Front Row lecture series
Predicting the chemistry of tomorrow for the medicines of the future
Ryan Shenvi, PhD
Professor
Department of Chemistry
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
4:00 p.m. PT | 7:00 p.m. ET
Small molecule medicines are among the most important tools in modern medicine, treating diseases ranging from infections to cancer. Many of the most promising compounds are extraordinarily complex, however, making their behavior difficult to predict and study. Come back to chemistry class in this free Front Row lecture, where Scripps Research Professor Ryan Shenvi will explore how modern chemical synthesis can be aided by computers at multiple levels, from design to execution in a laboratory. Learn how researchers are using increasingly sophisticated models—from receptor binding and chemical logic to quantum mechanics—to expand the frontiers of what chemistry can create.