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Department of Chemistry research interestsOur department has many faculty members who are currently accepting graduate students. This page provides a short summary of the faculty members and their research programs. You are encouraged to contact them to find out more information about their research programs and for guidance in the application process. The full list of chemistry faculty members is available here.

Professor Lindsay Cahill, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Lindsay Cahill

B.Sc., Ph.D. McMaster

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physical chemistry, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, medical imaging

Our research group is focussed on identifying the mechanisms and improving the diagnosis of complications during pregnancy. Using advanced imaging technologies, such as high-resolution magic angle spinning magnetic resonance spectroscopy, in combination with animal models, we aim to further our understanding of metabolic abnormalities associated with pregnancy and the consequences for brain development.

Karl Jobst, Professor of Chemistry, Environmental Mass Spectrometry

Karl Jobst

B.Sc., Ph.D. McMaster

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Environmental mass spectrometry

The identities of most environmental toxicants and their role in causing chronic disease are unknown. Our research aims to bridge this gap through the development and application of novel non-targeted mass spectrometry techniques and sophisticated computational tools.

Chemistry Professor T. Jane Stockmann, electrochemistry

T. Jane Stockmann

B.Sc., Ph.D. Western

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physical chemistry, electrochemistry, materials chemistry, sensors

Research in the Stockmann lab seeks to generate new materials for electrochemical applications in the fields of health, energy, and the environment. At first, the group will focus on the development of novel ionic liquid (IL) and organic ionic plastic crystalline (OIPC) substrates with incorporated nanoparticles as nano-composite materials for flexible electrode, catalytic, and (bio)sensing applications. These nanofluids and nanoplastics will be incorporated, for example, into soft probes for enhanced/selective scanning probe methodologies, such as scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), utilizing ultramicro- and nano-electrodes to electrochemically image anything from living cells to environmental and industrial samples. These nano-composites can also be incorporated into sensors.

Dr. Heather Reader, biogeochemist

Heather Reader

B.Sc. Calgary, Ph.D. Georgia

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Canada Research Chair in Chemistry of the Ocean and Atmosphere

marine chemistry, biogeochemistry, environmental chemistry, analytical chemistry


Research in the Reader group is broadly focused on the biogeochemistry of marine dissolved organic matter. Specific research themes in the Reader group include:

  • Investigating the dynamics of organic matter in sensitive environments (i.e. coastal systems, the Arctic)
  • Linking reactivity of organic matter to detailed chemical analysis and using novel approaches to the analysis of data
  • Linking advanced analytical techniques to the optical properties of organic matter

  Professor Huck Grover

Huck Grover

B.Sc. Wilfrid Laurier, Ph.D. Western

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organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, natural product synthesis

The research aims in the Grover group include:

  1. Development of novel synthetic transformations for the rapid construction of structural frameworks present in natural compounds and pharmaceuticals.
  2. Application of new synthetic methods toward the synthesis of bioactive natural products.
  3. Medicinal chemistry – strategic design and late stage functionalization of therapeutic drug derivatives for collaborative high-throughput screening against a variety of different disease states.

Chemistry Professor Michael Katz

Michael Katz

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B.Sc., Ph.D. Simon Fraser

inorganic and materials chemistry, porous materials

The Katz research group is focused on studying porous materials such as Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and Porous-Organic Polymers (POPs) for applications in sustainable chemistry. 

Stephanie MacQuarrie

Stephanie MacQuarrie

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Adjunct Professor

Cape Breton University, Sydney, NS

B.Sc. (Hons) Mount Allison

Ph.D. Virginia Tech.

  1. Controlled Grafting of Organic Catalyst Monomers within the Pore Walls of Large Pore Silica-Based Materials,
  2. Entrapment of an Oligomeric Enzyme in Ultra Large Pore SBA-15 Generates Highly Stable Reusable Biocatalyst,
  3. Dipyrromethene Functionalized Mesoporous Silicas as Heavy Metal Sensors
Professor Francesca Kerton

Francesca Kerton

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B.Sc.(Hons.) Univ. of Kent, D.Phil. Univ of Sussex

green chemistry, biomass, catalysis, ionic liquids

Researchers in the Kerton group work at the inorganic-organic interface developing new chemical processes with low environmental impact, including transformations of biomass and activation of carbon dioxide.

