BES: New approaches to magnetic resonance imaging and energy catalysis through chemical design
New Approaches to Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Energy Catalysis Through Chemical Design
Agnes Thorarinsdottir
February 17, 2023
11:00 - 12:00 PM
SEEC Building N224
Abstract:
Synthetic chemistry is a powerful tool for realizing molecules and materials with novel functions for addressing grand challenges in biomedical, environmental, and energy science. This presentation will discuss two avenues by which specific molecular and materials functions may be implemented by chemical design to create chemical systems with advanced properties that enable probing and tuning of microenvironments.
Bio:
Agnes Thorarinsdottir received her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Iceland, Reykjavik, in 2015, where she worked under the guidance of Prof. Krishna K. Damodaran on designing metal–organic frameworks from salen-based metalloligands. She obtained her Ph.D. in Chemistry at Northwestern University in the research group of Prof. David Harris. Her doctoral work focused on employing coordination chemistry approaches to control electronic spins in transition metal compounds in efforts to design bioresponsive magnetic resonance imaging probes and metal–organic framework magnets. In January 2020, Agnes moved to Cambridge, MA, where she is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in the research group of Prof. Daniel Nocera at Harvard University. Her work in the Nocera group centers on designing electrocatalysts and electrochemical systems to address challenges in energy. Agnes is the recipient of a number of awards including Harvard University Center for the Environment Postdoctoral Fellowship, American Chemical Society Division of Inorganic Chemistry Young Investigator Award, and Chemical Abstracts Service Future Leaders Award.