James M. Riordan, Ph.D.

Medicinal Chemist
Supervisor, Spectroscopic and Analytical Laboratory
Southern Research Institute
2000 Ninth Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35205
Phone: 205-581-2450
E-mail: riordan@southernresearch.org

Biography

Dr. Riordan was trained as a synthetic organic chemist at The University of Georgia, where he used a 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopy to determine the structure of the compounds synthesized. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in synthetic carbohydrate chemistry with Dr. D.E. Kiely at The University of Alabama at Birmingham's (UAB) Department of Chemistry. During this time, he performed extensive work utilizing a Varian EM390 NMR spectrometer and a Varian 220-MHz spectrometer.

Subsequently, Dr. Riordan joined the NMR Core Facility of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB as a synthetic organic chemist. While working in this capacity, Dr. Riordan gained hands-on experience with a Bruker HFX-90, a CXP 200/300, and a WH 400. In addition to using the NMR spectroscopy for structure determinations on compounds synthesized, he used NMR spectroscopy to study the interaction of analogs of the anticancer drug Bleomycin with calf-thymus DNA and with a poly dA-dT.

Since joining the molecular spectroscopy group at Southern Research in 1984, Dr. Riordan has held the responsibility of operating and maintaining an NT 300 NB, a 300-MHz Nicolet spectrometer. To enhance his capabilities of maintaining the NMR spectrometer, Dr. Riordan has completed the "Electronics and Troubleshooting" course taught by NMR Concepts and Dr. Daniel Traficante. Additionally, he has completed the NMR short course entitled "Methods and Principles of 2D NMR" taught by Dr. LeRoy Johnson and Dr. Gheorghe Mateescu. Dr. Riordan has also participated in a more in-depth course entitled "Two-Dimensional NMR" taught by NMR Concepts and Dr. Daniel Traficante.

Dr. Riordan currently supervises the work of the Spectroscopic and Analytical Laboratory at Southern Research, which provides analytical services such as IR spectroscopy, UV spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy, CHN analysis, and HPLC chromatography. He is also responsible for the SRI database, a chemical structure database of compounds synthesized at Southern Research. When needed, Dr. Riordan utilizes the 600- and 400-MHz spectrometers at UAB's Comprehensive Cancer Center. He has authored and co-authored several papers highlighting research in which the increased dispersion and sensitivity of a higher field NMR spectrometer were necessary.