Organic Chemistry

Energy production is similar mechanistically to other molecular processes that are studied extensively. Hecht played a key role in the development of Hycamtin, a drug used to treat ovarian and lung cancer, as well as the study of the mechanism of the anti-tumor agent bleomycin. In a career spanning more than three decades, Hecht has held both academic and industrial research positions. He joins ASU from the University of Virginia, where he was a professor of both chemistry and biology. From 1981 to 1987, he concurrently held leadership positions in research and development for Smith Kline and French Laboratories. Prior to his 28 years at the University of Virginia, he was a faculty member at MIT. Hecht is the co-founder of Edison Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical company focusing on inherited mitochondrial disorders. He earned a BA in chemistry from the University of Rochester and a PhD in chemistry with emphasis in biochemistry from the University of Illinois.