Chemical Biology Program
The Derek Tan Lab
Research

Professor
The identification of small-molecule probes and therapeutic lead compounds to address novel biological targets is a significant current challenge in chemical biology and drug discovery. We are engaged in a two-pronged approach to this problem involving diversity-oriented synthesis and rational design as complementary approaches to ligand discovery. Our work in both of these areas is influenced at multiple levels by insights from natural products. At the core of these efforts is the development of new chemical methodologies to provide flexible, efficient, systematic access to these structures. We leverage multidisciplinary collaborations with biologists to evaluate these molecules to probe key biological processes and to explore new therapeutic opportunities in cancer and infectious diseases. Our group is strongly committed to promoting diversity and inclusion at all levels and welcomes scientists from all backgrounds!
Research Projects
Inside My Lab: Derek Tan

Featured News
Publications
Defining new chemical space for drug penetration into Gram-negative bacteria.
Zhao, S.; Adamiak, J. W.; Bonifay, V.; Mehla, J.; Zgurskaya, H. I.; Tan, D. S.* Nat Chem Biol 2020, 16, 1293–1302.
[ Abstract | PubMed ]
Gram-scale preparation of the antibiotic lead compound salicyl-AMS, a potent inhibitor of bacterial salicylate adenylation enzymes.
Kinarivala, N; Standke, L. C; Guney, T.; Cheng, J.; Naoyoshi, N.; Yasutomi, A.; Tan, D. S.*Method Enzymol. 2020, 638, 69–87.
[ Abstract | PubMed |PMC ]
Total synthesis of the bacterial diisonitrile chalkophore SF2768.
Xu, Y.; Tan, D. S. Org. Lett. 2019, 8731–8735.
[ Abstract | PubMed ]
People

Derek Tan, PhD
Chair, Chemical Biology Program, SKI; Tri-Institutional Professor
Professor
- Derek Tan’s lab studies diversity-oriented synthesis and rational drug design of probes and lead compounds for chemical biology and drug discovery.
- BS, Stanford University
- PhD, Harvard University
- tand@mskcc.org
- Email Address
- 646-888-2234
- Office Phone
- Download CV
- PDF File
Members





- 646-888-2228
- Lab Phone
- 646-422-0416 (shared)
- Lab Fax







Member and Lab Head

Assistant to Chair

Graduate Student

Pharmacology Graduate Student

Graduate Student

Visiting Master’s Student

Graduate Student

Postdoctoral Fellow

Graduate Student

Research Assistant

Postdoctoral Fellow

- University of Wisconsin–La Crosse

- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology
- MS, Stevens Institute of Technology, 2018
- BS, Stevens Institute of Technology, 2017

- 646-888-2228
- Lab Phone
- 646-422-0416 (shared)
- Lab Fax







- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology
- BS, Wake Forest University, 2016



Lab Alumni

Graduate Student

Graduate Student

Graduate Student

Graduate Research Assistant

Graduate Student

Graduate Student

Graduate Student

Postdoctoral Fellow

Graduate Student

Graduate Student

Graduate Research Assistant

Graduate Student

Co-founder & Chief Scientific Officer at Chemitope Glycopeptide, New York, NY

Pharmacology Rotation Student

TPCB Rotation Student

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Graduate Student

Postdoctoral Fellow

Postdoctoral Fellow

Postdoctoral Fellow

Postdoctoral Fellow

Postdoctoral Fellow

Postdoctoral Fellow

Postdoctoral Fellow

Postdoctoral Fellow

Postdoctoral Fellow

Postdoctoral Fellow

Postdoctoral Fellow

Postdoctoral Fellow

Postdoctoral Fellow

Postdoctoral Fellow

Postdoctoral Fellow

Postdoctoral Fellow

Research Scholar

Postdoctoral Fellow

Research Scholar

Postdoctoral Fellow

Visiting Scientist

Visiting Scientist (2013)

Visiting Scientist

Visiting Scientist

MD Summer Research Student

Research Associate

Research Assistant

Research Assistant

Research Assistant

Research Assistant

Summer Intern

Summer Intern

Summer Intern

Summer Intern

Summer Intern

Summer Intern

Summer Intern

Summer Intern

Summer Intern

Summer Intern

Summer Intern

Summer Intern

Summer Intern

Summer Intern

Summer Intern

Summer Intern

Summer Intern

Summer Intern

Summer Intern

Administrative Assistant

Administrative Assistant

Administrative Assistant

Pharmacology Rotation Student

Pharmacology Rotation Student

TPCB Rotation Student

MD-PhD Rotation Student

MD-PhD Rotation Student (2013)

TPCB Rotation Student

TPCB Rotation Student

TPCB Rotation Student
TPCB Rotation Student

TPCB Rotation Student

TPCB Rotation Student

TPCB Rotation Student

TPCB Rotation Student

TPCB Rotation Student

TPCB Rotation Student

TPCB Rotation Student

GSK Rotation Student

Pharm Rotation Student

TPCB Rotation Student

Pharmacology Rotation Student

TPCB Rotation Student

Pharmacology Rotation Student

TPCB Rotation Student

Pharmacology Rotation Student

TPCB Rotation Student

TPCB Rotation Student

TPCB Rotation Student (2013)

TPCB Rotation Student

TPCB Rotation Student

Pharmacology Rotation Student

TPCB Rotation Student

Pharmacology Rotation Student

MD-PhD Rotation Student

TPCB Rotation Student

Pharmacology Rotation Student

TPCB Rotation Student
Lab Affilations
Achievements
- Development of salicyl-AMS, a novel antibacterial agent to treat tuberculosis and other infections
- Louise and Allston Boyer Young Investigator Award for Basic Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (2010)
- Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences (2013)
Lab News & Events
Upcoming event
Interdisciplinary Approaches to Reveal Plasmodium Parasite Vulnerabilities
This seminar will be conducted by Zoom Webinar.
Open Positions
Get in Touch
-
Lab Head Email
-
Office Phone
-
Office Fax
-
Lab Phone
Disclosures
Doctors and faculty members often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community.
MSK requires doctors and faculty members to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public.
Derek Tan discloses the following relationships and financial interests:
-
Adjuvance Technologies
Intellectual Property Rights -
Amgen
Ownership / Equity Interests -
Biogen Idec
Ownership / Equity Interests -
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Ownership / Equity Interests -
CVS Caremark Corp
Ownership / Equity Interests
-
Cerner Corporation
Ownership / Equity Interests -
Emerson Collective
Provision of Services -
Institute for Research of Barcelona
Provision of Services -
Merck & Co Inc.
Ownership / Equity Interests -
United Health Group
Ownership / Equity Interests
The information published here is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.
This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2019 through disclosure submission in spring 2020). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.
Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at ecoi@mskcc.org.