Academic Young Investigator’s Symposium (YAS)

We invite you to nominate Organic Chemistry Assistant Professors as potential speakers for the Academic Young Investigator’s Symposium (YAS).

The intent of this program is to recognize Assistant Professors who are entering their fifth or sixth years and who have not yet been considered for tenure. Sixteen speakers are annually invited to give 30-minute presentations on their work at the fall ACS National Meeting.

The nomination may come from the chair of the department or another tenured faculty member. Nominations consist of a nomination letter, confirmation that the nominee will be a fifth or a sixth year assistant professor during Fall 2024, and a copy of the nominee’s CV. Nominations and/or questions on the program can be directed to Huw Davies and Lisa McElwee-White. Nominations are due February 6, 2024. The Symposium for the nominees will be held at the Fall 2024 ACS Meeting.


2023 Academic Young Investigators

Charlie Fehl–Wayne State University
Deciphering cellular glycan codes using chemically-controlled sugar probes

Andrew Buller–University of Wisconsin-Madison
Biocatalytic intermolecular aldol addition into unactivated ketones to access chiral tertiary alcohols

Tian Qin–University of Texas, Southwestern
Into the Next Dimension: Pharmaceutically Relevant sp3-Rich Scaffolds

Julian West–Princeton
A Radical Approach to Organic Chemistry

Justin Kim–Harvard
Expanding the functional repertoire of bioorthogonal chemistry

Fabio Juliá–Universidad de Murcia
New tools for sustainable photoinduced catalysis

Jamie Neely–Saint Louis University
New methods for C–N and C–C bond formation based on unique reactivity in iron complexes

Joel Smith–Florida State University
Redox-Economic Alkaloid Synthesis

Neha Garg–Georgia Tech University
Untargeted metabolomics approach-based discovery of thiomethylation of exo- and endogenous metabolites by Burkholderia cenocepacia

Alesia Tietze–Goteborgs Universitet
Peptide chemical engineering: from substrate-derived inhibitors to bioconjugation techniques

Abigail Knight–University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Exploring the Chemical Diversity of Synthetic Macromolecules for Tunable Catalysts

Courtney Roberts–University of Minnesota
Synthesis of N-Heterocycles via Aryne Intermediates

Matthew Golder–University of Washington
Masquerading Soft Materials: Using Synthesis to Unveil Anomalous Behavior in Macromolecular Design

Shauna Paradine–University of Rochester
Unconventional ligand platforms in palladium catalysis for the construction of organic molecular scaffolds

Michael Schulz–Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Glycopolymers for antiviral and antibacterial applications

Andrew Roberts–University of Utah
Natural product-inspired peptide cyclization strategies and applications

2022 Academic Young Investigators

Christo Sevov–The Ohio State University
Mediator-Assisted Electroreductive C(sp2)–C(sp3) Coupling Reactions

Vinayak Agarwal–Georgia Institute of Technology
A non-functional halogenase masquerades as an aromatizing dehydratase in biosynthesis of pyrrolic polyketides by type I polyketide synthases

Grace Han–Brandeis University
Design of organic photoswitches for optically-controlled phase transition and energy applications

Yiming Wang–University of Pittsburgh
Metal-enabled deprotonation for catalytic α-C–H functionalization chemistry

Sidi Bencherif–Northeastern University, Boston
Engineering injectable polymeric cryogels for biomedical applications

Ming Joo Koh–National University of Singapore
N-Heterocyclic carbene-nickel complexes as catalysts for site- and stereoselective olefin carbofunctionalizations

Joseph Badillo–Seton Hall University
Development of novel photoacids and photoacid-catalyzed reactions

Quentin Michaudel–Texas A&M University, College Station
Sulfur(VI) Fluoride Exchange (SuFEx): A Versatile Click Reaction for the Synthesis of Macromolecules and Drug-like Compounds

Davide Audisio–Commissariat a l’energie atomique et aux energies alternatives Siege administratif, Gif-sur-Yvette
Direct carbon isotope exchange of pharmaceuticals via reversible decyanation

