William Pomerantz

Background & Expertise 

William C.K. Pomerantz joined the chemistry faculty at the University of Minnesota in 2012, was promoted to associate professor in 2018 and full professor in 2023. He is currently the Merck Professor of Chemistry. His research focuses on the development of chemical biology and medicinal chemistry approaches for modulating transcription factor function through disruption of protein-protein interactions, as well as environmental analysis of persistent fluorochemicals. Several areas of innovation have included the application of protein-observed 19F NMR (PrOF NMR) for fragment-based drug discovery, development of new epigenetic inhibitors of BET and non-BET bromοdomains, the design of highly fluorinated molecules for 19F MRI and sustainable organofluorine chemistry including PFAS detection. He is currently the co-director of the NIH T32 Chemistry Biology Interface Training Grant, and was a former WEC liaison for the department of chemistry. At the University of Minnesota his research and educational accomplishments have been recognized at the college and university level, including a Land Grant McKnight award, a Borja Research Award, a McKnight Presidential fellowship, a Morse Alumni teaching award and the George W. Taylor/CSE Alumni Society Award for Distinguished Teaching.