Frank Volz Email and Phone Number

Promoted to the position of Research Investigator and member of Lead Optimization and Active to Lead project teams responsible for the synthesis, purification, and characterization of intermediates and new target substances for project specific biological disease indications. Provided procedures and physical data for patent applications. Proposed new targets and their synthetic routes at project team meetings and prioritized them in keeping with overall project goals. Searched for new instrumentation and technologies to improve productivity in the lab and department.Suggested problem solving ideas in synthetic methodology and project related issues with team members. Team members needed to make various oxadiazole intermediates to proceed onto their targets for an Active to Lead project. Found an efficient method to make various key oxadiazoles. Modified the synthetic procedure by the use of Burgess reagent and a microwave reactor. These changes reactions were clean, and most products were solids, making for easy isolation. Acknowledged as one of the most capable HPLC users in the department, I was asked by management to participate in an ad hoc Chromatography Management Committee whose purpose was to evaluate the present and future needs of chromatographic instrumentation for the department.Observed immediate deficiencies in laboratory purification equipment. Recommended purchase of additional automated flash chromatography systems and implemented them throughout the department. This led to an increase in productivity of the chemist’s turnaround times for compound purification.

Member of project teams responsible for the synthesis, purification, and characterization of intermediates and new target substances for project specific biological disease indications. Suggested problem solving ideas in synthetic methodology and project related issues to team. Provided procedures and physical data for patent applications.Initiated an ongoing search for new instrumentation and new technologies in the area of chemical synthesis and purification of organic compounds by attending the annual PITTCON technical conference-exposition.Introduced new instruments into the department's laboratories that resulted in an increase in the chemists’ productivity as measured by the higher number and greater purity of compounds submitted to the department's compound management group.Initiated the use of a new automated organic reaction work-up station called the "ALLEXis" which made a tremendous impact on productivity that allowed me to work on other project related tasks. Volunteered to optimize the synthesis of a key intermediate for the P2X7 project. Utilized large quantities of materials in order to supply multi-gram quantities to the team that allowed the full range of analogs to be prepared for the project.Arranged an in-house demo, a 1 month instrument trial loan, and the purchase of the "IntelliFlash 280" automated flash chromatography system by Analogix. Management approved the purchase of additional "IntelliFlash" systems for the department. Completed an extensive physical inventory of fixed assets for the Medicinal Chemistry Department. Prioritized my time to minimize impact on normal duties.

Completed the necessary evening coursework at Villanova University required for my MS in Organic Chemistry. The education I received improved my work and value as an organic-medicinal chemist to the company.Generated combinatorial solution phase Ugi libraries using the TOMTEC Quadra 96 auto liquid handler, which dispensed the four reagents into 96-well (8X12) plates. The libraries contained in the range of 1400-4000 compounds. Provided additional support to the project by supplying large quantities of several proprietary structural Ugi inputs.