Steven Lopez–Northeastern University, Boston
Photodynamics simulations explain photochemical reactivity and selectivities towards strained molecules

Luca Dell’Amico–University of Padova
Moving from Direct Photochemistry to Photoredox Catalysis – A Mechanistic Adventure

Rashad Karimov–Auburn University
Transition metal catalysis for heteroarene dearomatization and natural product synthesis

Maxwell Robb–California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Force-Induced Covalent Bond Transformations: Molecular Design Strategies and Unusual Reactivity

Shouvik Bhuin; Purbali Chakraborty–Birla Institute of Technology & Science Pilani – Hyderabad Campus, Hyderabad, Telangana
Napthalene-thianthrene linked twisted small π-conjugates: Aggregation-Induced Emission (AIE), Viscofluorochromism and Bio-imaging of live FaDu cancer cell line

Zachary Wickens–University Wisconsin, Madison
New Strategies in Alkene Functionalization

Angelica de Iobbi–Oregon State University
Achieving Tropical Fruit Aromas in White Wine through Innovative Winemaking Processes

2021 Academic Young Investigators

Monica Helvia Perez-Temprano–Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
Deciphering mechanisms to design better catalytic reactions

Liam T. Ball–University of Nottingham
Bismuth-mediated C-H arylation

Elizabeth Elacqua–The Pennsylvania State University
Organic photoredox catalysis under confinement

Gavin Chit Tsui–The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Stereoselective palladium-catalyzed C-F bond activation of tetrasubstituted gem-difluoroalkenes

Tim Cernak–University of Michigan
Chemical synthesis at the interface of data science

Jeffrey Bandar–Colorado State University
New base-promoted reductive and oxidative coupling reactions

Jeanne L Bolliger–Oklahoma State University
New oxidative strategies for the synthesis of sulfur containing heterocycles

Vincent Lindsay–North Carolina State University
Enantioselective synthesis and applications of sulfonylcyclopropanols as modular cyclopropanone and homoenolate equivalents

Martin Conda-Sheridan–University of Nebraska
Organic and medicinal chemistry meeting biophysics: Solving microbiological problems

Semin Lee–Louisiana State University
Alkyne metathesis: Catalysts, cages, and hoops

Julia Kalow–Northwestern University
From mechanism to materials in photocontrolled polymer networks

Phillip Milner–Cornell University
Simplifying synthesis at the interface of organic and materials chemistry using porous frameworks


2020 Academic Young Investigators

Christopher Turlington–Hope College
Cross-linked poly(4-vinylpyridine-N-oxide) as a polymer-supported oxygen atom transfer reagent

Masayuki Wasa–Boston College
Recent Advances in Enantioselective Cooperative Catalysis

Wei-chen Chang–North Carolina State University
Demystify Chemical Logics of Fe/2OG Enzyme Catalyzed Reactions in Natural Product Biosynthesis and Beyond

Osvaldo Gutierrez–University of Maryland
Combining Theory and Experiment to Develop Selective Iron-Catalyzed Conjunctive Cross-Coupling Reactions

Sarah Wengryniuk–TempleUniversity
Novel Umpolung Transformations Enabled by Nitrogen-Ligated Hypervalent Iodine Reagents

Hans Renata–Scripps Research Institute
Biocatalytic C–H oxidation as an enabling tool for complex molecule synthesis

Silvia Marchesan–University of Trieste
Entry in Supramolecular Wonderland through the Mirror

Sophie Rousseaux–University of Toronto
Strategies for selective C–C and C–O bond cleavage in cyclopropanols

Keary Engle–Scripts Research Institute
Catalytic Difunctionalization of Alkenes with Chiral Transient Directing Groups

David Olson–UC Davis
Iboga alkaloids as inspiration for plasticity-promoting neurotherapeutics

Ming Chen–Auburn University
Catalytic Asymmetric Stereochemical Control via Unsaturated Organoboron Compounds

Valerie Schmidt–UC San Diego
Sequential Atom-Transfer Radical Addition Strategies for Chemical Synthesis

