Department of Chemistry

Andrei Yudin recognized by American Chemical Society

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 14:50:09 +0000

Andrei Yudin recognized by American Chemical Society

Research & Innovation

rahul.kalvapalle Wed, 10/16/2024 - 10:50

Faculty

St. George

Department of Chemistry

Faculty of Arts & Science

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Andrei Yudin (supplied image)

Andrei Yudin, a professor in the department of chemistry in the Faculty of Arts & Science, has been recognized with a 2025 Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award by the American Chemical Society (ACS).

The annual award recognizes outstanding achievements in the field of organic chemistry that have become apparent during the preceding half-decade.

“Since 2006, my research group has been involved in the study of amphoteric molecules. They show both electrophilic and nucleophilic reactivity,” said Yudin. "This chemistry has allowed us to prepare a broad range of structures with useful properties. It is our work in this area that is being recognized.”

Yudin, who will accept the award and deliver a lecture about his work at the 2025 ACS National Meeting in Washington, D.C. next summer, said he finds inspiration in the elegance of chemical structures and the diverse ways in which they react with one another. “I like the inherent logic of organic chemistry," he said.

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Robert Morris recognized by American Chemical Society

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 19:09:40 +0000

Robert Morris recognized by American Chemical Society

Research & Innovation

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 09/05/2024 - 15:09

Faculty

St. George

Department of Chemistry

Faculty of Arts & Science

landscape

Robert Morris (supplied image)

Robert Morris, a professor in the department of chemistry in the Faculty of Arts & Science, has received the American Chemical Society (ACS)'s Award in Organometallic Chemistry.

The award, which is among ACS's 2025 National Awards, celebrates recent advancements in research in organometallic chemistry.

In its award citation, ACS said Morris has "significantly advanced our understanding of transition metal hydride and dihydrogen complexes and the role they play in catalytic organometallic reactions."

Morris said he has been overwhelmed by the support of colleagues who have congratulated him on this achievement. “It is very generous of the American Chemical Society to share its National Awards with international scientists," he said.

"I also have to thank the fantastic students – both graduate and undergraduate – and postdoctoral fellows who have done research in my lab over 44 years, and NSERC for funding this fundamental research.”

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PhD student Alex Gabbey recognized by Women Chemists Committee

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 16:45:10 +0000

PhD student Alex Gabbey recognized by Women Chemists Committee

Research & Innovation

rahul.kalvapalle Wed, 09/04/2024 - 12:45

Students

St. George

Department of Chemistry

Faculty of Arts & Science

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Alex Gabbey (supplied image)

Alex Gabbey, a PhD student in the research group of Professor Sophie Rousseaux in the department of chemistry at the Faculty of Arts & Science, has received the Merck Research Award from the Women Chemists Committee.

Gabbey's research explores Ni-catalyzed reactions of redox-active esters, as well as the synthesis and functionalization of strained rings. She previously received a number of awards from the department of chemistry including the Adrian Brook Graduate Scholarship in Organic Chemistry and Merck Canada Ltd. Chemistry Conference Award.

"These awards are a testament to what a fantastic research group I’m part of. No one conducts research in a vacuum and I’ve been fortunate to have amazing lab mates to bounce ideas off of and troubleshoot problems with," said Gabbey.

"I’ve also had a phenomenal supervisor in Sophie. She has been incredibly supportive of me from day one, whether it’s applying for scholarships, trying new ideas, applying for conferences – you name it. I couldn’t be more grateful for the research environment and support in the Rousseaux group."

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Mark Lautens recognized with E. C. Taylor Senior Award

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 14:20:33 +0000

Mark Lautens recognized with E. C. Taylor Senior Award

Research & Innovation

rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 07/19/2024 - 10:20

Faculty

St. George

Department of Chemistry

Faculty of Arts & Science

landscape

Mark Lautens (supplied image)

Mark Lautens, a University Professor and chair of the department of chemistry in the Faculty of Arts & Science, has been selected to receive the E. C. Taylor Senior Award from the International Society of Heterocyclic Chemistry.

The biennial award, named after the late Princeton University chemist Edward C. Taylor, recognizes researchers for outstanding contributions to the field of heterocyclic chemistry.

Lautens's research group focuses on making bioactive natural products and medicinally relevant structures using catalytic reactions. “Being recognized for what we make rather than how we make it was a very nice feeling,” said Lautens. “Most people view our work as being primarily focused on catalysis – that is, making reactions happen faster and finding new reaction pathways using metals as catalysts.

“We identify new and efficient ways to make drugs and analogues – drug-like molecules – so that pharmaceutical researchers can explore how those molecules might be useful as medicines."

Professor Mark Taylor, associate chair of graduate studies in the department of chemistry, noted Lautens joins a list of distinguished scientists to be recognized with the E. C. Taylor Senior Award. “This well-deserved honour celebrates his group’s sustained contributions to the advancement of heterocycle synthesis," Taylor said.

