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Areas of Specialization

Bio-inspired coordination chemistry of group 12 metal ions, single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance and complementary spectroscopic methods

Background

Humanity's growing reliance on metal resources has caused increased exposure to toxic metal species through persistence and accumulation in ecosystems. Elucidation of biologically relevant heavy metal binding motifs is critical to understanding the physiologically essential and detrimental roles of metal ions. The major focus of my research efforts is characterization of new complexes of Zn(II), Cd(II) and Hg(II) with small molecules incorporating several mimics of the amino acid side chain donors found in protein metal binding sites. A combination of structural, spectroscopic, and computational techniques is used. In the long term, these studies may enhance understanding of metal toxicology or lead to alternative therapies for adverse environmental metal ion exposure.