Todd J. Sullivan, Ph.D. is a lecturer in the Chemistry Department at Sacred Heart University.

Currently in our research group we are performing traditional medicinal chemistry techniques to discover compounds that are biologically active against different enzymes. We are studying two different enzymes one that is involved in diabetes (Insulin Degrading Enzyme), the other that is in cancer cells (Arginase). Employing molecular modeling software programs we have generated models to produce molecular docking data. Molecular docking studies reveal how tight the virtual compounds are binding at the active site and along with structural, kinetic data we are searching for a pharmacological hit. 

We are also looking for biological clues to guide our studies of inhibition of these enzymes.  Eventually after optimizing our pharmaceutical hit with different virtual compounds we will use synthetic organic chemistry, molecular modeling, and structure activity relationships to advance the projects into lead and drug space with acceptable pharmacokinetic properties.  Another facet to drug discovery fragment based drug design will be employed to discover novel inhibitors.