Molecular Design and Synthesis Lab

create, catalyze, collaborate

We are an organic chemistry lab fascinated by catalysis, mechanism, and natural products. The lab's discoveries have been recognized by the ACS Corey Award, Cope Scholar Award, and Sloan Fellowship. Professor Dong teaches organic chemistry (chem160, chem180, chem51LD, and chem51C) at UC Irvine, serves as an editor for Organic Syntheses and consults for Merck & Co.

Meet the Team

Our Mission

Organic molecules make up everything around us, including our food, medicine, and fuels. The ability to design and make molecules is thus an essential pursuit. By inventing tools to construct molecular architecture, we aid the search for better therapeutics, sustainable materials, and renewable energies. Our ultimate mission is to build a better world, one chemist at a time.

Research Projects

Be the Catalyst

"We spend years mastering complex concepts and passionately teaching these ideas to our students, with the belief they will use this knowledge to impact the world. By educating ourselves on critical ideas outside our field, we can be better teachers, colleagues, and leaders. There's a lot to learn and do. But first, we must agree on the mission. Creating the most inclusive and equitable climate possible for doing chemistry is an objective and honorable mission we can share." Vy Dong, see Global Statements at Nature Chemistry

Tour Lab

Our laboratory is equipped with a solvent purification system, Advion TLC/MS, Agilent GC/MS, Agilent chiral SFC, automated column chromatography, high pressure gas reactors, and eight-foot fumehoods. Take a one-minute tour.

Tour Campus

Meeting Schedule and Application Process

We hold regular team meetings in Natural Sciences I, 4112 and you're welcome to attend to learn more. Our schedule can be found here. If you would like to meet with Vy please catch her after the group meeting or drop by her weekly open office hours (Fridays from 10:30 am to 11:30 am in NS 1 4206).

Postdoctoral Fellows: Please send a cover letter, a resume with publication list, contact information for three references, and research summary to Vy (dongv@uci.edu). In your cover letter, include fellowship opportunities of interest and future career goals.

Graduate Students: Prospective students apply to UC Irvine directly at this link. You are welcome to contact Vy or any group members to learn more about the lab and life in Irvine, California. Incoming students are welcome to attend team meetings and complete a rotation before committing.

Undergraduate Students: For chemistry and pharmaceutical science majors only, please come by and attend our group meetings to get a sense of what we do. After attending three meetings, if what we study resonates with you then, you are more than welcome to come talk to Professor Dong at the end of the meeting to ask about opportunities. In addition, you are encouraged to search the UROP website for funding and other opportunities.

Visiting Scholars: We enjoy hosting visiting researchers from all over the world. Please apply to Professor Dong (dongv@uci.edu). Include a brief statement of your career goals, a resume, and a copy of your transcript.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful for funding from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. Credit to Ian Parker's Evanescent Light Photography for campus photos. Thank you for visiting our home-page.

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