David G Anderson

I grew up in Michigan and after high-school I was recruited to wrestle at Elmhurst College. While at Elmhurst I majored in both chemistry and exercise science. I then pursued a Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Iowa. My graduate research focused on dopamine metabolism and Parkinson's disease. After finishing my Ph.D. I taught at Elmhurst College for two years. In 2013, I joined North Central College as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry. My current teaching responsibilities include organic chemistry, general chemistry, and nutrition. I am supervising several research projects with undergraduate students:

• Methodological investigation to optimize the synthesis of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde
• Investigation of nucleophilic conjugate addition to substituted ortho-quinone derivatives
• Mechanistic investigation of the reactivity of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde with model amines

I am also involved in several collaborative projects. The first involves investigating the impact of substituents on aldehyde-hydrate and aldehyde-hemiacetal equilibrium. In addition, I am the lead investigator in an interdiciplinary study that brings together faculty from chemistry, biology, and health/physical education. We are examining the correlation between alpha-actinin-3 expression profiles with strength levels of North Central College student athletes.

Selected Scholarship

Anderson, D.G., Mariappan, S.V.S., Buettner, G.R., Doorn, J.A. Oxidation of 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde, A Toxic Intermediate of Dopamine Metabolism, to a Semi-Quinone Radical and an ortho-Quinone. J Biol Chem 286, 26978-26986.

Jinsmaa Y., Florang V.R., Rees J.N., Mexas L.M., Eckert L.L., Allen E.M., Anderson D.G., Doorn J.A. (2011) Dopamine-derived biological reactive intermediates and protein modifications: Implications for Parkinson’s disease. Chem Biol Interact 192(1-2):118-21.

 Allen, M.G., Anderson, D.G., Florang, V.R., Khanna, M., Hurley, T.D., Doorn, J.A. (2010) Relative Inhibitory Potency of Molinate and Metabolites with Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 2: Implications for the Mechanism of Enzyme Inhibition. Chem Res Toxicol 23, 1843-50.

Chemburkar, S.J., Anderson, D.G., Reddy, R.E. (2010) Efficient Method for Synthesis of 2-Acetylbenzo(b)thiophene and is Derivatives, The Key Synthons for 5-Lipoxygenase Inhibitors. Synth Comm 40, 1887-1894.

Jinsmaa, Y., Florang, V.F., Rees, J.N., Anderson, D.G., Strack, S., Doorn, J.A. (2009) Products of oxidative stress inhibit aldehyde oxidation and reduction pathways in dopamine catabolism yielding elevated levels of a reactive intermediate. Chem Res Toxicol. 22, 835-41.

Courses Taught

CHM141 Gen Chem I: Bio-Organic

CHM220 Organic Chemistry I

CHM221 Organic Chemistry II

CHM222 Organic Chemistry III

BCM140 Nutrition