Professional profile
Hi. I teach Organic Chemistry – my wife has a real job. We have one daughter – our daughter has one younger brother. We have one dog – the dog is usually in trouble. I occasionally have some fish. Yes, I would like another cup of coffee. I’ve been told that I walk funny – no one seems to complain when I run. If something breaks in my house, I can generally make it worse. I like music. I don’t just let the music play in the background, I listen, I daydream. I just got an iPod – my kids use it. I have a lot of other things; I just can’t seem to find them. I went on a rollercoaster once – once was enough! I grew up in Texas. I like to be outside – I think better when I’m moving. I’m a big fan of whitewater kayaking – I’ve noticed that Wisconsin rivers are frequently covered with ice. I really like to eat pies. There was a time when I thought I would get a degree in Philosophy, but it was too much reading and too few pictures – I like the pictures. I like to cook – I don’t like to follow the directions. I like to rent movies. I used to be able to ride a unicycle – it wasn’t a skill that came in real handy. I do not like to fly. I used to play the trumpet – now I just have one. People have told me that I go off on tangents – I wonder how they know what I was going to talk about. I use a lot of transparent tape. I don’t like things to be unorganized – I’m good at un-organizing things. I like to work with my hands; perhaps that’s why I like chemistry . . .

Location: John Minahan Science Hall
Room: 416
Phone: (920) 403-3192
Fax: (920) 403-4033

Mailing address:
St. Norbert College
100 Grant Street
JMS, 416
De Pere, WI 54115-2099

jonathon.russel@snc.edu

Academic credentials:
B.S., Texas Lutheran University
Ph.D., Dartmouth College
Postdoctoral research, University of Michigan

Courses taught:
CHEM 100 Applications of Chemistry
CHEM 220 Organic Chemistry 1
CHEM 222 Organic Chemistry 2
CHEM 307 Bioorganic Chemistry
CHEM 310 Organic Chemistry 3: Advanced Synthetic and Spectrometric Method

Research:
Mother Nature is an excellent chemist, and she’s devised a number of clever strategies for synthesizing a diverse array of complex molecules from a collection of relatively simple chemical building blocks. One of the goals of synthetic organic chemistry is to mimic nature’s chemical ingenuity by developing novel methods for directing specific bond forming processes, and to apply those methods to the synthesis of natural products. Efforts in my research program at St. Norbert College have been directed toward the development of methods for the selective functionalization of indole alkaloids.

In addition to the development of chemical methodology, I am interested in the use of organic synthesis as a tool to help understand and regulate biochemical systems. In conjunction with the efforts of my colleague Dr. Cyndi Ochsner to probe the mechanism of dopamine transport inhibition, we have begun an investigation of the synthesis of modafinil, a pharmaceutical used to treat the sleep disorder narcolepsy. On route to modafinil, analog forms of the drug have been synthesized, purified and tested for inhibitory activity.

Recent presentations with St. Norbert students:

• “Modafinil is a competitive inhibitor of the human dopamine transporter expressed in human embryonic kidney cells” Oshsner, C. E.; Schuh, A. L; Kalscheuer, M. L; Wieting, J. C.; Russel, J. S, 39th National Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, October, 2009.
• "Investigation of the Mechanism of Inhibition of the Dopamine Transporter by Modafinil"  Schuh, A. L.; Wieting, J. C.; Ochsher C. E.; Russel, J. S.  Paper presentation at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Chicago, IL, March 26, 2007.
• “Chemistry of N-Sulfinylindoles”  Russel, J. S.; Scholl, N. T.;  Miller, A. L. Paper presentation at the 231st National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Atlanta, GA, March 28, 2006.
• “Cerium Halide-Mediated Sulfenylation of Indole”  Russel, J. S., Vincent, R. R. Paper presentation at the 36th Great Lakes Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Peoria, IL, October, 2004.
• “Regiocontrolled Sulfenylation of Metallated Indoles With Methyl Methanethiolsulfonate” Russel, J. S.; Gapinski, J. M.; Swanson, J. O.; Soyk, M. W.  Paper presentation at the 38th National Organic Symposium, Bloomington, IN, June 8-11, 2003.

• Progress in Heterocyclic Chemistry, 23; Gribble, G. W. and Joule, J. Ed.; Elsevier.  Chapter 5.2. Pyrroles and Benzo Derivatives, Russel, J. S.; Pelkey, E. T.; Greger, J. G. , S. J. P. 2011.
• Topics in Heterocyclic Chemistry:  Heterocyclic Scaffolds I; Gribble, G. W. Ed.; Springer.  Oxindoles and Spirocyclic Variations:  Methodology for C3 Functionalization, Russel J. S. 2010.
• Progress in Heterocyclic Chemistry, 22; Gribble, G. W. and Joule, J. Ed.; Elsevier.  Chapter 5.2. Pyrroles and Benzo Derivatives, Russel, J. S. and Pelkey, E. T., Yoon-Miller, S.J.P co-authors 2010.
• Progress in Heterocyclic Chemistry, 21; Gribble, G. W. and Joule, J. Ed.; Elsevier.  Chapter 5.2. Pyrroles and Benzo Derivatives, Russel, J. S. and Pelkey, E. T., Yoon-Miller, S.J.P, co-authors, 2009.
• Progress in Heterocyclic Chemistry, 20; Gribble, G. W. and Joule, J. Ed.; Elsevier.  Chapter 5.2. Pyrroles and Benzo Derivatives, Russel, J. S. and Pelkey, E. T. co-authors, 2008.
• Progress in Heterocyclic Chemistry, 19; Gribble, G. W. and Joule, J. Ed.; Elsevier.  Chapter 5.2. Pyrroles and Benzo Derivatives, Pelkey, E. T. and Russel, J. S. co-authors, 2007.

• “Benzophenone-Containing Cholesterol Surrogates:  Synthesis and Biological Evaluation” Spencer, T. A.; Wang, P.; Li, D.; Russel, J. S.; Blank, D. H.; Fielding, P. E.; Fielding, C. J. Journal of Lipid Research, 2004, 45, 1510-1518.
• “The Stereochemistry of Aziridine Borane Lithiation:  Diastereoselectivity and Enantioselectivity” Vedejs, E.; Bhanu Prasad, A. S.;  Kendall, J. T.; Russel, J. S. Tetrahedron, 2003, 59, 9849-9856.
• “Sterol Efflux to Apolipoprotein A-I Originates from Caveolin-Rich Microdomains and Potentiates PDGF Dependent Protein Kinase Activity”  Fielding, P. E.; Russel, J. S.; Spencer, T. A.; Hakamuta, H.; Nagao, K.; Fielding, C. J. Biochemistry, 2002, 41, 4929-4937.
• “Pharmacophore Analysis of the Nuclear Oxysterol Receptor LXRα” Spencer, T. A.; Li, D.; Russel, J. S.; Collins, J. L.; Bledsoe, R. K.; Consler, T. G.; Moore, L. B.; Galardi, C. M.; Mckee, D. D.; Moore, J. T.; Watson, M. A.; Parks, D. J.; Lambert, M. H.; Willson, T. M.  Journal of  Medicinal Chemistry, 2001, 44, 886-897.