Sunkyu Han–KAIST
Biosynthetically inspired/inspiring synthesis of complex natural products

Joseph Topczewski–University of Minnesota
Azides and Heterocycles: Fun with Dynamic Chemistry and Reactive Intermediates

Ampofo Darko–University of Tennessee
Tethered axial coordination as a control element on dirhodium paddlewheel complexes

Song Lin–Cornell University
Amping Up Organic Synthesis with Electricity: An Electrocatalytic Approach to Reaction Discovery


2019 Academic Young Investigators

Jeremy M. Baskin–Cornell University
Chemical tools that IMPACT lipid signaling

Robert W. Huigens–University of Florida
Harnessing the Indole Heterocycle to Rapidly Access Complex and Diverse Compounds from Indole Alkaloids

Nathan T. Jui–Emory University
Catalytic strategies to selectively manupulate aryl radicals and strong C–F bonds

Andrew McNally–Colorado State University
Selective Functionalization of Pyridines, Diazines and Pharmaceuticals via Heterocyclic Phosphonium Salts.

Jianguo Mei–Purdue University
Semiconducting polymer blends: Bringing the best of both worlds for organic electronics

David A. Nagib–Ohio State
C–H and C–O functionalization via radical chaperones

Alison R. H. Narayan–University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Biocatalysis and complex molecule synthesis

Ming-Yu Ngai–SUNY, Stonybrook
Development of novel chemical tools for accessing unexplored chemical spaces

David C. Powers–Texas A&M
Development of High-Valent Aerobic Oxidation Catalysis

Sergey V. Pronin–UC Irvine
New methods and strategies in the synthesis of natural products

Jennifer L. Roizen–Duke University
Alcohol and amine derivatives guide position-selective C–H functionalization reactions

Indrajeet Sharma–University of Oklahoma
Stereoselective Carbene Annulations for Assembling Molecular Complexity

Ellen M. Sletten–UCLA
Flavylium polymethine fluorophores for imaging in the shortwave infrared region

Thomas Snaddon–Indiana University
Enantioselective Chemical Synthesis Methods via Cooperative Catalysis

2018 Academic Young Investigators

Jason Crawford-Yale University
Spontaneous behaviors and bond strains affect marriages (with your microbiome).

Tianning Diao-New York University
Strategies for promoting nickel-catalyzed alkene functionalization.

Brett Fors-Cornell University
Controlled cationic polymerizations regulated by light.

Alexander Grenning-University of Florida, Gainesville
Standardizing complex terpenoid synthesis.

Michael Hilinski-University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Organocatalysis of site-selective C-H hydroxylation and amination reactions.

Steven Liang-Harvard Medical School/Harvard
Spirocyclic iodonium ylide (SCIDY) mediated 18F-fluorination: A general method for the preparation of PET radiopharmaceuticals.

Peng Liu-University of Pittsburgh
Computational studies of functionalization of C-H, C-C bonds and olefins.

Justin Mohr-University of Illinois
Regio- and stereocontrol with anions and radicals.

Stephen Newman-University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Catalytic activation of esters: A high-throughput approach to reaction discovery.

David Sarlah-University of Illinois, Urbana
Enabling synthesis: Natural products and simple arenes.

Christof Sparr-University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Catalyst-controlled synthesis of stereochemically complex atropisomers.

Michal Szostak-Rutgers University, Newark, NJ
Cross-coupling of amides by N–C activation.

Ian Tonks-University of Minnesota
New frontiers in oxidative catalysis with early transition metals.

Steven Townsend-Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Human milk glycome as a defense against pathogens.

Carl-johan Wallentin-Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Acyl radical chemistry: In the age of photoredox catalysis.

