Our research team of catalysis experts include a broad range of expertise. Most importantly, CREATE SusSyn provides a collaborative team of medicinal chemists (to address challenges in one of the least “green” industries, the pharmaceutical industry), synthetic chemists (specializing in catalysis ranging from small molecule to polymer/materials synthesis) and engineers (specializing in key catalytic transformations relevant to chemical processes, energy sector and the bio-based economy) to design and develop Clean Technology innovations for chemical synthesis.
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS
Department of Chemistry
Laurel Schafer
Professor and Canada Research Chair in Catalysis Development
CREATE SusSyn Program Director
UBC Sustainability Fellow
Organometallic/Organic: Development of early transition metal catalysts for potential application in the synthesis of fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and polymers.
Contact: schafer@chem.ubc.ca
Website: http://chem.ubc.ca/our-people/profiles/laurel-schafer
Gregory Dake
Associate Professor
CREATE SusSyn Advisory Committee Member
Organometallic/Organic: Development of early transition metal catalysts for potential application in the synthesis of fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and polymers.
Contact: gdake@chem.ubc.ca
Website: http://chem.ubc.ca/our-people/profiles/gregory-dake
Jennifer Love
Professor
Organic/Organometallic/Coordination Chemistry: Development of new catalytic methods; complex molecule synthesis using newly developed reaction methodology; mechanistic investigation.
Contact: jenlove@chem.ubc.ca
Website: http://chem.ubc.ca/our-people/profiles/jennifer-love
Parisa Mehrkhodavandi
Associate Professor
Organometallic/Inorganic/Catalysis/Polymers: Development of homogeneous catalysts for formation of biodegradable polymers of defined structure; Synthesis and reactivity of novel organometallic complexes for applications in synthesis of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
Contact: mehr@chem.ubc.ca
Website: http://chem.ubc.ca/our-people/profiles/parisa-mehrkhodavandi
Glenn Sammis
Associate Professor
Organic: Investigation of new methods for the fluorination of alkyl and aryl radicals, utilization of oxygen- and nitrogen-centered radicals in the synthesis of heterocycles, and natural product synthesis.
Contact: gsammis@chem.ubc.ca
Website: http://chem.ubc.ca/our-people/profiles/glenn-sammis
Curtis Berlinguette
Professor
Inorganic/Materials/Chemical Engineering: solar energy conversion; dye-sensitized solar cells; solar fuels; clean hydrogen production; amorphous materials; heterogeneous/homogeneous catalysis.
Contact: cberling@chem.ubc.ca
Website: http://chem.ubc.ca/our-people/profiles/curtis-berlinguette
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Helen Burt
Angiotech Professor of Drug Delivery
Head, Division of Drug Delivery at Center for Drug Research
Application of nanotechnology for the development of innovative nano-sized drug delivery systems for potential application in treatment of cancer, arthritis, tissue regeneration, infectious diseases and more.
Contact: burt@mail.ubc.ca
Website: http://www.pharmacy.ubc.ca/research/researchers/helen-m-burt
David Grierson
Professor
CREATE SusSyn Advisory Committee Member
Drug discovery and development using small molecule library synthesis of biologically active molecules with application in cancer, HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease and genetic disorders
Contact: david.grierson@ubc.ca
Website: http://www.pharmacy.ubc.ca/research/researchers/david-grierson
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Tony Bi
Professor
Primary research interests are fluidization and multiphase flow systems and their applications in bioenergy systems, air pollution control and chemical synthesis, as well as green process engineering, industrial ecology and life cycle analysis.
Contact: xbi@chbe.ubc.ca
Website: http://www.chbe.ubc.ca/faculty-staff/bi.php
Naoko Ellis
Professor
Primary research interests include Multiphase Systems including Fluidization, Chemical Looping Combustion and CO2 capture, Biomass Utilization, Biodiesel Production and Bio-Oil Upgrading.
Contact: nellis@chbe.ubc.ca
Website: http://www.chbe.ubc.ca/faculty-staff/ellis.php
