Dr. Tibor Kurtán | Institute of Chemistry

Studies and degrees

• 1991-1996: undergraduate chemistry studies at the Lajos Kossuth University, Debrecen.
• 1996: MSc degree in chemistry.
• 1996-1999: Ph.D. studies (Chemistry Program), University of Debrecen (UD), Department of Organic Chemistry.
• 2001: Ph.D. degree at the University of Debrecen. Title of the thesis: Chiroptical spectroscopy for the study of O-heterocyclic compounds, secondary monoalcohols and primary monoamines [supervisors: Prof. Dr. Sándor Antus (UD), Prof. Dr. Koji Nakanishi and Prof. Dr. Nina Berova, Columbia University, New York, USA].
• 2010: habilitation, Department of Organic Chemistry, UD.
• 2014: professor of chemistry (D.Sc.).
• 2019: chair of the Department of Organic Chemistry, UD.

Positions

• 2001-2006: assistant lecturer at the Department of Organic Chemistry, Debrecen.
• 2006-2011: assistant professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Debrecen.
• 2011-2016: associate professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Debrecen
• 2016- full professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Debrecen.

Research fellowships

• Tempus Fellowship, New Castle University, UK, 1994 (1 month)
• Tempus Research Fellowship, University of Paderborn, Germany 1999 (3 months)
• Fulbright Research Fellowship, Columbia University, USA, 1999-2000 (14 month)

Research Field

• Stereoselective synthesis and stereochemical studies of flavonoids, related analogues and O,N-heterocycles with potential pharmacological activities.
• Domino ring-closure reactions for the preparation of heterocycles.
• Preparation and stereochemical study of neuroprotective benzene-condensed O- and N-heterocycles.
• Study of the chiroptical properties of the benzene chromophore for the determination of absolute configuration.
• Application of chiroptical methods for the stereochemical study of isolated and synthetic organic compounds in solution and solid-state.

 
Scientific results (02. 2021.)

• publications: 206 SCI papers
• book chapters: 2
• number of SCI citations (total/independent): 4599/3026
• Sum impact factor: 675
• Hirsch-index: 37

International collaborations

• 2000- Prof. Dr. Koji Nakanishi, Prof. Dr. Nina Berova, Columbia University, New York, USA
• 2004-2011 Prof. Dr. Karsten Krohn, Paderborn University, Paderborn, Germany
• 2007- Dr. Gennaro Pescitelli, University of Pisa, Italy
• 2008- Prof. Dr. Yue-Wei Guo, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Shanghai, China
• 2008- Prof. Dr. Yang Ye, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Shanghai, China
• 2008- Prof. Dr. Wen Zhang, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
• 2010- Prof. Dr. Dehai Li, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
• 2011- Prof. Dr. Peter Proksch, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
• 2012- Prof. Dr. Haiyan Zhang, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Shanghai, China
• 2011- Prof. Dr. Zhangsheng Zhang, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou, China
• 2013- Prof. Dr. Bingui Wang, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
• 2014- Prof. Dr. Mary J. Garson, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
• 2009- Prof. Dr. Prasad Polavarapu, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
• 2011- Prof. Dr. Naghmana Rashid, Allama Iqbal Open University, Pakistan
• 2012- Dr. Allan Patrick G. Macabeo, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
• 2014- Prof. Dr. József Sápi, Universite de Reims-Champagne-Ardenne, France
• 2011- Prof. Dr. Peter Francisc, University “Politehnica” of Timisoara, Romania
• 2014- Dr. Valentin Paul Nicu, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

Awards

• 2001 Kajtár Márton Award
• 2002 Award of the Foundation for the Hungarian Drug Research
• 2003-2005 Bolyai János Scholarship
• 2005 Kisfaludy Lajos Award    
• 2006-2007 Öveges József Scholarship
• 2007 Young Scientist Bruckner Award
• 2008-2011 Bolyai János Scholarship
• 2012 Bolyai Award
• 2012 Zemplén Géza Award
• 2017 George Oláh Award

Grants

• Young Scientist Research Grant (Hungarian Scientific Research Fund): Chiroptical spectroscopy for the stereochemical study of organic compounds (2003-2006)
• Hungarian Research Grant (Hungarian Scientific Research Fund and National Office for Research and Technology): Synthesis and stereochemistry of O-heterocycles (2007-2010), HURO project (Hungary-Romania Cross-Border Co-operation Programme): Heterocycles (2011-2012), Hungarian Research Grant (Hungarian Scientific Research Fund): Preparation and stereochemical studies of pharmacologically active natural and synthetic derivatives (2012-2016), Hungarian Research Grant (National Research, Development and Innovation Office): Stereochemistry and stereoselective synthesis of bioactive heterocycles (2016-2020), GINOP (Ministry for National Economy): Chemistry for improving living conditions: fundamental R&D center at the University of Debrecen (2016-2020), GINOP (Ministry for National Economy): Integrated instrumental infrastructure for the research of molecular science and pharmacology (2016-2020).

