Max Majireck
Associate Professor of Chemistry, Director of Biochemistry/ Molecular Biology
Max Majireck completed his postdoctoral research in chemical biology at Harvard University and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, designing small molecules to study disease biology, particularly cancer. He was selected for a fellowship from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. At 51ÁÔÆæ, he combined his passion for teaching, mentoring and research by designing a new course to highlight the role of organic synthesis in human health. He's also designing a research program that investigates new chemical transformations to produce tool compounds for studying neurological disorders. Majireck earned his doctorate in organic chemistry from Penn State.
Recent Courses Taught
Organic Chemistry I
Organic Chemistry II
Organic Synthesis Toward Improved Human Health
Distinctions
- Organic Syntheses, Inc. PUI Summer Research Grant, 2021-22
- Levitt Center Research & Innovation Award; 51ÁÔÆæ, 2019
- New York Six (NY6) New Academic Working Group Seed Grant, 2017
- Class of 1963 Excellence in Teaching Award, 51ÁÔÆæ, 2015
- Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research, 2015
- Social Innovation and Transformational Leadership Grant; Sponsored by the Levitt Center & DOF at 51ÁÔÆæ, 2015
- Class of 1966 Career Development Award, 51ÁÔÆæ, 2014
- Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Postdoctoral Fellowship (Declined to accept tenure track position at 51ÁÔÆæ), 2013
- American Chemical Society CIBA/YCC Young Scientist Travel Award, 2013
- Broad Institute Spot Award, 2012
- American Chemical Society travel award for postdoc to faculty workshop, 2012
Selected Publications
- Majireck, M. M.; Bennett, J. M.** “1,2-Oxazines and their Benzo Derivatives.” In: Comprehensive Heterocyclic Chemistry IV. Weinreb, S. M. (Ed.) Elsevier, 2020 In press. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12- 818655-8.00013-5. **former undergraduate research student
- Rajamani, R.; Lee, L.*; Smith, E.*; Majireck, M.; Mohan, R. Modulation of Bacterial Quorum Sensing by Eukaryotes. In Recent Advances and Applications in Microbial Quorum Sensing and Biofilm Formation; Bramhachari P. (Ed.) Springer: Singapore, 2019; pp. 39-56.
- Shapiro, J. D.*; Sonberg, J. C.*; Schafer, B. C.*; Williams, C. C.*; Ferris, H. R.*; Reinheimer, E. W.; Van Wynsberghe, A. W.; Kriley, C. E.; Majireck, M. M. “Synthesis, characterization, and computational modeling of N-(1-ethoxyvinyl)pyridinium triflates, an unusual class of pyridinium salt.” Molecules, 2018, 23, 412. [Open Access]
- Bennett, J. M.*; Shapiro, J. D.*; Choinski, K. N.*; Mei, Y.*; Aulita, S. M.*; Dominguez, G. M.* Majireck, M. M. “Preparation of N-(2-alkoxyvinyl)sulfonamides from N-tosyl-1,2,3-triazoles and subsequent conversion to substituted phthalans and phenethylamines” J. Vis. Exp. 2018, 131, e56848. [Invited Article]
- Shapiro, J. D.; Sonberg, J. C.; Schafer, B. C.; Williams, C. C.; Ferris, H. R.; Reinheimer, E. W.; Van Wynsberghe, A. W.; Kriley, C. E.; Majireck, M. M. “Synthesis, characterization, and computational modeling of N-(1-ethoxyvinyl)pyridinium triflates, an unusual class of pyridinium salt.” Molecules, 2018, 23, 412.
- Bennett, J. B.; Shapiro, J. D.; Choinski, K. N.; Mei, Y.; Aulita, S. M.; Dominguez, G. M.; Majireck, M. M. "Preparation of N-(2-alkoxyvinyl)sulfonamides from N-tosyl-1,2,3-triazoles and subsequent conversion to substituted phthalans and phenethylamines" J. Vis. Exp. 2018, 131, e56848.
- Bennett, J.; Shapiro, J.; Choinski, K.; Mei, Y.; Aulita S.; Reinheimer, E.; Majireck, M. M. "Synthesis of phthalan and phenethylamine derivatives via addition of alcohols to rhodium(II)-azavinyl carbenoids" Tetrahedron Lett. 2017, 58, 13.
- Chattopadhyay, S.; Stewart, A. L.; Mukherjee, S.; Huang, C.; Hartwell, K. A.; Miller, P. G.; Subramanian, R.; Carmody, L.; Yusuf, R. Z.; Sykes, D. B.; Paulk, J.; Vetere, A.; Vallet, S.; Santo, L.; Cirstea, D.; Hideshima, T.; Dancik, V.; Majireck, M. M.; Hussain, M. M.; Singh, S.; Quiroz, R.; Iaconelli, J.; Karmacharya, R.; Tolliday, N. J.; Clemons, P. A.; Kapoor, T. M.; Moore, M. A. S.; Stern, A. M.; Shamji, A. F.; Ebert, B. L.; Golub, T. R.; Raje, N. S.; Scadden, D. T.; Schreiber, S. L. “Niche-Based Screening in Multiple Myeloma Identifies a Novel Kinesin-5 Inhibitor with Improved Selectivity over Hematopoietic Progenitors.” Cell Reports, 2015, 10, 755.
- Feng, Y.; Majireck, M. M.; Weinreb, S. M. “Total Syntheses of the Monoterpene Indole Alkaloids (±)- Alstilobanine A and E and (±)-Angustilodine” J. Org. Chem. 2014, 79, 7.
- Feng, Y.; Majireck, M. M.; Weinreb, S. M. “Total Synthesis of the Unusual Monoterpenoid Indole Alkaloid (±)-Alstilobanine A” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2012, 51, 12846; Angew. Chem. 2012, 124, 13018.
- Chauhan, P. S.; Majireck, M. M.; Weinreb, S. M. “Regioselective alpha-monochlorination of N-protected-3-piperidones” Heterocycles 2011, 84, 577.
- Li, P.; Majireck, M. M.; Witek, J. A.; Weinreb, S. M. “Efficient methodology for alkylation of vinylnitroso compounds with carbon nucleophiles” Tetrahedron Lett. 2010, 51, 2032.
- Li, P.; Majireck, M. M.; Korboukh, I.; Weinreb, S. M. “A mild, efficient method for the oxidation of a-diazo-B-hydroxyesters to a-diazo-B-ketoesters” Tetrahedron Lett. 2008, 49, 3162.
- Majireck, M. M.; Weinreb, S. M. “A study of the scope and regioselectivity of the ruthenium-catalyzed [3 + 2]-cycloaddition of azides with internal alkynes” J. Org. Chem. 2006, 71, 8680.
- Kriley, C. E.; Majireck, M. M.; Tobolewski, J. M.; Kelvington, L. E.; Cummings, S. H.; Hershberger, S.J.; Link, J. D.; Silverio, A. L.; Fanwick, P. E.; Rothwell, I. P. “Synthesis and characterization of two novel cobalt (II) phosphine complexes: crystal structures of [CoCl3(Cy2PCH2PCy2H)] and [Co(NO3)2(Cy2PCH2PCy2O)]. Cy = cyclohexyl, C6H11” Inorg. Chim. Acta 2005, 358, 57.
- Majireck, M. M.; Witek, J. A.; Weinreb, S. M. “An expedient reductive method for conversion of ketoximes to the corresponding carbonyl compounds” Tetrahedron Lett. 2010, 51, 3555.
Professional Affiliations
American Chemical Society
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
Appointed to the Faculty
2013Educational Background
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Harvard University/Broad Institute
Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University
B.S., Grove City College