2017 Academic Young Investigators

Yossi Weizmann-University of Chicago
Synthetic nucleic acid topology and their biological applications

Clifford Stains-University of Nebraska
New fluorophore scaffolds for chemical biology

Eric Brustad-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
New recipes for biocatalysis: Expanding the cytochrome P450 chemical landscape

Kamil Godula-University of California, La Jolla
Chemical methods for tailoring glycan interactions at the cell-matrix interface

Timothy Newhouse-Yale University
Mechanistically-defined methods for synthesis of neuroactive small molecules

Alon Gorodetsky-University of California, Irvine
Synthesis of designer organic nanowires and nanoribbons

Rebekka Klausen-Johns Hopkins University
Strategic nanomaterial synthesis

Randall Goldsmith-University of Wisconsin, Madison
Can single-molecule spectroscopy be a tool for mechanistic organometallic chemistry?

Jennifer Stockdill-Wayne State University
Strategies and methods for the synthesis of topologically complex natural products

Christopher Uyeda-Purdue University
Catalysis at metal–metal bonds

Kami Hull-University of Illinois, Urbana
Transition metal catalyzed amination and amidation reactions

Corinna Schindler-University of Michigan
Catalytic carbonyl-olefin metathesis

Levi Stanley-Iowa State University
Catalytic hydroacylation and carboacylation of olefins: A platform for synthesis of heterocyclic and carbocyclic ketones

2016 Academic Young Investigators

Kimberly S. Petersen-University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Novel Brønsted acid catalyzed methods for the synthesis of enantioenriched small molecules

Junha Jeon-University of Texas at Arlington
Catalytic silylation reactions: Organosilanes and organosilanols–environmentally benign, versatile synthetic building blocks, and synthetic targets

Mingji Dai-Purdue University
Catalytic carbonylation enabled total synthesis

John Bower-University of Bristol, England
Catalytic chirality generation: new strategies for heterocyclic chemistry

Marion Emmert-Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Breaking strong bonds: Adventures in sustainable chemistry

Simon Meek-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Metal-catalyzed C–C bond forming reactions involving boron-stabilized organometallic nucleophiles

William M. Wuest-Temple University
Deciphering the mode of action of rhizosphere natural products via diverted total synthesis

Jean-Philip Lumb-McGill University, Canada
Bio-inspired oxidations applied to the synthesis of small molecules and functional materials

Joshua G. Pierce-North Carolina State University
Marine natural product synthesis: A platform for chemical and biological discovery

Yimon Aye-Cornell University
Targeting gain-of-function redox events that safeguard metazoan health

Jane M. Liu-Pomona College
Creating riboswitch-based whole cell biosensors for small organic molecules

David Margulies-Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Molecules that generate fingerprints: A new class of fluorescent probes for chemical biology and cryptography

Catherine L. Grimes-University of Delaware
Peptidoglycan and you, perfect together?

Ratmir Derda-University of Alberta, Canada
Synthesis and utility of genetically-encoded libraries of peptide derivatives

Marco Bonizzoni-University of Alabama
Dendritic polyelectrolytes as water-soluble supramolecular hosts

Marcelo I. Guzman-University of Kentucky
Probing interfacial chemistry: Photocatalytic reductions and heterogeneous oxidations

2015 Academic Young Investigators

Adam Braunschweig-University of Miami
Increasing the scope of organic reactions and tools for tailoring the biotic/abiotic interface

M. Kevin Brown-Indiana University
No strain, no gain: Advances in the synthesis and use of cyclobutanes

David Chenoweth-University of Pennsylvania
Chemical tools for probing, manipulating, and imaging biological systems

Tanja Gaich-Leibniz University, Hannover, Germany
Generalized total synthesis of the sarpagine alkaloids

Dennis Gillingham-University of Basel, Switzerland
Some hard lessons in bioconjugation: When is what important, and why

Ming Hammond-University of California, Berkeley
RNA-based fluorescent biosensors for visualizing enzyme reactions

Jason Hein-University of California, Merced
Leveraging process analytical technology to enable reaction discovery and optimization

Christopher Jeffrey-University of Nevada-Reno
Natural products diversity inspires new reaction development and impacts insect biodiversity

Amanda Jones-Wake Forest University
Structure and reactivity of gold (I) complexes relevant to catalysis

