Jack Terrett
Principal Scientist Chemistry, Discovery Chemistry
"At Genentech, risk-taking is rewarded. It excites me to be positioned to pursue fundamental scientific challenges in a collaborative environment where innovation is encouraged – a testament to the opportunities given to young scientists."
I joined Genentech in 2016 as a Scientist in the Discovery Chemistry group. Genentech’s strong commitment to basic research and emphasis on data-driven decision-making sets it apart as a leader in the field. As a medicinal chemist, my responsibilities involve the design and development of small molecule drugs to target various biological pathways. In partnership with a large interdisciplinary team of talented scientists, I aim to impact disease states with significant unmet medical need, spanning multiple therapeutic areas.
Prior to joining Genentech, I completed my Ph.D. at Princeton University in the group of David MacMillan. My research focused on the development of new catalytic transformations through the strategic access of reactive intermediates, primarily in the area of photoredox–nickel catalysis.
Postdoctoral Mentor
Through the Genentech postdoctoral research program, I have the opportunity to work closely with and help develop the next generation of scientific leaders. It is extremely rewarding to have the ability to find solutions to fundamental research problems alongside talented and determined young scientists. Our post-docs are an essential part of the academic culture at Genentech and it gives me great excitement to contribute to a program that is at its core interdisciplinary and collaborative in nature.
Featured Publication
Switching on elusive organometallic mechanisms with photoredox catalysis.
Nature. 2015 Aug 20;524(7565):330-4.
Terrett JA, Cuthbertson JD, Shurtleff VW, MacMillan DW.
My lab is focused on developing innovative technologies in catalysis to help elucidate protein structure and receptor-ligand interactions. Our research sits at the nexus of synthetic chemistry and structural biology with broad applications ranging from improving protein imaging and crystallography to advances in phenotypic screening. Furthermore, we aim to discover new reaction methodologies that will have a direct impact on the construction of diverse therapeutic modalities.
- Princeton University, Ph.D. in Chemistry – 2016
- Princeton University, M.A. in Chemistry – 2012
- Middlebury College, B.A. in Chemistry – 2011
- Bristol-Myers Squibb Graduate Fellowship – 2014
- Princeton University Fellowship in Natural Sciences and Engineering – 2011
- Beckman Scholar, Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation – 2010