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Teaching assistants, course instructor recognized with Teaching Excellence Awards

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 15:21:37 +0000

Teaching assistants, course instructor recognized with Teaching Excellence Awards

Teaching

rahul.kalvapalle Wed, 07/03/2024 - 11:21

Department of Chemistry

Department of English

Department of Sociology

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Arts & Science

Institute for Biomedical Engineering

Teaching Excellence Awards

U of T Mississauga

Women & Gender Studies Institute

landscape

Clockwise from top left: Cassandra Olsen, Paul Pritchard, Shay Chavoshian, Sam Sanchinel, Kat Furtado, Titilola Aiyegbusi and Qusai Hassan (supplied images)

Six teaching assistants (TAs) and one graduate course instructor (CI) have been recognized with 2024 Teaching Excellence Awards by the University of Toronto’s Teaching Assistants’ Training Program.

The TA Teaching Excellence, BIPOC TA Teaching Excellence and CI Teaching Excellence awards recognize the outstanding contributions of TAs and graduate student CIs who regularly support, inspire and challenge undergraduate students.

The recipients of the TA Teaching Excellence Awards are:

Shaghayegh (Shay) Chavoshian, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
Cassandra Olsen, department of English, Faculty of Arts & Science
Sam Sanchinel, Women and Gender Studies Institute, Faculty of Arts & Science
Qusai Hassan, department of chemistry, Faculty of Arts & Science
Paul Pritchard, department of sociology, U of T Mississauga

In 2022, the Teaching Assistants’ Training Program introduced the BIPOC Teaching Excellence Award to recognize lived experiences of Black, Indigenous and racialized communities whose academic experiences have been impacted by systemic barriers, and to highlight their accomplishments and excellence in teaching practice. The winner of this award for 2024 is Titilola Aiyegbusi from the department of English in the Faculty of Arts & Science.

The recipient of the CI Teaching Excellence Award is Kat Furtado from the department of classics in the Faculty of Arts & Science.

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Five researchers recognized with 2024 President’s Impact Awards

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 13:28:59 +0000

Five researchers recognized with 2024 President’s Impact Awards

Research & Innovation

rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 03/15/2024 - 09:28

Faculty

St. George

Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Department of Chemistry

Department of Computer Science

Department of History

Department of Nutritional Sciences

Faculty of Arts & Science

Faculty of Law

President's Impact Award

Rotman School of Management

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Unity Health

Women & Gender Studies Institute

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Clockwise from top left: Professor Gillian Hadfield, Professor M. Murphy, University Professor David Jenkins, Professor Alán Aspuru-Guzik and Associate Professor Yvonne Bombard

Five University of Toronto researchers have received President’s Impact Awards for their important work in AI governance, environmental justice, genomics policy, nutritional sciences and quantum computing.

The awards celebrate and honour faculty members whose research has led to a significant impact beyond academia. Laureates are designated as members of the President’s Impact Academy, and receive a monetary award of $10,000 per year for five years to be used toward their research.

“I would like to congratulate the winners of this year’s President’s Impact Awards for their outstanding work in tackling some of the biggest challenges of our time,” said Barbara Fallon, U of T's associate vice-president, research.

“From informing and improving dietary choices to fostering greater alignment between environmental justice and Indigenous communities, these scholars are generating knowledge and ideas that stand to have a tremendous impact beyond academia.

“Their exceptional contributions speak to the important role that U of T researchers play in improving lives in Canada and around the world.”

This year’s winners are:

Gillian Hadfield, professor in the Faculty of Law and Rotman School of Management, “for contributions impacting access to justice, innovative design for legal and dispute resolution systems in advanced and developing market economies, and governance for artificial intelligence.”

M. Murphy, professor in the Women & Gender Studies Institute and department of history in the Faculty of Arts & Science, “for contributions that consistently move environmental justice research along a collaborative trajectory with Indigenous communities, data practices, and policy-making.”

Yvonne Bombard, scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto and associate professor in the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, “for her significant contributions in enacting national law against genetic discrimination, improving healthcare options for Canadians, and advancing clinical practice and genomics research.”

Alán Aspuru-Guzik, professor in the department of chemistry and department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science, “for his pioneering work in the fields of artificial intelligence and quantum computing for materials discovery.”

David Jenkins, University Professor in the department of nutritional sciences at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, “for his studies on the health effects of food that have changed how the world makes healthy dietary choices.”

Douglas Stephan receives 2024 Catalysis Award from Chemical Institute of Canada

rahul.kalvapalle — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 16:30:08 +0000

Douglas Stephan receives 2024 Catalysis Award from Chemical Institute of Canada

Community

rahul.kalvapalle Tue, 03/05/2024 - 11:30

Faculty

St. George

Department of Chemistry

Faculty of Arts & Science

landscape

University Professor Douglas Stephan (photo by Camilla Pucholt)

Douglas Stephan, a University Professor in the department of chemistry in the Faculty of Arts & Science, has received the Chemical Institute of Canada’s 2024 Catalysis Award in recognition of his contributions to the field of catalysis.

