PREDICT Lightning Talk Competition

Congratulations to those who were selected to compete in the PREDICT Lightning Talk Competition!

We received a record number of applicants this year for the PREDICT Abstract Competition, and these individuals were selected from the top applicants.

Rana Abdu (she/her)

University of Minnesota

Advisor: Courtney Roberts

"C-C Bond Formation Utilizing d⁰ Metal Complexes Bearing a Redox-Active Ligand"

My name is Rana Abdu and I am a third year graduate student at the University of Minnesota in Courtney Roberts’ group. I obtained my bachelor's degree in biochemistry at Colorado College where I did research in both organic and inorganic synthesis as well as computational chemistry. Currently, I am interested in solving challenging problems in organic chemistry using organometallics and inorganic techniques. I have focused thus far on utilizing early transition metal and lanthanide complexes bearing a redox–active ligand to form challenging C–C bonds. Outside of lab, I enjoy doing puzzles, playing video games, and long distance running.

Serena DiLiberti (she/her)

University of Minnesota

Advisor: Christopher Douglas

"Total Synthesis of (+)-Eburnamonine Using Asymmetric Alkene Cyanoamidation through C-CN Bond Activation"

Born and raised in New Jersey, Serena DiLiberti moved to Boston in 2016, where she earned her B.S. in chemistry at Northeastern University in 2020. For her graduate studies, she decided to move to Minnesota, where she is currently a fifth-year graduate student in the lab of Professor Chris Douglas. Her Ph.D. work involves developing and optimizing novel synthetic organic transformations and using them in the synthesis of natural products and small molecules. Serena plans to graduate in the summer of 2025. During her free time, she likes to travel, read, swim, and play board/card games.

Souvik Adak (he/him)

Indiana University Bloomington

Advisor: Kevin Brown

"Directed Photochemical Cycloadditions for the Synthesis of Boron-Based Building Blocks"

Souvik Adak is a passionate chemist from Tamluk, West Bengal, India. He completed his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc. Hons) in Chemistry at Midnapore College (Autonomous) and went on to pursue his Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Chemistry at IIT Bombay. During his master's, he worked on Rh(III)-catalyzed C-H activation reactions under the guidance of Dr. Chandra M. R. Volla. Currently, Souvik is a Ph.D. candidate at Indiana University, Bloomington, where he conducts research under the supervision of Prof. M. Kevin Brown. His doctoral work focuses on triplet energy transfer-mediated cycloadditions and dearomative reactions. Outside the lab, Souvik enjoys exploring culinary arts, often watching food vlogs and experimenting with new recipes.

Alexa Gomez (she/her)

University of Delaware

Advisor: Laure Kayser

"The Design and Synthesis of Organic Mixed Ionic-Electronic Conductors (OMIECs) for Dynamically Responsive Materials"

Alexa Gomez (she/her) is a third-year PhD candidate in the Chemistry and Biochemistry department at the University of Delaware (UD). She earned her B.S. in Chemistry from The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in 2022 where she completed undergraduate research in organic photochemistry. During the summer of 2021, she had the opportunity to participate in a multidisciplinary REU fellowship at the Temple Materials Institute (TMI) where she solidified her interest in scientific research and graduate studies. Upon acceptance into UD, she was selected as an NIH-funded Chemistry-Biology Interface (CBI) program fellow and received the Unidel Distinguished Graduate Scholar Fellowship. In the winter of 2023, she joined the lab of Dr. Laure Kayser, an assistant professor jointly appointed in the Chemistry and Biochemistry and Materials Science & Engineering departments at UD. Alexa's research is focused on the design and synthesis of functional polyelectrolytes with a special interest in organic mixed ionic-electronic conductors (OMIECs) for their potential use as soft actuators and materials for tactile feedback devices. Her current career goals include R&D at a materials-focused company and/or technical consulting.

Adaeze Osakwe (she/her)

The University of Georgia

Advisor: Jason Locklin

Application of Experimentally Derived Hansen Solubility Parameters to Optimize Amorphous Solid Dispersion Formulation

I am Adaeze Osakwe, and I seek to advance sustainable practices in pharmaceutical, polymer, and chemical manufacturing. Further to my Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry, I am currently pursuing a doctorate in chemistry, and a graduate certificate in sustainability at the University of Georgia. Primarily, my research is focused on developing a system that predicts miscibility between active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) in excipients through the use of solubility parameters, which would conversely minimize waste and conserve resources in drug delivery design. Additionally, I have worked on improving the thermal and mechanical properties of biodegradable polymers such as poly(hydroxyalkanoate) and poly (lactic acid) through the discovery of novel additives that improve their functional properties. Via these projects, I have collaborated with a Fortune 500 companies to develop sustainable pharmaceutical packaging, published my research in leading academic journals, and contributed to multiple interdisciplinary research initiatives.

Jagrut A. Shah (he/him)

Stony Brook University

Advisor: Jeffrey Lipshultz

"Transition Metal-Photocatalysis Enabling Organic Synthesis"

Jagrut Shah was born and raised in Mumbai, India, where he completed his schooling before earning a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the University of Mumbai. He then pursued a Master's degree at MSU Baroda, focusing on the total synthesis of natural products found in Shuteria sinensis. During this time, he gained industry experience as a research trainee at BASF’s innovation campus, synthesizing mesoionic compounds with herbicidal and insecticidal properties, followed by research at the Institute of Chemical Technology on nucleoside modification. His passion for organic synthesis led him to the United States for doctoral studies at Stony Brook University, where he initially joined the Ming-Yu Ngai group. In the Ngai lab, he explored Ir-photocatalyst-driven chiral nickel catalysis, utilizing metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) for asymmetric cross-coupling reactions, and later worked on excited-state copper catalysis, leveraging intraligand charge transfer (ILCT) to develop novel synthetic methodologies. His research has led to innovative methods for synthesizing pharmaceutically relevant molecules, including heterocycles, lactams, and o-aminophenols. In his fourth year, he transitioned to the Jeffrey Lipshultz group, where he expanded his expertise to titanium photocatalysis, employing ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) for controlled radical generation. Across both groups, he has worked with three distinct modes of charge transfer catalysis, MLCT, ILCT, and LMCT, developing versatile strategies for organic synthesis. Outside the lab, he enjoys going to the beach, playing video games, and hiking. Now, as he looks toward the next phase of his career, he aims to apply his expertise in catalysis and synthetic methodology to address challenges in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries.

Y Dang (she/her)

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Advisor: Zach Wickens

"Alkene Carboxy-Alkylation via CO2•–"

My name is Y Dang and I'm a 4th-year graduate student in the Wickens group at UW-Madison. I'm originally from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and did my undergraduate at Franklin & Marshall College in the United States, then pursued my graduate studies in organic chemistry at UW-Madison. Outside of lab, I enjoyed food hunting and coffee tasting.

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