a projector with a 2-D representation of the interconnection of molecules while holding two vials of different liquids as additional vials of liquid sit on his desk in front of him

May 23, 2025

Dr. Youzhong Guo pioneers a new biopharma blueprint

A commitment to membrane proteins has rendered technology that has placed Youzhong Guo, Ph.D., an associate professor in our Department of Medicinal Chemistry, on the radar of some of the largest players in the biopharmaceutical industry.