Kevin Bartlett
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Office: EATN 306
Phone: 206-281-2101
Email: klbartle@spu.edu
Curriculum Vitae
BS, Wheaton College, 1995; PhD, organic chemistry, University of Washington, 2001. At SPU since 2002.
Wade Grabow
Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Office: EATN 310
Email: grabow@spu.edu
Summary: Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a ubiquitous biomolecule involved in a variety of cellular processes outside the traditionally recognized role of protein synthesis. Far from merely functioning as a passive carrier of genetic information, the discovery and characterization of a variety of diverse classes of non-coding RNA (RNA not involved directly in coding for a protein) have shown RNA to be actively involved in numerous cellular functions. Such discoveries are made more fascinating by the fact that many of these roles—such as gene regulation, catalysis, and metabolite recognition—were once thought to be unique to proteins. It is within the context of these rather remarkable and diverse cellular functions that my research interests focus on the relationship between RNA sequences and their functional three-dimensional structures. Broadly speaking, my research involves the study and characterization of recurrent RNA motifs identified within natural RNA structures and the rational design of artificial RNA nano-particles based on their resulting characterization.
Minhee Lee
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Office: Marston 251
Phone: 206-281-2103
Email: leem23@spu.edu
Curriculum Vitae
Dual BS, Yonsei University; PhD, organic chemistry, Columbia University, 2010. At SPU since 2014.
Research Interests: Using organic chemistry to study biology.
Summary: We aim to design and synthesize smart organic compounds that can be used as a) fluorescent activity probes of disease-related enzymes or b) pro-drugs that can be activated by enzyme activity.
Benjamin J. McFarland
Chair of Chemistry and Biochemistry Department; Professor of Biochemistry
Office: EATN 103
Research Lab: EATN 104
Phone: 206-281-2749
Email: bjm@spu.edu
Curriculum Vitae
Research Group web site
Dual BS, University of Florida, 1996; PhD, biomolecular structure and design, University of Washington, 2001.
At SPU since 2003. Research Interests: Biochemistry, immunology, protein chemistry, physical biochemistry Summary: Our laboratory is interested in several kinds of "interfaces": the interfaces where two proteins match up and stick together; the interface of protein structure and immunology known as structural immunology; and placing these investigations within the context of biochemistry, which is the interface of biology and chemistry. Current projects center around redesigning affinities of protein-protein interactions important to starting immune responses and developing assays for assessing the metal-binding properties of protein samples. Other projects involve bioinformatics studies of paralogous amino acid synthesis genes.
John Mouser
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Office: Marston 249
Email: mousej@spu.edu
Curriculum Vitae
BA, Point Loma Nazarene College, 1985; PhD, organic chemistry, University of Southern California, 1991. At SPU since 2004.
Karisa M. Pierce
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Office: EATN 304
Research Lab: EATN 307
Phone: 206-281-2102
Email: piercek@spu.edu
Curriculum Vitae
BS, Seattle University, 2002; PhD, analytical chemistry, University of Washington, 2007. At SPU since 2008.
Research Interests:
Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography with fluorescence and absorbance detection, and dynamic mobility spectrometry to answer questions about complex samples such as: What are the statistically significant chemical differences among fuels and fuel blends? What toxins are present in marine organisms? What are some new applications of differential mobility spectrometry?
Samantha J. (Connelly) Robinson
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Office: EATN 334
Research Lab: EATN 307
Phone: 206-286-7355
E-mail: srobinson@spu.edu
Curriculum Vitae
BS, University of Iowa, 2009; PhD, inorganic chemistry, University of Washington, 2014.
At SPU since 2015.
Research Interests: The Robinson Group is exploring fundamental reactions between transition metal complexes and small molecules like oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen. We are studying the impact of ligand modifications on the thermodynamics of various steps along catalytic pathways using electrochemistry and NMR spectroscopy.
Daniel Schofield
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Office: EATN 334
Research Lab: EATN B20
Phone: 206-281-2944
E-mail: schofieldd@spu.edu
BSc(Hons), University of Otago, 2002; PhD, physical chemistry, University of Otago, 2005. At SPU since 2010.
Research Interests:
Our research interests are in the area of theoretical and computational chemistry. In particular, we study the structure, dynamics, thermodynamics and spectroscopy of groups of molecules where non-covalent interactions are important. The properties of these systems are particularly sensitive to the nature of by the underlying intermolecular potential energy surface. Our research group uses quantum chemistry to calculate potential energy surfaces for systems held together by intermolecular interactions. Of current interest is the use of computational chemistry to improve gas storage and sequestration in metal-organic frameworks.