Professor Chris Kozak - Inorganic Chemist

Chris Kozak

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B.Sc.(Hons.) McMaster, Ph.D. UBC

organometallics, catalysis, polymers, inorganic chemistry

My research focuses on synthetic metalloorganic chemistry and green chemistry. Particular projects involve development of new molecular metal-containing catalysts for:

  1. C–C cross-coupling;
  2. CO2 fixation, especially polycarbonate synthesis from CO2 and epoxides
  3. Biodegradable polymer synthesis from renewable feedstocks
  4. oxidation catalysis
  5. ligand design for organometallic and coordination chemistry. 
Professor Travis Fridgen

Travis Fridgen 

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B.Sc. Trent, B.Ed., Ph.D. Queen's

Experimental Physical Chemistry and Mass Spectrometry

Our research focus is on the physical chemistry--structure, thermochemistry, kinetics, fragmentation pathways, etc--of bare and hydrated metal ion coordinated biological ions--such as amino acids, nucleobases, and carbohydrates--isolated in the gas phase. We use a combination of both experimental and theoretical methods such as mass spectrometry, laser infrared spectroscopy, collision induced dissociation, as well as density functional and wavefunction-based electronic structure calculations and statistical modelling of rate constants.

  Professor Yuming Zhao - Organic Chemistry

Yuming Zhao

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B.S., M.S. Dalian, Ph.D. Alberta

Organic Materials and Nanotechnology

The Zhao group’s research is oriented around the syntheses of tetrathiafulvalene vinylogues (TTFVs) and TTFV analogue polymers for molecular sensors and receptors of fullerene, carbon nanotubes, and metal ions, as well as the synthesis of functionalized polymers for marine anticorrosion coating materials.

 

Professor Kris Poduska - Materials Chemistry

Kris Poduska

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B.A. Carleton Coll., Ph.D. Cornell

Materials

The Poduska group focuses on experiments that investigate how structural order in solid materials, introduced during their preparation and during their use, affects electronic, magnetic, optical, and mechanical properties. We study archaeological materials as well as high-tech materials with potential applications in medical implants, data storage, and sensors.

 

Photo of Erika Merschrod

Erika Merschrod 

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A.B. Bryn Mawr Coll., Ph.D. Cornell

Biomaterials

The Merschrod group studies structure-function relations in hierarchical materials, with computational and theoretical work informed by experimental data from our lab and from collaborators. Current and recent projects include: electronic structure in polycrystalline materials, and ion-induced protein aggregation.

Photo of Professor Sunil Pansare

Sunil Pansare

Website

B.Sc., M.Sc., Univ. Pune, Ph.D. Alberta

Organic Chemistry

Organocatalysis, Natural Product Synthesis

The development of expedient asymmetric routes to functionalized organic molecules is of interest because most chiral, biologically relevant molecules are optimally active as single enantiomers. Our research interests are mainly in the area of asymmetric organic synthesis. Recent research in our group focuses on the design of new organocatalysts for fundamental, carbon-carbon bond forming reactions. We are also interested in the development of new multicomponent reactions for combinatorial chemistry based applications in diversity-oriented synthesis.

Professor Christina Bottaro - Analytical Chemist 

Christina Bottaro

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B.Sc.(Hons.) St. Mary's, Ph.D. Dalhousie

Analytical Chemistry

The central theme of our research is the development of new methods and techniques for rapid and sensitive analysis of organic environmental pollutants. Although our work explicitly focuses on environmental contaminants, the methods developed for the analysis of pharmaceuticals could find application in forensics, clinical analysis and the pharmaceutical industry. Recently, we have been developing thin films of molecularly imprinted polymers for use in sensing systems and for high throughput applications with ambient desorption ionization-MS techniques, such as DESI-MS.

  Professor Graham Bodwell

Graham Bodwell

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B.Sc., M.Sc. Victoria, Dr.rer.nat. Tech. Univ. Braunschweig

Organic Synthesis

Our group is involved in research aimed at the synthesis of natural and non-natural products, the development of new methodology and the study of strain and its implications.

Professor Peter Pickup

Peter Pickup

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B.A., D.Phil. Oxon

Electrochemistry, Materials, and Energy

Our group studies a range of topics. including: membranes and catalysts for fuel cells, conducting metallopolymers, ethanol fuel cells, renewable fuel from biomass, carbon dioxide reduction, fuel from CO2, and electrode materials for supercapacitors.