Rate My Professor Michael Jung

Michael E. Jung is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, Los Angeles, holding the Walter and Shirley Wang Chair in Medicinal Drug Discovery. He earned his B.A. summa cum laude from Rice University in 1969 and his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1973 under Gilbert Stork, followed by a NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship at ETH Zürich with Albert Eschenmoser. Jung joined the UCLA faculty in 1974 as an Assistant Professor, advancing through the ranks to full Professor in 1983, Distinguished Professor in 2004, and UC Presidential Chair in Medicinal Chemistry from 2018 to 2021. He currently directs the David Geffen School of Medicine Bioscience Synthetic Chemistry Core Facility, holds an adjunct appointment in the Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, and serves as Associate Dean for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Division of Physical Sciences.

Jung's research centers on synthetic organic and medicinal chemistry, designing novel small molecules as drug candidates for prostate cancer, breast cancer, viral infections, neurodegenerative diseases, muscular dystrophy, and other conditions. His group developed enzalutamide and apalutamide, FDA-approved antiandrogens for advanced prostate cancer, as reported in "Development of a second-generation antiandrogen for treatment of advanced prostate cancer" (Science, 2009) and "ARN-509: a novel antiandrogen for prostate cancer treatment" (Cancer Research, 2012). Additional landmark publications include "gem-Disubstituent Effect: Theoretical Basis and Synthetic Applications" (Chemical Reviews, 2005) and "The metabolite α-ketoglutarate extends lifespan by inhibiting ATP synthase and TOR" (Nature, 2014). With over 25 patents, more than 20,000 citations, and 95 Ph.D. students mentored, his work has transformed drug discovery. Jung has garnered prestigious honors, including the 2025 National Academy of Sciences Award for Chemistry in Service to Society, the 2025 ACS MEDI Edward E. Smissman Award, the 2026 ACS MEDI Gertrude Elion Award, induction into the ACS Division of Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame (2024), the 2022 IUPAC-Richter Prize in Medicinal Chemistry, and the 2015 AACR Team Science Award.