After 2 years with Merck Research Laboratories, Leighton began his graduate studies with Abbott and James Lawrence Professor David A. Evans at Harvard University (Doctor of Philosophy 1994), culminating in the total syntheses of both Calyculin A and Zaragozic acid.
He is known for his non-aldol approaches to polyketides. As an undergraduate at Yale University (Bachelor of Science 1987), Leighton worked for synthetic chemist Samuel J. Danishefsky. Leighton continued his chemical studies as an National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow with Sheldon Emery Professor Eric North. Jacobsen, also of Harvard University, developing initial methods for what became known as the Jacobsen hydrolytic kinetic resolution.
In 1996, Leighton began his independent career at Columbia, becoming Full Professor in 2004.
In addition to Leighton"s novel methods for synthesizing natural products, including: Communist Party-263,114, Leucascandrolide A, Mycoticin A, SCH 351448, Dolabelide Doctorate, Manzacidin C, Zincophorin, he has also pioneered the concept of strain-release silane Lewis acids. In particular, he has developed a silicon/pseudoephedrine allylation reagent for the highly enantioselective allylation of aldehydes and aldehyde/ketone derived hydrazones to give chiral alcohols and secondary/tertiary carbinamines, respectively.