Dipannita Kalyani-St. Olaf College
Palladium and nickel catalyzed carbon-carbon bond formation

Xinyu Liu-University of Pittsburgh
Emerging view on hapalindole-type alkaloid biogenesis

Michael Pluth-University of Oregon
Chemical tools for investigating biological hydrogen sulfide

Jennifer Prescher-University of California, Irvine
Expanding the bioorthogonal toolkit

Alexander Radosevich-Pennsylvania State University
Design and application of biphilic organophosphorus catalysts

Qiu Wang-Duke University
New amination strategies to access biologically important nitrogen-containing molecules

Hao Xu-Georgia State University
Searching for new reactivity: Iron-catalyzed stereoselective olefin aminohydroxylation and aminofluorination reactions

2014 Academic Young Investigators

Mark R. Biscoe-City College of New York
Stereospecific metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions using optically active nucleophiles

Paul H.-Y. Cheong-Oregon State University
Hypotheses, mechanism, and stereocontrol in peptide-catalyzed acylation reactions

Daniel A. Clark-Syracuse University
Ruthenium hydride catalyzed silylvinylation of alkynes

Mitchell P. Croatt-University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Synergistic use of step-saving strategies in the synthesis of clinprost

Christoforos G. Kokotos-University of Athens
Amino acids, their derivatives and activated ketones: Organocatalysts for asymmetric transformations and green oxidations

László Kürti-University of Texas, Southwestern
New methods for the rapid synthesis of biaryl ligands and N-heterocycles

Gojko Lalic-University of Washington
New methods for hydrofunctionalization of unsaturated compounds

Mindy Levine-University of Rhode Island
Macrocycle-promoted energy transfer for broad-based toxicant detection

Pavel Nagorny-University of Michigan
Development of new organocatalytic acetalization reactions

Robert S. Paton-University of Oxford
Computational discoveries of organic stereostructures and selectivities

Jonathan G. Rudick-Stony Brook University
Multifunctional and multivalent molecular architectures via multicomponent reactions

Sourav Saha-Florida State University
Boundaries of anion/p-acid interactions: From anion-p interactions to charge transfer and electron transfer events

Eric Robert Strieter-University of Wisconsin
Using chemical tools to explore ubiquitin signaling

Mary P. Watson-University of Delaware
Transition metal catalysis of non-traditional electrophiles

Arthur H. Winter-Iowa State University
Chemical tools for biological applications: A physical organic chemistry approach

Sheryl L. Wiskur-University of South Carolina
Kinetic resolutions by silylation: Substrate scope and mechanistic investigations

2013 Academic Young Investigators

Ivan Aprahamian-Dartmouth College
Hydrazone-based switches, fluorophores and switches

Brandon L. Ashfeld-Notre Dame University
Exploiting Unconventional Reactivity for Natural Products and Designed Materials Synthesis

Erin E. Carlson-Indiana University
Chemoselective enrichment for natural products discovery

Timothy B. Clark-University of San Diego
Substrate-directed ortho C-H borylation of substituted arenes

David A. Colby-Purdue University
Synthesis of Fluorinated Organic Compounds using the Release of Trifluoroacetate

Constatin Czekelius-Freie Universitat Berlin
Enantioselective functionalization of terminal alkynes by gold catalysis

Rudi Fasan-Rochester University
Synthesis and Evolution of Organo-Peptide Macrocycles for Modulation of Protein Complexes

Matthew Fuchter-Imperial College London
Harnessing the Potential of Helicenes

W. Seth Horne-University of Pittsburgh
Sequence-guided backbone alteration for the mimicry of protein tertiary folding

Ramesh Jasti-Boston University
Bottom-up organic synthesis of carbon nanotubes

Ognjen S. Miljanic-University of Houston
Self-sorting of dynamic combinatorial libraries under irreversible physical and chemical stimuli

E. James Petersson-University of Pennsylvania
Thioamides: Minimalist chromophores for monitoring protein dynamics

Javier Read de Alaniz-University of California, Santa Barbara
New advances in the construction of C–N and C–O bonds for organic synthesis

