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Saurabh Chitnis obtained his PhD from the University of Victoria (2015) as a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholar. He then performed postdoctoral research with Ian Manners at the University of Bristol as a Banting Fellow (2015-2017) and with Doug Stephan at the University of Toronto (2017-2018). He started his independent career at Dalhousie University in 2018. Research in the Chitnis group studies the electronic structure, reactivity, and connectivity modes of main group elements to discover new catalysts and classes of inorganic materials. The group uses geometric perturbation of molecules by multidentate ligands as their key methodology. In his free time, Saurabh enjoys discovering the coastal beauty of Atlantic Canada with his partner, brewing great beer, and pretending that he is a master chef, despite mounting evidence to the contrary.
Abstract title:
The New Chemistry of Old PN Cages

Richard obtained his Bachelor’s degree from the Australian National University where he undertook a final research year under the direction of Professor Anthony Hill. He was awarded his PhD from Imperial College London under the supervision of Professor Mark Crimmin, studying main-group mediated carbon–carbon bond formation and breakage. He is currently a Klarman Postdoctoral Fellow at Cornell University in the research group of Professor Kyle Lancaster, where he is studying the electronic structure of main-group metal–transition metal bimetallic complexes, and the application of these compounds in catalysis.
Abstract title:
Sequential carbon monoxide homologation with transition metal carbonyls and an aluminium (I) reductant

Maxie Roessler completed her DPhil on EPR spectroscopic investigations of Fe-S cluster relays in enzymes at Oxford in 2012 under the supervision of Prof. Fraser Armstrong FRS, started her independent career at Queen Mary University of London in 2013 and moved to Imperial College in 2019. She is interested in everything that involves unpaired electrons and is particularly intrigued by the information these can provide on the mechanisms of complex metalloenzymes and redox-based catalytic reactions. Maxie is the recipient of the 2022 EuroBIC Medal. She established the Centre of Pulse EPR spectroscopy (PEPR) at Imperial College, is currently Vice President of the International EPR Society and proud to lead a diverse and multicultural research group. Besides chemistry, Maxie enjoys spending time with her children, is a keen Yogi, runner and cook, and likes to take every opportunity to speak different languages.  
Abstract title:
Mechanistic insights into bio- and electro-catalytic reactions from EPR spectroscopy
 

Prof. Jonathan L. Sessler was born in Urbana, Illinois. He received a B.S. degree (with Highest Honors) in chemistry in 1977 from the University of California, Berkeley. He obtained a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Stanford University in 1982 (supervisor: Professor James P. Collman).  He was an NSF-CNRS and NSF-NATO Postdoctoral Fellow with Professor Jean-Marie Lehn at L'Université Louis Pasteur de Strasbourg, France. He was then a JSPS Visiting Scientist in Professor Tabushi’s group in Kyoto, Japan. In September 1984 he accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Chemistry at The University of Texas at Austin, where he is currently the Doherty-Welch Chair. Dr. Sessler was a co-founder (with Dr. Richard A. Miller) of Pharmacyclics, Inc., which was acquired by AbbVie for $21B in 2015. His texaphyrin technology is now the basis for a new company, InnovoTex, Inc. In addition to English, Dr. Sessler speaks French reasonably well, as well as Hebrew and Spanish, and knows a bit of German and Japanese, and a few words of Korean. He likes traveling and enjoys windsurfing.
Abstract title:
Texas-inspired Metallodrug Discovery Efforts