Chemistry Ph.D. Graduate Profiles

Theoretical Chemistry
Faculty Advisor: Victor Batista

Dissertation: An Atlas for Quantum Computing Utility in Chemistry

“I studied quantum simulation at the interface of chemistry and emerging quantum hardware, focusing on chemically meaningful problems that can be addressed with present-day platforms. My work developed both digital and analog approaches to molecular simulation, establishing practical pathways toward studying realistic chemical processes on near-term quantum devices.

My long-term goal is to expand simulation beyond classical limits by developing quantum-driven frameworks that are both physically grounded and broadly applicable. This direction has already begun in my doctoral work, where I demonstrated how abstract quantum models can be translated into implementable, experimentally relevant protocols, and it will continue to grow toward more general and scalable approaches. At a high level, this work aims to make complex quantum behavior more predictable and accessible, enabling better understanding and design of chemical and material systems, while contributing to a broader shift in how we model and reason about the physical world.”

Noah Bartfield ’26 Ph.D.

Organic Chemistry
Faculty Advisor: Seth Herzon  

Dissertation: Total Synthesis of Securiflustra and Chartella Haloimidazole Alkaloids

“I am an incoming postdoctoral associate in the laboratory of Prof. David R. Liu at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. I will be working on new approaches for therapeutic protein evolution and genome editing.

During my postdoctoral studies, I aim to leverage my training in strategic complex molecule synthesis to guide synthetic biology research toward improved nucleic acid- and protein-based therapies. These therapies have an immediate and profound life-and-death impact on patients with traditionally incurable diseases, and vast limitations in cost, efficiency, tissue selectivity, and available disease targets remain. New developments in genome editing and synthetic protein therapies can expand the scope of treatable conditions that current small molecule approaches fail to address, and can hopefully provide more accessible care for traditionally undruggable conditions.”

Connect with Noah on LinkedIn.

Theoretical Chemistry
Faculty Advisor: Timothy Newhouse  

Dissertation: Data Driven Synthetic Planning: From Selectivity Prediction to Complexity-Aware Route Design

“I will be joining the Digital Group at Boehringer Ingelheim in Connecticut as a Senior Scientist, where I will focus on optimizing processes through computational chemistry and AI-driven approaches. By optimizing our processes, I aim to accelerate the timeline for advancing our lead pharmaceutical candidates to first-in-human studies.”

Connect with Abbigayle on LinkedIn.

Organic Chemistry
Faculty Advisor: Scott Miller 

Dissertation: Synthetic Innovations Driven by Novel Ribosomal Reactivity

“Since completing my Ph.D., I have taken on the role of scientific managing director for the NSF Center for Genetically Encoded Materials. In this unique postdoctoral role at UC Berkeley, I have the opportunity to gain further scientific training at the intersection of chemistry and biology while also developing my administrative skills.

I find great joy in doing science at the intersection of disciplines. My long-term goal is to establish a research group at this intersection to develop new chemical tools and techniques to advance our understanding of protein science through the lens of organic chemistry. In the grand scheme, this understanding could lead to new therapeutics and a deepened understanding of the molecular world.”

Connect with Taylor on LinkedIn.

Noah Gibson ’26 Ph.D.

Inorganic Chemistry
Faculty Advisor: James Mayer  

Dissertation: The Frumkin Isotherm is a “Third-Step” Model for Non-Ideal Surfaces: PCET Reactions of Colloidal WO3 and Microkinetic Modeling of Common Surface Mechanisms

“I will be going to the University of Chicago to start a postdoctoral position in the Wuttig Lab. I will be designing electrode self-assemblies for selective electrochemical synthesis. 

My long-term goal is an academic research position. I’d like to build my own independent research program investigating and leveraging interfacial disorder for catalysis. Effective catalysis is at the heart of society’s greatest needs; new strategies and technologies could have lasting impacts in energy generation and security, environmental remediation, and green chemical synthesis.”

Rong Guo ’25 Ph.D.

Biophysical Chemistry
Faculty Advisor: Anna Pyle 

Dissertation: Discovery of Direct-Acting Small-Molecule Rig-I Agonists Through Creation of a Selective Card Activation Platform

“I will be pursuing a career in consulting, where I can work at the intersection of science and business on strategic projects. Coming from a scientific research background, my goal is to apply both scientific knowledge and strategic thinking to solve complex challenges in healthcare and biotechnology. I hope this work can help companies develop better treatments and technologies that positively impact patients and society.”

