University of Cincinnati Department of Chemistry: A Comprehensive Overview

Introduction

The University of Cincinnati's Department of Chemistry is a vibrant hub of scientific exploration, fostering cutting-edge research and providing comprehensive education in diverse areas of chemistry. This article offers an overview of the department, highlighting its faculty, their research interests, and the opportunities available to students.

Faculty and Research Areas

The Department of Chemistry boasts a diverse faculty with expertise spanning various chemical disciplines. Their research interests contribute to advancements in fields ranging from nanotechnology and materials science to bioanalytical chemistry and catalysis.

Analytical Chemistry

Ashley Ross: An Associate Professor specializing in bioanalytical chemistry, Dr. Ross employs electrochemistry, microfluidics, neurochemistry, and ex vivo experimentation in her research. Her work focuses on probing brain-immune communications, investigating interfacial interactions between neurochemicals and carbon surfaces, and synthesizing new materials for electrochemical detection. She has been recognized by an NSF CAREER Award, the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, and the RCSA Microbiome, Neurobiology, and Disease Fellow Awards.
Ryan J. White: As Professor and Ohio Eminent Scholar, Dr. White's research lies at the intersection of nanoscience, electrochemistry, and the biological interface. His group focuses on developing new (bio)analytical methods to probe chemical and biological systems with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolutions afforded by working at the nanoscale. His research ranges from studies of fundamental chemical and biological phenomena to the development of applied sensor technologies. He has served as Head of Chemistry since Fall 2022.

Inorganic Chemistry

Michael Baldwin: An Associate Professor, Dr. Baldwin's research interests encompass catalysis, spectroscopy, bioinorganic chemistry, and oxygen activation. His work involves spectroscopic studies of copper-peroxide complexes that model the oxygen transport protein oxyhemocyanin and the enzyme oxytyrosinase.
Hairong Guan: A Professor of Chemistry, Dr. Guan is an organometallic chemist specializing in metal hydrides, homogeneous catalysis with first-row transition metals, and catalysis on metal surfaces. He has been recognized with an NSF CAREER award and has served on the advisory boards of prominent journals.
Yujie Sun: Professor Sun's research interests lie at the intersection of nanoscience, electrochemistry and the biological interface. The research interests in his group focus on the development of new (bio)analytical methods to probe chemical and biological systems with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolutions afforded by working at the nanoscale. The scope of this research is quite broad, ranging from studies of fundamental chemical and biological phenomena to the development of applied sensor technologies.

Organic Chemistry

Anthony Grillo: An Assistant Professor, Dr. Grillo's research focuses on understanding the molecular underpinnings of the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in disease, with an emphasis on micronutrient (e.g. iron) metabolism. His background in biochemistry, chemical biology, and metabolic physiology drives his interdisciplinary research.
Anna D. Gudmundsdottir: Dr. Gudmundsdottir's research is centered on photochemistry, particularly the study of reactive intermediates like triplet nitrenes and biradicals, to determine their reactivity in solution and the solid-state. Her work extends to applications such as sustainable synthesis for forming new C-N bonds, photoremovable protecting groups, and sunscreens.
Jianbing “Jimmy” Jiang: As an Assistant Professor, Dr. Jiang's research is concentrated on the development of synthetic methodologies for the preparation of various property-tunable photosensitizers and incorporation of these chromophores into self-assembled materials for light-harvesting and energy-transfer studies. He also designs, synthesizes and characterizes novel inorganic catalysts and organometallic materials for small molecule activation, specifically for water oxidation and proton reduction to value-added products.
Aaron Joiner: Assistant Professor Joiner's research likely focuses on biochemistry, building upon his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Cornell University and postdoctoral training at the University of California, Berkeley.
James Mack: A Professor of Chemistry, Dr. Mack's research background involves fullerenes and nanotubes, stemming from his doctoral work and postdoctoral fellowship.
Allan R. Pinhas: A Professor of Chemistry, Dr. Pinhas is a physical-organic chemist interested in the effect metal complexes have on organic molecules, especially organic compounds that contain small rings.
David Smithrud: An Associate Professor, Dr. Smithrud's research group uses mimetic chemistry to investigate the intricate interplay between functional groups at protein binding domains to determine the underlying forces that give proteins their unique ability to recognize molecules and to develop novel synthetic devices.

Polymer Chemistry and Materials Science

Noe Alvarez: An Associate Professor, Dr. Alvarez's research interests lie in carbon nanomaterials synthesis and their assembly into macroscopic materials. His lab synthesizes carbon nanotubes that are assembled into nanometer films and microscopic fibers with unique properties. These materials find applications in electrochemical and physiological sensors, as well as energy storage devices.
Neil Ayres: Dr. Ayres' background in polymer chemistry, gained from his Ph.D. and postdoctoral work, suggests his research may focus on stimuli-responsive polymers and polymer brushes.
Briana Simms: As a synthetic polymer chemist, Dr. Simms specializes in the design, synthesis, and characterization of novel biomaterials with the goal of addressing challenges related to public health.

Physical and Theoretical Chemistry

Ruxandra Dima: Dr. Dima has an interdisciplinary training in theoretical and computational physics and physical chemistry. She is working in the areas of computational biophysical chemistry and biocheminformatics. Her research involves the determination of mean field free-energy potentials between amino acids in proteins, protein aggregation, allostery, RNA folding and single-molecule biophysics.
George Stan: Dr. Stan is a physical chemist with research interests in computational biophysical chemistry. His research has focused on chaperonin mediated protein folding.
Pietro Strobbia: Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry. Before his appointment at UC, Pietro was a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University. The research in the Optical Sensors Group is largely directed towards bridging the gap between current state-of-the-art sensing technologies and the actual requirements for their application in clinical settings or in the field. Our group works on multidisciplinary projects leveraging expertise in optical systems and sensing technologies development, as well as on plasmonics and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). We apply this expertise to current relevant issues in clinical diagnostics and environmental analysis, with a particular focus on the development deployable technologies.

Educational Opportunities

The Department of Chemistry offers a range of educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students.

Undergraduate Programs

The department provides undergraduate programs designed to equip students with a strong foundation in chemical principles and laboratory techniques. These programs prepare students for careers in chemistry, related scientific fields, or further studies in graduate school.

Graduate Programs

The graduate programs in chemistry offer advanced coursework and research opportunities leading to Master's and Doctoral degrees. Students can specialize in various areas of chemistry and work closely with faculty mentors on cutting-edge research projects.

Interdisciplinary Collaborations

Many faculty members within the Department of Chemistry engage in interdisciplinary collaborations with researchers from other departments and institutions. These collaborations foster innovation and allow for the application of chemical principles to solve complex problems in fields such as biology, medicine, and engineering. For example, Dr. Noe Alvarez collaborates with faculty from engineering, Biology, and UC Medical school for the development of useful technological applications.

Read also: History of the Block 'M'

Read also: Legacy of Fordham University

tags: #university #of #cincinnati #directory