F. G. West

Ph.D., University of Wisconsin

B.Sc., University of Arizona

 

Professor West was born and raised in rural Arizona, and received his undergraduate training (Chemistry, with Honors and summa cum laude) at the University of Arizona in Tucson. While there, he performed research with Victor Hruby on conformationally restricted analogues of the peptide hormone oxytocin, and developed one of the first HPLC-based methods for amino acid analysis of peptide hydrolysates. He then moved to Madison, Wisconsin where he was an NSF Predoctoral Fellow at the University of Wisconsin in the labs of Professor Edwin Vedejs. His doctoral research concerned the generation of nonstabilized azomethine ylides using desilylation methods and the application of this method to the synthesis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. He spent two years at Columbia University as an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow with Professor Gilbert Stork, working on radical cyclization-based approaches to the cardenolides.

Professor West began his independent career at the University of Utah in 1988. Initially, his program focused on the use of pyran-4-one photochemistry for the rapid assembly of complex polycyclic skeletons, and the Stevens rearrangement of metallocarbene-derived ylides. Subsequent areas of interest have included the Nazarov cyclization, carbohydrate chemistry, hexose transporter proteins, cancer imaging, and antiviral therapeutics. (See the research description for a more detailed discussion of current research interests.) In 2002, Professor West moved to the University of Alberta in Edmonton, where he is currently Professor of Chemistry and Adjunct Professor of Oncology. He has previously held various leadership roles, including Associate Chair (Research) and Interim Chair of the Department of Chemistry, Co-Director of the Cancer Institute of Northern Alberta, and Vice Dean of Science and Interim Dean of the Faculty of Science.

Awards and Honours

2021-2026      Allard Research Chair in Oncology

2020                Bernard Belleau Award, Canadian Society for Chemistry

2016                Rutherford Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

2015-2016      McCalla Professor

2015                Killam Award for Excellence in Mentoring, University of Alberta

2012-2013      Teacher of the Year Award, University of Alberta Chemistry                                      Students’ Association

2011                Killam Annual Professor, University of Alberta

2011                Alfred Bader Award, Canadian Society for Chemistry

2010                Faculty of Science Award for Excellent Teaching, University of                                  Alberta

2005-2006      Chemistry Students’ Association Award for Excellence in Teaching,                          University of Alberta

2004-2005      Chemistry Students’ Association Award for Teaching Excellence,                              University of Alberta

1998-1999      University Professor, University of Utah

1994-1995      American Cyanamid Faculty Award

1993-1994      Eli Lilly Grantee

1992                Robert W. Parry Teaching Award, Department of Chemistry,                                    University of Utah

1991-1994      American Cancer Society Junior Faculty Research Award

1990                Chemistry SAC Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching,                              University of Utah

1986-1988      National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship, Columbia                              University

1981-1984      National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship, University of                          Wisconsin-Madison

1980-1981      Samuel M. McElvain Distinguished Teaching/Research                                              Assistantship, University of Wisconsin

Contact Information

Professor Frederick. G. West

Department of Chemistry

University of Alberta

11227 Sasketchewan Drive

Edmonton, AB  T6G 2G2

Canada

Office: W5-70D, Gunning/Lemieux Chemistry Centre

Phone: (780) 492-8187

Fax: (780) 492-8231

E-mail: fwest@ualberta.ca