Former Postdoc, currently working at Roche.

Dainis was born in Riga (Latvia) and studied chemistry at the University of Latvia. After graduating with BSc in Chemistry in 2010, he moved to Canada to carry out his PhD studies at the McGill University in the group of Prof. James L. Gleason. His doctoral research work focused on development of new organocatalyzed transformations, asymmetric catalyst design and novel approaches in cancer drug design and development. After graduation in 2016, Dainis pursued Postdoctoral studies at University of Vienna with Prof. Nuno Maulide to develop novel atom-economical methodologies.
Dainis joined the Sparr group as a postdoctoral researcher in November 2018 and focuses on asymmetric transformations and its applications in chemical synthesis. In his free time, he enjoys biking and fitness training.

Diazepane Carboxylates as Organocatalysts in the Diels–Alder Reaction of α-Substituted Enals
N. O. Häggman, B. Zank, H. Jun, D. Kaldre, J. L. Gleason*
Eur. J. Org. Chem.2018, 39, 5412–5416.

Stereodivergent synthesis of 1,4-dicarbonyls by traceless charge-accelerated sulfonium rearrangement
D. Kaldre, I. Klose, N. Maulide*
Science2018, 361, 664–667.

Efficacy of hybrid vitamin D receptor agonist/histone deacetylase inhibitors in vitamin D-resistant triple-negative 4T1 breast cancer
K. Bijian, D. Kaldre, T. T. Wang, J. Su, M. Bouttier, A. Boucher, M. Alaoui-Jamali, J.H. White, J.L. Gleason*
J. Steroid Biochem. Mol. Biol.2018, 177, 135–139.

Unusual mechanisms in Claisen rearrangements: an ionic fragmentation leading to a meta-selective rearrangement
B. Maryasin, D. Kaldre, R. Galaverna, I. Klose, S. Ruider, M. Drescher, H Kählig, L. Gonzalez, M. N. Eberlin, I. D. Jurberg, N. Maulide*
Chem. Sci.2018, 9, 4124–4131.

An Asymmetric Redox Arylation: Chirality Transfer from Sulfur to Carbon through a Sulfonium [3,3]‐Sigmatropic Rearrangement
D. Kaldre, B. Maryasin, D. Kaiser, O. Gajsek, L. Gonzalez, N. Maulide*
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.2017, 56, 2212–2215.

An Organocatalytic Cope Rearrangement
D. Kaldre, J. L. Gleason*
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.2016, 55, 11557–11557. Very Important Paper

Optimization of histone deacetylase inhibitor activity in non-secosteroidal vitamin D-receptor agonist hybrids
D. Kaldre, T. T. Wang, J. Fischer, J. H. White, J. L. Gleason*
Bioorg. Med. Chem.2015, 23, 5035–5049.

Synthesis and studies of calcium channel blocking and antioxidant activities of novel 4-pyridinium and/or N-propargyl substituted 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives
M. Rucins, D. Kaldreet al.
Comptes Rendus Chimie.2014, 17, 69–80.

Gene delivery agents possessing antiradical activity: Self-assembling cationic amphiphilic 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives
K. Pajuste, Z. Hyvonen, O. Petrichenko, D. Kaldreet al.
New J. Chem.2013, 37, 3062–3075.

Synthetically accessible non-secosteroidal hybrid molecules combining vitamin D receptor agonism and histone deacetylase inhibition
J. Fischer, T. T. Wang, D. Kaldre, N. Rochel, D. Moras, J. H. White, J. L. Gleason*
Chemistry & Biology2012, 19, 963–971.

Effect of the solvent nature on the course of quaternization of 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-2,6-dimethyl-4-(3-pyridyl)-1,4-dihydropyridine
K. Pajuste, M. Gosteva, D. Kaldreet al.
Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds2011, 47, 597.

Use of pyridinium ionic liquids as catalysts for the synthesis of 3,5-bis(dodecyloxycarbonyl)-1,4-dihydropyridine derivative
K. Pajuste, A. Plotniece, K. Kore, L. Intenberga, B. Cekavicus, D. Kaldre, G. Duburs, A. Sobolev*
Cent. Eur. J. Chem.2011, 9, 143–148.

Oxidation of cationic 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives as model compounds for putative gene delivery agents
A. Plotniece, K. Pajuste, D. Kaldre, et al.
Tetrahedron2009, 65, 8344–8349.

Patents

Bis-(aryl/heteroaryl)-methylene compounds, pharmaceutical compositions containing same and their use for treating cancer
J. L. Gleason, J. H. White, D. Kaldre, J. Fischer
June 27, 2013, WO/2013/091082.