Jennifer M. Schomaker-University of Wisconsin
New transformations mediated by coinage metal catalysts

Uttam K. Tambar-University of Texas, Southwestern
Catalytic asymmetric molecular rearrangements

Daniel J. Weix-University of Rochester
Cross-electrophile coupling reactions: No carbon nucleophiles required

2012 Academic Young Investigators

Erik J. Alexanian-University of North Carolina
New synthetic transformations using alkenes: From transition metal catalysis to metal-free radical reactions

Aaron Aponick-University of Florida
Substitution reactions of allylic and propargylic alcohols

Gong Chen-Pennsylvania State University
New C-H functionalization methods for organic synthesis

Stefan France-Georgia Institute of Technology
Letting chemistry take the lead: Catalytic approaches toward diverse skeletal complexity

Annaliese K. Franz-University of California, Davis
Hydrogen-bonding properties of organic silanols for asymmetric catalysis

Jeffrey B Johnson-Hope College
Transition metal-catalyzed activation of carbon-carbon single bonds: Mechanistic understanding leading to new methodologies

Isaac J. Krauss-Brandeis University
Combining organic synthesis with evolution to design HIV vaccine candidates

Ryan E. Looper-University of Utah
Propargylguanidine hydroaminations and their application to important hetereocyclic systems

Ruben Martin-Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia
Metal-catalyzed activation of inert molecular bonds

Cristina Nevado-Blazquez, University of Zürich
Dual roles in gold catalysis

Scott T. Phillips-Pennsylvania State University
Reagents and strategies for amplifying signal

Webster L. Santos-Virgina Tech
Activation of diboron reagents: Catalytic copper-catalyzed borylation of electrophilic alkenes

Mihaela Stefan-University of Texas, Dallas,
Benzodithiophene semiconducting polymers for bulk heterojunction solar cells

Jimmy Wu-Dartmouth College
New methodolologies in sulfur chemistry

Hang (Hubert) Yin-University of Colorado
Targeting toll-Like receptors

Wei Zhang-University of Colorado
Development and applications of dynamic covalent chemistry (DCC): From 2D and 3D molecular architectures to organic functional materials

2011 Academic Young Investigators

Zachary T. Ball-Rice University
Diverse structures and functions of dirhodium metallopeptides

Suzanne A. Blum-University of California, Irvine
Dual catalysis with organogold intermediates

Reto Dorta-University of Zürich
New carbon- and sulfur-based ligands in late-transition metal catalysis

Tom G. Driver-University of Illinois, Chicago Circle
Transition metal-catalyzed synthesis of N-heterocycles from azides: Relationship between structure and mechanism

Neil Garg-University of California, Los Angeles
Complex molecule synthesis as a fuel for discovery

Sukwon Hong-University of Florida
Development of cooperative catalysts featuring transition metal and hydrogen-bonding

Roger G. Linington-University of California, Santa Cruz
Natural products for the 21st century: Drug development and target identification of lead compounds against African sleeping sickness

Géraldine Masson-Institute for the chemistry of natural substances CNRS
Enamides as versatile nucleophiles in enantioselective synthesis of chiral amines

Hien M.Nguyen-University of Iowa
Catalytic transformations of allylic and glycosyl imidates

Bradley L. Nilsson-University of Rochester
Tuning peptide self-assembly for the preparation of bioactive materials

Jared T. Shaw-University of California, Davis
Multicomponent strategies for organic synthesis

Herman O. Sintim-University of Maryland
Concise syntheses and biological evaluations of next generation anti-infective agents

Jayaraman Sivaguru-North Dakota State University
Light induced asymmetric reactions in solution

Corey R. J. Stephenson-Boston University
Photoredox catalysis: Enabling chemical synthesis with visible light

Kian Tan-Boston College
General method for controlling regio- and stereoselectivity

Weiping Tang-University of Wisconsin
Synthesis of five, six, seven, and eight-membered rings via rhodium (I) catalyzed isomerization of propargyl esters

