Dr. Darren Derksen

Professor

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Biography

Darren Derksen is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Calgary and serves as the Associate Head (Research) for the department. He is a Full Member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, as well as the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute. His research focuses on synthetic organic chemistry and its application to the preparation of biologically active compounds, particularly in the context of developing novel therapeutics for cancer treatment. Derksen's work emphasizes the systematic study of natural products and aims to create natural product analogs that are synthesized in environmentally friendly and scalable manners, demonstrating high selectivity for target receptors. He leads a multidisciplinary research team dedicated to understanding molecular interactions that elicit desired biological responses. Derksen has an educational background with a B.S. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Alberta, followed by a Ph.D. in the same field from the same institution.

Research Interests

Awards

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GSA Excellence in Supervision Award

Courses

Organic Chemistry Selected Topics in Chemistry Selected Topics in Organic Chemistry

Requirements for University of Calgary

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.3
IELTS
Listening
Required:6
Reading
Required:6
Writing
Required:6
Speaking
Required:6
Overall
Required:7
TOEFL
Listening
Required:20
Reading
Required:20
Writing
Required:20
Speaking
Required:20
Total
Required:97
GRE General
Verbal
Required:150
Quantitative
Required:159
Analytical Writing
Required:5.5
Overall
Required:5.5
Prerequisites
4-year Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent 3rd or 4th year course in Theory of Computation 3rd or 4th year course in Software Engineering 3rd or 4th year course in Systems (OS, Compilers, Networking) 3rd or 4th year course in Application (AI, Graphics, Databases)
Application Checklist
  • Unofficial Transcripts
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Two Letters of Reference
Specialization Notes

Department of Computer Science Master's program. GRE scores are expected for international students.