Assistant Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry

PhD, Chemistry, Yale University, 2009

Research Advisor: Professor Scott J. Miller

BS, Chemistry, Binghamton University, 2004

Research Advisor: Professor Susan L. Bane

Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Denver, 2012 - present

NIH Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 2009 - 2012

Research Advisor: Professor David Y. Gin 

CHEM 3110 - Chemical Systems I, Section 1

Lecture: MWF      10:00-10:50 am

Location: FW Olin Hall 103

The Cowen group's research program focuses on the development of new synthetic methods for the preparation of small, functional organic compounds. Special emphasis centers on the discovery of unique asymmetric reactions to enable the selective construction of complex chiral molecular architectures. The design of small-molecule catalysts and ligands for both non-metal and metal-mediated transformations are key research activities ongoing in the laboratory. Additionally, the investigation of detailed mechanistic reaction pathways is of paramount importance to the maturation of any new synthetic method. A particular goal of our efforts in chemical synthesis is to produce valuable end products for potential pharmaceutical or material-based applications.

Aretz, C. D.; McPeak, J. E.; Eaton, G. R.; Eaton, S. S.; Cowen, B. J. "Mechanism of SmI2 Reduction of 5-Bromo-6-oxo-6-phenylhexyl Methanesulfonate Studied by Spin Trapping with 2-Methyl-2-nitrosopropane" J. Org. Chem. 2018, 83, 10688-10692.

Aretz, C. D.; Escobedo, H.; Cowen, B. J. "Cyclopentane formation from flexible precursors using samarium(II) reagents" Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2018, 2018, 1880-1884. 

Ramann, G. A.; Cowen, B. J. "Recent Advances in metal-free quinoline synthesis" Molecules 2016, 21, 986. 

Ramann, G. A.; Cowen, B. J. "Quinoline synthesis by improved Skraup-Doebner-Von Miller reactions utilizing acrolein diethyl acetal" Tetrahedron Lett. 2015, 56, 6436-6439. 

Saunders, L. B.; Cowen, B. J.; Miller, S. J. “Pyridylalanine (Pal)-Peptide Catalyzed Enantioselective Allenoate Additions to N-Acyl Imines Proceed via an Atypical “aza-Morita−Baylis−Hillman" Mechanism” Org. Lett. 2010, 12, 4800-4803.

Cowen, B. J.; Miller, S. J. “Enantioselective Catalysis and Complexity Generation from Allenoates” Chem. Soc. Rev. 2009, 38, 3102-3116.

Cowen, B. J.; Saunders, L. B.; Miller, S. J. “Pyridylalanine (Pal)-Peptide Catalyzed Enantioselective Allenoate Additions to N-Acyl Imines” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 6105-6107.

Cowen, B. J.; Miller, S. J. “Enantioselective [3+2]-Cycloadditions Catalyzed by a Protected, Multifunctional Phosphine-Containing α-Amino Acid” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 10988-10989.

Evans, C. A.; Cowen, B. J.; Miller, S. J. “Diversity-Generation from an Allenoate-Enone Coupling: Syntheses of Azepines and Pyrimidones from Common Precursors” Tetrahedron 2005, 61, 6309-6314.