Dr. Julianne Yost was born and raised in Baltimore. She received a B.S. in biochemistry from Cedar Crest College. In 2011, she earned a Ph.D. in chemistry (organic/biological chemistry) from Duke University after which she conducted postdoctoral research in the Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery (CICBDD) at UNC Chapel Hill. She then traveled west to Houston where she served as an instructor at Rice University for nine years, received three teaching awards, and was involved in a number of pedagogical initiatives. She joined the Ursinus faculty in 2020. When not in Pfahler Hall, Dr. Yost enjoys exploring restaurants, baking, rooting for the Duke Blue Devils, and spending time with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs.

Dr. Yost’s research interests lie at the intersection of organic and medicinal chemistry. Her research group focuses on the design and synthesis of small molecule inhibitors of methyltransferases. Arginine and lysine methyltransferases are involved in a variety of human diseases, including cancer, but selective inhibitors are still needed to validate methyltransferases as potential drug targets. Students in her research group gain extensive hands-on experience with organic synthetic techniques, chemical instrumentation, and an overview of the drug discovery process.