James L. Leighton

Who is James L. Leighton?

James Lincoln Leighton is a Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry at Columbia University. He is a leading figure in the field of organic chemistry, best known for his development of non-aldol approaches to polyketides.

As an undergraduate at Yale University, Leighton worked for legendary synthetic chemist Samuel J. Danishefsky. After 2 years with Merck Research Laboratories, Leighton began his graduate studies with Abbott and James Lawrence Professor David A. Evans at Harvard University, culminating in the total syntheses of both Calyculin A and Zaragozic acid. Leighton continued his chemical studies as an NSF postdoctoral fellow with Sheldon Emery Professor Eric N. Jacobsen, also of Harvard University, developing initial methods for what became known as the Jacobsen hydrolytic kinetic resolution.

In 1996, Leighton began his independent career at Columbia, becoming Full Professor in 2004. In recognition of his scholarly contributions in the laboratory and classroom, he was awarded the Arthur C. Cope Scholar award by the American Chemical Society, as well as the Mark Van Doren Award for Teaching, Columbia's most prestigious teaching award.