2010 Academic Young Investigators

Michel D. Best-University of Tennessee
Chemical approaches to the investigation of protein-membrane binding interactions using synthetic lipid probes

Simon B. Blakey-Emory University
Metallonitrene/alkyne metathesis and beyond: Transition metal catalyzed oxidative amination for organic synthesis

Roman Boulatov-University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana
Chemical insights from molecular force probes

Kate S. Carroll-University of Michigan
Painting the cysteine chapel: New tools to probe oxidation biology

Vy M. Dong-University of Toronto, Canada
An enantioselective approach to lactones: Design, scope, and mechanism

Amar H. Flood-Indiana University
Strong CH hydrogen bonds and the photodriven regulation of anions

Rebecca Jane Miriam Goss-University of East Anglia, UK
New unnatural products by harnessing biosynthesis

Elizabeth R. Jarvo-University of California, Irvine
Design and Development of Catalytic Reactions Involving Organometallic Nucleophiles

Tristan Lambert-Columbia University
Cyclopropenones and Cyclopropenium Ions: Reaction Design and Catalysis

Shih-Yuan Liu-University of Oregon
Developing the basic science and applications of boron(B)-nitrogen(N)-containing heterocycles

Tobias Ritter-Harvard University
Transition-metal catalyzed fluorination

Jason K. Sello-Brown University
Engineering Streptomyces Bacteria as Lignocellulosic Biorefineries

Brent S. Sumerlin-Southern Methodist University
Stimuli-responsive polymer-protein conjugates and “sweet-tooth” micelles

Regan J. Thomson-Northwestern University
The development and application of carbon–carbon bond forming reactions for organic synthesis

Douglas B. Weibel-University of Wisconsin
Studying the bacterial cytoskeleton using a chemical biological approach provides new opportunities for antibiotic development

Ming Xian-Washington State University
Chemical tools for mapping protein S-nitrosation

2009 Academic Young Investigators

Hans-Dieter Arndt-Max Planck Institute, Dortmund
Chemical-biology studies inspired by thiopeptide natural products

André M. Beauchemin-University of Ottawa
Amination methodologies providing access to various saturated and unsaturated nitrogen heterocycles

Paul R. Blakemore-Oregon State University
Stereospecific reagent controlled homologation of boronic esters with enantioenriched chiral carbenoids

Martin D. Burke-University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana
Synthesis and study of small molecules with protein-like functions

Chuo Chen-University of Texas, Southwestern
Synthesis of marine natural products

Don M. Coltart-Duke University
Leveraging the reactivity of thioesters and activated hydrazones in the development of new synthetic methods: applications to natural products synthesis

Malika Jeffries-EL-Iowa State University
Synthesis and characterization of 2,6-disubstituted benzobisazoles: New building blocks for conjugated materials

Matthew P. Meyer-University of California, Merced
New methods for mechanistic inquiry into asymmetric reactions

Forrest E. Michael-University of Washington
Metal- and acid-catalyzed alkene amination reactions for heterocycle synthesis

Jon T. Njardarson-Cornell University
The development of new synthetic methods

Derek Pratt-Queens University
New and Old in Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidant Chemistry

Richmond Sarpong-University of California, Berkeley
New strategies and tactics inspired by natural products

Linda S. Shimizu-University of South Carolina
Cyclic bis-ureas: Applications as hosts for molecular recognition and as reliable supramolecular assembly units.

