Our research group develops new pericyclic strategies for the convergent synthesis of biologically important molecular frameworks while advancing fundamental understanding of structure and reactivity. A hallmark of our approach is the design of atypical cycloaddition partners with extensive heteroatom incorporation and/or unsaturation to unlock distinctive reactivity and minimize subsequent functional-group interconversions. We have applied this chemistry in the synthesis of natural products and FDA-approved drugs, the investigation of relationships between biosynthesis and biological activity, and the development of new methods for bioconjugation.