Beckman Scholars Program

Diego Alzate-Sanchez

Expertise: Materials Science, Polymer Chemistry

Research: The DMAS Research Group focuses on the incorporation of polymers into a circular economy. We are interested in finding alternative techniques for manufacturing materials in a more sustainable manner. We work at the interface between polymer chemistry and materials science, generating cutting-edge technologies based on macromolecules. We are currently developing foams via frontal polymerization, studying the mechanical recycling of polymers, and exploring reversible polymer ligation processes.

Magda H. Barecka

Expertise: Carbon Capture, Carbon Utilization, Electrochemistry

Research: The Barecka Lab’s goal is to accelerate the adoption of new, carbon-neutral manufacturing methods for chemical, pharmaceutical and environmental sectors. We explore the potential of electrochemistry and discover new ways of turning CO2 into valuable products, develop better catalysts and separation techniques, elucidate chemical pathways, design more efficient electrochemical reactors, as well as model complex processes and evaluate their techno-economics.

Penny Beuning

Expertise: Chemical Biology and Biotechnology

Research: The Beuning Lab studies DNA damage responses, protein dynamics, protein engineering, and enzyme function, with applications in cancer and other aspects of human health, forensics, and green energy. This work involves methods from microbiology, genetics, biochemistry, and biophysics, as well collaborations with theorists, physicists, and structural biologists.

Leila Deravi

Expertise: Bioanalytical Chemistry, Materials Chemistry

Research: The Deravi Lab works at the interface of bio-analytical chemistry, materials science, and design. We investigate fundamental mechanisms behind systems in biology to inform the design of new classes of bio-derived and bio-inspired materials that may interface with or enhance the performance of humans and the environment. Current research projects include building photonic sensors inspired by cephalopods and designing bionic protein materials for implantable electronics.

Sijia Dong

Expertise: Biophysics, Materials Chemistry, Theoretical Chemistry

Research: The Dong Lab develops and uses physics-based and data-driven computational methods on classical and quantum computers to understand multiscale processes in functional materials and biological systems, from electronic structures to emergent properties. We exploit photoexcitation, spin, and dynamics to design novel bio-inspired catalysts important in renewable energy and biomedical applications, and develop computational design frameworks for these systems.

Steven Lopez

Expertise: Biophysics, Materials Chemistry, Theoretical Chemistry

Research: The Lopez Research Group works at the interface of computational chemistry, machine learning, and green chemistry. We develop quantum mechanical and machine learning techniques to understand and design sunlight-driven reactions and discover new materials for solar cells. Current research is focused on modelling photochemical reactions in complex environments, including molecular crystals. We achieve our goals through collaboration with experimentalists on-campus and abroad.

Carla Mattos

Expertise: Biochemistry of Signaling Proteins, Chemical Biology, Structural Biology

Research: The Mattos Lab studies the structural biology and biochemistry of Ras proteins and their mutants, which appear in 20% of all human cancers. A combination of Xray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, enzyme kinetics and MD simulations is used to reveal the structural and dynamical features of Ras and complexes with binding partners, resetting the foundation for structure guided drug development against Ras-driven cancers.

George O'Doherty

Expertise: Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, Carbohydrate, Organic

Research: The O’Doherty Research Group uses asymmetric synthesis to solve chemistry problems. These problems usually revolve around the synthesis of complex molecules and its application for medicinal chemistry. Of particular interest to the group is the role of stereochemistry in biologically active compounds, where the systematic synthesis and testing of stereoisomers can shed light on these questions. We call this approach Stereochemical Structure Activity Relationship (S-SAR) studies.

Mary Jo Ondrechen

Expertise: Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Theoretical Chemistry

Research: The Ondrechen Lab develops theory and uses computation and machine learning to address biochemical problems. We study how enzymes work and apply that knowledge to enzyme design and optimization of RNA synthesis. We develop theory to predict biochemical function for Structural Genomics proteins. We also use computation for drug discovery; two current project are for SARS-CoV-2 and amoebic encephalitis. We test our predictions in collaborations with experimentalists.

Hannah Sayre

Research: The Sayre Group designs photocatalysts to maximize the efficiency of light activated reactions. We employ steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopy techniques along with electrochemistry to illuminate photocatalysis mechanisms. Photocatalysis applications include artificial photosynthesis, pharmaceutical synthesis, solar fuels, and polymer upcycling.

Aron Stubbins

Expertise: Carbon Cycle, Environmental Chemistry, Plastics in the Environment

Research: Aron Stubbins’s Lab studies environmental chemistry. This includes local and global biogeochemical research to better understand the global carbon cycle, how humans have altered it, and how this impacts climate and other aspects of the environment. Another focus is on plastics, particularly their fate and impact in the environment. Students studying natural organic carbon or plastics do a mix of field, experimental, analytical, remote sensing, and modeling work.