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Department of Chemistry research interests Our 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.

	Lindsay Cahill B.Sc., Ph.D. McMaster Google Scholar 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 B.Sc., Ph.D. McMaster Google Scholar 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.
	T. Jane Stockmann B.Sc., Ph.D. Western Website 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.
	Heather Reader B.Sc. Calgary, Ph.D. Georgia Website Google Scholar 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
	Huck Grover B.Sc. Wilfrid Laurier, Ph.D. Western Website organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, natural product synthesis	The research aims in the Grover group include: Development of novel synthetic transformations for the rapid construction of structural frameworks present in natural compounds and pharmaceuticals. Application of new synthetic methods toward the synthesis of bioactive natural products. Medicinal chemistry – strategic design and late stage functionalization of therapeutic drug derivatives for collaborative high-throughput screening against a variety of different disease states.
	Michael Katz Website Google Scholar 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 Website Adjunct Professor Cape Breton University, Sydney, NS B.Sc. (Hons) Mount Allison Ph.D. Virginia Tech.	Controlled Grafting of Organic Catalyst Monomers within the Pore Walls of Large Pore Silica-Based Materials, Entrapment of an Oligomeric Enzyme in Ultra Large Pore SBA-15 Generates Highly Stable Reusable Biocatalyst, Dipyrromethene Functionalized Mesoporous Silicas as Heavy Metal Sensors
	Francesca Kerton Website Google Scholar 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.
	Chris Kozak Website Google Scholar 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: C–C cross-coupling; CO₂ fixation, especially polycarbonate synthesis from CO₂ and epoxides Biodegradable polymer synthesis from renewable feedstocks oxidation catalysis ligand design for organometallic and coordination chemistry.
	Travis Fridgen Website Google Scholar 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.
	Yuming Zhao Website 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.
	Kris Poduska Website Google Scholar 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.
	Erika Merschrod Website Google Scholar 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.
	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.
	Christina Bottaro Website Google Scholar 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.
	Graham Bodwell Website 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.
	Peter Pickup Website Google Scholar 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 CO_2, and electrode materials for supercapacitors.

Chemistry
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Faculty of Science

Chemistry
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Faculty of Science

Lindsay Cahill

Karl Jobst

T. Jane Stockmann

Heather Reader

Huck Grover

Michael Katz

Stephanie MacQuarrie

Francesca Kerton

Chris Kozak

Travis Fridgen

Yuming Zhao

Kris Poduska

Erika Merschrod

Sunil Pansare

Christina Bottaro

Graham Bodwell

Peter Pickup