B.A., 1992, Smith College (Northampton, Massachusetts); Ph.D, 1998, ACS Predoctoral Fellow, Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, Maryland); 1999-2002, NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusetts).

Discovery and development of catalytic methods for chemical transformations not currently feasible.

Terminal hydroxylation of linear alkanes, enantioselective hydration of terminal olefins, alkyl C-H/olefin coupling, and intramolecular s-bond metathesis are examples of unsolved problems in synthetic methodology. If these transformations could be effected mildly and selectively, the impact on chemical synthesis would be significant. The fundamental premise of my approach is to use the kinetic and thermodynamic preference of certain transition metals for forming the less sterically hindered primary organometallic (C-M) intermediate as a basis for achieving the desired selectivities. The challenge lies in identifying novel strategies for forming these C-M intermediates under functional group tolerant conditions that enable functionalization (e.g. C-M->C-OH) and catalyst regeneration. My group will explore multi-variable catalytic systems comprised of unconventional transition metal complexes that are intended to work in conjunction with nucleophilic/electrophilic non-metal components to effect steps within a catalytic cycle. As seen in Nature, synergy within multi-component systems can achieve uniquely mild and non-obvious solutions to challenging problems in chemical reactivity.