Ten selected publications

• 1) L.-X. Tao, S.-S. Ji, D. Szalóki, T. Kovács, A. Mándi, S. Antus, X. Ding, T. Kurtán,* H.-Y. Zhang;* An optically active isochroman-2H-chromene conjugate potently suppresses neuronal oxidative injuries associated with the PI3K/Akt and MAPK signaling pathways, Acta Pharmacol. Sin. 2021, 42, 36-44, doi: 10.1038/s41401-020-0391-9.
• 2) W.-S. Li, R.-J. Yan, Y. Yu, Z.i Shi, A. Mándi, L. Shen,* T. Kurtán,* J. Wu;* Determination of the absolute configuration of super-carbon-chain compounds by a combined chemical, spectroscopic, and computational approach: gibbosols A and B, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 13028-13036, doi: 10.1002/anie.202004358.
• 3) Á. Szappanos, A. Mándi, K. Gulácsi, E. Lisztes, B. I. Tóth, T. Bíró, S. Antus, T. Kurtán;* Synthesis and antiproliferative activity of 6-naphthylpterocarpans, Org. Biomol. Chem. 2020, 18, 2148-2162, doi: 10.1039/d0ob00110d.
• 4) Á Szappanos, A. Mándi, K. Gulácsi, E Lisztes, B. I. Tóth, T. Bíró, A. Kónya-Ábrahám Anita, A. Kiss-Szikszai, A. Bényei, S. Antus, T. Kurtán*: Synthesis and HPLC-ECD Study of cytostatic condensed O,N-heterocycles obtained from 3-aminoflavanones, Biomolecules 2020, 10 (10), 1462, doi: 10.3390/biom10101462.
• 5) A. Mándi, T. Kurtán;* Applications of OR/ECD/VCD to the structure elucidation of natural products, Nat. Prod. Rep. 2019, 36 (6), 889-918, doi: 10.1039/c9np00002j.
• 6) W.-S. Li, A. Mándi, J.-J. Liu, L. Shen,* T. Kurtán,* J. Wu:* Xylomolones A–D from the Thai mangrove Xylocarpus moluccensis: assignment of absolute stereostructures and unveiling a convergent strategy for limonoid biosynthesis, J. Org. Chem. 2019, 84 (5), 2596-2606, doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.8b03037.
• 7) H.-L. Li, X.-M. Li, A. Mándi, S. Antus, X. Li, P. Zhang, Y. Liu, T. Kurtán,* B.-G. Wang:* Characterization of cladosporols from the marine algal-derived endophytic fungus Cladosporium cladosporioides EN-399 and configurational revision of the previously reported cladosporol derivatives, J. Org. Chem. 2017, 82 (19), 9946-9954. doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.7b01277.
• 8) L.-H. Meng, C.-Y. Wang, A. Mándi, X.-M. Li, X.-Y. Hu, M. U Kassack,* T. Kurtán,* B.-G. Wang:* Three diketopiperazine alkaloids with spirocyclic skeletons and one bisthiodiketopiperazine derivative from the mangrove-derived endophytic fungus Penicillium brocae MA-231, Org. Lett. 2016, 18 (20), 5304-5307. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.6b02620.
• 9) H. Hussain, K. Krohn,* U. Floerke, B. Schulz, S. Graeger, G. Pescitelli, S. Antus, T. Kurtán: Absolute configurations of globosuxanthone A and secondary metabolites from Microdiplodia sp. - A novel solid-state CD/TDDFT approach, Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2007, 2007, 292-295, doi: 10.1002/ejoc.200600789.
• 10) T. Kurtán, N. Nesnas, Y. Q. Li, X. F. Huang, K. Nakanishi,* N. Berova*: Chiral recognition by CD-sensitive dimeric zinc porphyrin host. 1. Chiroptical protocol for absolute configurational assignments of monoalcohols and primary monoamines, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 5962-5973, doi: 10.1021/ja010249w.