Dean Grant Jensen of the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences is pleased to announce the reappointment of Steven Castle as Director of the Simmons Center for Cancer Research. Castle has served as director since 2020, and his second term begins July 2023.
The Simmons Center for Cancer Research trains the next generation of cancer researchers and clinicians by providing undergraduate and graduate BYU students research fellowships with prestigious cancer researchers at BYU, and with research institutions across the country. The SCCR provides its research fellows with funding, thus allowing them to focus on full-time research during the span of their fellowship.
While the center is housed in the College of Physical and Mathematical sciences, it is comprised of 40 BYU faculty members who all participate in cancer research and mentor student fellows. Cancer labs at BYU span all across campus, include distinguished professors in the fields of Chemical Engineering; Chemistry and Biochemistry; Health Sciences; Integrative Biology; Microbiology and Molecular Biology; Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science; Physiology and Developmental Biology; Communications; and Statistics. These professors and students are driven to make a significant contribution to the discovery of a cure for cancer.
Castle's research is focused on the total synthesis of architecturally complex bioactive natural products and peptides. He believes that the structures of such compounds can serve as inspiration for the invention of new organic reactions and processes. Additionally, studies of their biological activity can increase understanding of their modes of action, potentially leading to the design and development of new therapeutic agents. Other research areas include bioorganic, cancer research,
and medicinal and natural Products