Physical Chemistry
Faculty Advisor: Mark Johnson

Dissertation: Unraveling Chemical Complexity, and the Hidden Dynamics of Ion Traps, Using Cryogenic Vibrational Predissociation Spectroscopy

“I will be doing a postdoc in the lab of Vicki Grassian at the University of California, San Diego. I will be investigating the accelerated kinetics of atmospherically-relevant reactions in aqueous microdroplets.

Many past studies on the timescales of reactions to determine their relevance to atmospheric chemistry have been performed in bulk solutions. These ‘beaker’ measurements are often slow and provide an inaccurate measure of the chemistry occurring in smaller aqueous droplets, leading to improper conclusions on what reactions are atmospherically ‘relevant’. Spectroscopically probing reaction rates in microdroplets provides a more apt understanding of the chemistry that is not only crucial to Earth’s atmosphere and climate, but also to human health. Additionally, there is much interest in understanding the origins of accelerated reactions in microdroplets. In a broader sense, this research acts as a platform to engage students at all levels in understanding the role that these systems play in our atmosphere.”

Connect with Payten on LinkedIn.

Inorganic Chemistry
Faculty Advisor: Patrick Holland

Dissertation: The Influences of Redox-Active Ligands on Nitrogen Reduction Catalysts

“I have started a postdoc at Cornell University with Prof. Jonathan Kephart, where I am working on low-valent metal oxo clusters. In the long-term, I am hoping to find an academic position at a primarily undergraduate institution teaching inorganic chemistry.”

Connect with Alexander on LinkedIn.

Physical Chemistry
Faculty Advisors: Victor Batista and Gary Brudvig

Dissertation: Electrochemical Control of Active-Site Identity and Selectivity in Nitrogen Oxyanion Reduction

“I will be joining Phillips Exeter Academy this fall as a chemistry instructor. At Yale, my research used computational methods to understand how catalytic materials convert nitrogen-based pollutants into useful products, with a focus on how electrochemical conditions influence reactivity.

My immediate goal is to develop as a teacher and support students in building confidence in how they approach scientific problems. Over time, I hope to bring more real-world applications of chemistry into the classroom, especially in areas related to energy and sustainability. In a broader sense, this work helps prepare students to think critically about challenges like pollution and resource use, and to see how chemistry can be part of the solution.”

Connect with Jana on LinkedIn.

Katelyn Laughon ’26 Ph.D.

Theoretical Chemistry
Faculty Advisor: Tianyu Zhu

Dissertation: Accelerated Many-Body Green’s Function Methods for Electronic Spectra in Condensed Phases

“I am joining SynovAI as chief of staff, supporting the development of SynovAI’s retrosynthesis platform. My goal is to support the production of valuable computational tools to accelerate scientific discovery and innovation.”

Connect with Katelyn on LinkedIn.

Theoretical Chemistry
Faculty Advisor: Victor Batista

Dissertation: Structure Precedes Quantity: Generative Foundations for Molecular Design and Synthesis Planning

“I am joining Genesis Molecular AI in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I will work on machine learning for drug discovery. At Yale, in Prof. Victor Batista’s group, my research focused on generative AI for chemistry: synthesis planning, molecular generation, and the infrastructure needed to evaluate whether AI-generated chemical ideas are actually plausible.

My long-term goal is to help build artificial chemical intelligence: systems that understand not only what molecules look like or what properties they may have, but how matter can be transformed through chemical reactions. Today, AI can generate molecules and proposed synthetic routes very quickly, but the harder question is which of those ideas are chemically meaningful, experimentally plausible, and worth trusting. Better tools for chemical reasoning could help scientists explore more ideas with fewer failed experiments, making the discovery of new medicines and materials faster, more reliable, and less wasteful.”

Connect with Anton on LinkedIn.

Chromatin Biology
Faculty Advisor: Matthew Simon

Dissertation: Chromatin Silencing in Metazoans: Insights Into the Regulatory Roles of H4Kacme and H3K27me3

“During my Ph.D. at Yale University, I studied how specific histone modifications (H3K27me3 and Kacme) modulate chromatin structure and control whether genes are turned on or off. I’ll be continuing as a postdoctoral researcher studying how chemical modifications to chromatin regulate transcription.

My long-term goal is to better understand how disruptions to epigenetic-based regulatory pathways contribute to diseases such as cancer and other developmental disorders. By identifying how these chromatin-based pathways function, this work could help inform the development of more targeted therapies that improve our ability to diagnose and treat disease.”