A world-leading researcher in inorganic chemistry, Stephan is best known as the founder of the field of “frustrated Lewis pair” (FLP) chemistry. His groundbreaking paper “Reversible, Metal-Free Hydrogen Activation,” published in the prestigious journal Science in 2006, has been cited more than 2,000 times and is credited with changing the way chemistry is taught by broadening the scope of catalysts beyond transition metals.

“We have 100 years of transition metals science,” said Stephan. “Doing metal-free catalysis was something we thought was impossible, so FLPs have opened the door on chemistry we couldn’t do before.”

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Three Faculty of Arts & Science researchers honoured by American Geophysical Union

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 19:22:30 +0000

Three Faculty of Arts & Science researchers honoured by American Geophysical Union

Community

rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 03/01/2024 - 14:22

Faculty

St. George

Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry

Department of Chemistry

Department of Earth Sciences

Department of Physics

landscape

(L-R) Professor Jonathan Abbatt, University Professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar and Associate Professor Debra Wunch (supplied images)

Three researchers from the Faculty of Arts & Science have received honours from the American Geophysical Union (AGU) for their outstanding contributions to Earth and space sciences.

Barbara Sherwood Lollar, University Professor in the department of Earth sciences who is cross-appointed to the department of chemistry and the department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, presented the Carl Sagan Lecture – an honour reserved for a scientist who embodies the late astronomer’s interest in astrobiology and science communication – at the union’s annual conference, AGU23.

Jonathan Abbatt, a professor in the department of chemistry, gave the Jakob Bjerkness Lecture at AGU23 in recognition of his impact in advancing understanding of the atmosphere and Earth’s climate.

Debra Wunch, associate professor in the department of physics who is cross-appointed to the School of the Environment, received the AGU’s Atmospheric Sciences Ascent Award, which recognizes early- and mid-career researchers.

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Watch University Professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar’s lecture (under the “Awards and Honours” tab)

Watch Professor Jonathan Abbatt’s lecture (under the “Awards and Honours” tab)

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Jennifer Murphy recognized with 2024 Clara Benson Award

rahul.kalvapalle — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 17:15:07 +0000

Jennifer Murphy recognized with 2024 Clara Benson Award

Research & Innovation

rahul.kalvapalle Tue, 02/13/2024 - 12:15

Faculty

St. George

Department of Chemistry

Faculty of Arts & Science

landscape

Professor Jennifer Murphy (supplied image)

Jennifer Murphy, a professor in the department of chemistry in the Faculty of Arts & Science, has been named the recipient of the Canadian Society for Chemistry’s 2024 Clara Benson Award.

Sponsored by the Canadian Council of University Chemistry Chairs, the Clara Benson Award recognizes women who have made distinguished contributions to chemistry while working in Canada. It is named for Clara Cynthia Benson, one of the first two women to earn a doctorate from U of T and one of the university’s first two female professors.

Murphy is a leading atmospheric chemist studying atmospheric reactive nitrogen species. Her hypothesis that emissions from sea bird colonies are the dominant source of ammonia to the Arctic atmosphere led her to perform the first high-quality ammonia measurements in the Arctic, onboard a Canadian icebreaker.

“While my career has been much smoother sailing than Benson’s, there are still structural and social factors posing challenges to the equitable participation of many individuals in chemistry,” Murphy said. "One lesson I take from Clara Benson’s legacy is that sustained advocacy is needed to continue on a trajectory to a more inclusive future.”

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Aaron Wheeler recognized with Chemical Institute of Canada’s Ricardo Aroca Award

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 18:49:53 +0000

Aaron Wheeler recognized with Chemical Institute of Canada’s Ricardo Aroca Award

Research & Innovation

rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 02/05/2024 - 13:49

Faculty

St. George

Department of Chemistry

Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research

Institute of Biomedical Engineering

landscape

Professor Aaron Wheeler (photo courtesy of NSERC)

Aaron Wheeler, a professor in the department of chemistry in the Faculty of Arts & Science and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, has received the Chemical Institute of Canada’s Ricardo Aroca Award.

The award is given to scientists in recognition of distinguished contributions to the field of analytical chemistry while working in Canada. Wheeler, who is cross-appointed to the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, was honoured for his achievements in the field of microfluidics.

Wheeler’s lab has developed microfluidic tools to analyze the chemistry of complex biological samples. His research has an array of potential medical applications ranging from developing procedures to study the most dangerous cells among millions in large tumors to growing organ tissues on devices outside the body to test drugs.

“Virtually every living organism sheds cells,” said Wheeler. “A cancerous tumor, for example, sends innumerable cells out into its host’s body. Of those, most cells will not be metastatic, so identifying and studying the few that can survive the immune system and spread the cancer is vital for understanding how to prevent and treat this disease.”

Wheeler will deliver a keynote address when he accepts the award at the Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition (CSC) 2024 in Winnipeg in June.

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