Christopher D. Vanderwal-University of California, Irvine
New applications of the Zincke ring opening of pyridines for complex molecule synthesis

Teshik P. Yoon-University of Wisconsin
New approaches to redox catalysis

Liming Zhang-University of Nevada-Reno
Au-catalyzed organic reactions

2008 Academic Young Investigators

Christopher W. Bielawski-University of Texas, Austin
N-heterocyclic carbenes: New applications in materials chemistry

Alexander Deiters-North Carolina State University
Synthetic chemical tools for the regulation of biological processes

Nicholas E. Leadbeater-University of Connecticut
Exploring the world of microwave-promoted organic synthesis

Mohammed Movassaghi-Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Complex alkaloid total synthesis

Jonathan R. Nitschke-University of Cambridge
Directed self-assembly within systems of subcomponents

Shana J. Sturla-University of Minnesota
Probing chemical reactions in bioactivation-mediated genotoxicity

Adam R. Urbach-Trinity University
Molecular recognition and sensing of peptides by self-assembled synthetic receptors

Armen Zakarian-Florida State University/University of California, Santa Barbara
Marine natural products as an avenue for development of new reactions

2007 Academic Young Investigators

Vladimir B. Birman-Washington University
Design, development and applications of a new class of enantioselective acyl transfer catalysts

Ned B. Bowden-University of Iowa
Metathesis in cascade reactions with PDMS thimbles and the synthesis of comb block copolymers for new photonic band gap materials

Ronald K. Castellano-University of Florida
Functional materials from unconventional donor-acceptor molecules

Christopher J. Chang-University of California, Berkeley
Chemical approaches to understanding peroxide biology in the brain

Sherry R. Chemler-University of Buffalo
Recent developments in copper-facilitated nitrogen heterocycle synthesis

Xi Chen-University of California, Davis
Chemoenzymatic synthesis of carbohydrates with natural and non-natural modifications

Alison J. Frontier-University of Rochester
Development of Nazarov cyclization chemistry for natural product synthesis

Justin P. Gallivan-Emory University
Guiding bacteria with small molecules and RNA

T. Keith Hollis-University of Mississippi
CCC-NHC Ligands: Carbene ligand scaffolds for catalyst design with broader applications

Michael P. Jennings-University of Alabama
Efforts toward the total syntheses of natural products via oxocarbenium cations

Lara K. Mahal-University of Texas, Austin
Analyzing the dynamic glycome via chemical biology

Glenn C. Micalizio-Yale University
Directed carbometalation reactions for convergent C–C bond construction

Mary Kay H. Pflum-Wayne State University
Chemical approaches to monitor protein phosphorylation

Dean J. Tantillo-University of California, Davis
Carbocation cascades in the biosynthesis of polycyclic terpenoid natural products

Ling Zang-Southern Illinois University
Self-assembly of high quality nanowires from rigid, planar aromatic molecules and applications in optoelectronic sensing

Yan Zhao-Iowa State University
Learning from nature: A conformational approach to responsive supramolecular hosts, catalysts, and sensors

2006 Academic Young Investigators

Paramjit S. Arora-New York University
New chemical reactions for site-selective protein modification

Helen E. Blackwell-University of Wisconsin
Expanding the language of bacterial communication with synthetic ligands

Michael D. Burkhart-University of California, San Diego
Coenzyme A and natural product biosynthesis

Steven L. Castle-Brigham Young University
New strategies for the synthesis of unusual peptides and alkaloids

Stephen L. Craig-Duke University
From mechanism to mechanics in molecules and materials

Joseph M. Fox-University of Delaware
Strain as a design principle for synthesis

Mathew B. Francis-University of California, Berkeley
New chemical reactions for site-selective protein modification

Kazunori Koide-University of Pittsburgh
Organic synthesis as a tool to address biological problems

D. Tyler McQuade-Cornell University
One-pot multi-catalyst reactions enabled by encapsulated catalysts

Eric Meggers-University of Pennsylvania
Chemical biology with organometallics

Christian E. Schafmeister-University of Pittsburgh
Bis-Amino acids: A new technology for synthesizing macromolecules with designed shapes

David A. Vicic-University of Arkansas
Organometallic aspects of alkyl-alkyl cross-coupling catalysis

Alice Y. Ting-Massachusetts Institute of Technology
New chemical reporters for imaging protein function and trafficking in live cells

Lawrence J. Williams-Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Total synthesis of psymberin

John P. Wolfe-University of Michigan
Palladium-catalyzed carboetherification and carboamination reactions for the stereoselective synthesis of oxygen and nitrogen heterocycles