My laboratory is nationally recognized for developing syntheses and providing cancer related chemical carcinogens and chemopreventive agents. The focus of my research is to investigate the mechanisms of chemical carcinogenesis as a tool for developing chemopreventive strategies to reduce the morbidity and mortality from cancer. Our focus has been on structure-activity studies with mutagenic and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) wherein we prepare specific model compounds among PAH mutagens, carcinogens, and their metabolites for bioassays and for exploration of DNA and protein adducts. Also, we have gained a great deal of experience with the synthesis, metabolic conversion, and adduct formation of carcinogenic tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines. In addition to chemical carcinogenesis, our research has simultaneously addresses the area of cancer chemoprevention, which has resulted in the development of several chemopreventive/chemotherapeutic agents and an understanding of their mechanisms of action.