Connect with Andreas on LinkedIn.

Organic Chemistry
Faculty Advisor: Scott Miller

Dissertation: Thiol-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogen Atom Transfer Reactions

“I’m excited to be joining the Gaunt Group at the University of Cambridge as a postdoctoral fellow, where I’ll be developing new catalytic methods for selective chemical transformations. I’m incredibly grateful for my time at Yale and for the mentorship and support that made this next step possible.

My goal is to develop catalytic methods that make chemical synthesis more sustainable and efficient, improving how we produce important molecules like pharmaceuticals and materials. Science has had a major impact on my own life socially and economically, and I hope to give back by mentoring students and encouraging others to pursue science as a path of opportunity and growth.”

Connect with Marcus on LinkedIn.

Physical Chemistry
Faculty Advisor: Mark Johnson

Dissertation: Water-Mediated Proton Transfer in Microhydrated 4-Aminobenzoic Acid: Structural Characterization and Microcanonical Kinetics using Cryogenic Ion  Spectroscopy

“I will be joining Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as a postdoctoral researcher, where I will be working on microdroplet chemistry.

My short-term goal is to learn as many new things as possible. In the long term, I hope to be in a position where I can both teach and pursue research simultaneously, while also contributing to society through my work and beyond.”

Connect with Abhijit on LinkedIn.

Theoretical Chemistry
Faculty Advisor: William Jorgensen

Dissertation: Streamlining Drug Discovery with the Aid of Artificial Intelligence and Physics-Based Modeling

“I am working at Sanofi as a scientist in the computer-aided drug discovery group. As a computer-aided drug discovery scientist, I work to accelerate the design of new molecules for therapeutic purposes by improving how accurately we can predict the safety and efficacy of druglike compounds before they are synthesized. Ultimately, I hope my work will help make the drug discovery pipeline more efficient and bring new medicines to patients sooner.”  

Connect with Anastasia on LinkedIn.

Organic Chemistry
Faculty Advisor: Scott Miller

Dissertation: On Atomistic Modeling and Asymmetric Catalysis: Stereocontrolled Synthesis by Design

“I will start as a postdoctoral associate in the laboratory of Prof. Alexander Radosevich at MIT, where I will be developing novel phosphorus-based reagents and catalysts for the sustainable and efficient synthesis of fine chemicals. This work will contribute to the discovery of novel chemistry based on benign and earth-abundant phosphorus atoms, that can both replace toxic and rare heavy metals from current processes as well as unveil completely new pathways for chemical synthesis. Given the broad utility of these systems, our developments have the potential to directly impact the production of all fine chemicals like fuels, perfumes, drug manufacturing, and materials.”

Connect with Nicolò on LinkedIn.

Organic Chemistry
Faculty Advisor: Jon Ellman

Dissertation: Visible-Light Mediated, Diastereoselective Epimerization of Endocyclic, Exocyclic and Acyclic Amines

“During my time in the Ellman Lab at Yale, I worked on the stereochemical editing of amines via a reversible thiyl radical mediated hydrogen atom transfer pathway. This pathway allowed for the diastereoselective epimerization of endocyclic, exocyclic and acyclic amines, and numerous mechanistic studies were performed.

My short-term goal is to work in a pharmaceutical company and advance drug development.”

Connect with Maria on LinkedIn.

Organic Chemistry
Faculty Advisor: Seth Herzon

Dissertation: Enantioselective Synthesis of the Monomeric Unit of (–)-lomaiviticin A，Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (–)-Gukulenin A and Structure-Activity Relationship Studies of Gukulenins

“I experienced a systematic and comprehensive study on synthetic organic chemistry and will continue working on medicinal discovery chemistry in industry after leaving Yale.

My long-term goal is to work and contribute to the discovery of novel medicine or therapy.”

Connect with Zechun on LinkedIn.

Materials Chemistry
Faculty Advisor: James Mayer

Dissertation: Quantification and Hydride Transfer Reactivity of Si-H Bonds on the Surface of Silicon Nanoparticles

“My research at Yale was centered on understanding the surface chemistry of silicon nanoparticles, particularly through hydride transfer reactions with molecular acceptors in solution. 

My goal is to secure a lecturing position in a university setting. I’m passionate about teaching, about chemistry, and about teaching chemistry and aim to foster a deeper understanding of, appreciation for, and confidence in the chemistry education of my future students.”

Connect with Alexa on LinkedIn.