News

Pitre Lab undergraduate researcher Emmie McRorie was recently named a Niblack Research Scholar for the 2026-2027 academic year! This prestigious scholarship, made possible through the generosity of Dr. John Niblack, provides outstanding undergraduate students with valuable research experience at an early stage of their academic career. This award will support Emmie's research on the preparation of strained spirocyclopropanes using Vitamin B₁₂ photocatalysis. Congratulations, Emmie!!

Congratulations Subrata, Martin, and Negin on their recent publication in Organometallics!! This Tutorial Review focuses on the use of base metal photocatalysts in photoredox transformations, discusses their advantages and drawbacks in relation to sustainability, and introduces the reader to the types of excited state reactivity that can be observed for each base metal. You can check out the article here.

Congratulations to John Hayford Teye-Kau for successfully defending his PhD dissertation in November and for his recent graduation!! John's work in the Pitre Lab concentrated on leveraging nucleophilic cobalt photocatalysis to enable the preparation of cyclopropanes using simple feedstock chemicals like dichloromethane and haloforms as methylene sources. Congrats again, Dr. Teye-Kau!!

Congratulations Tarannum, Negin, and Pitre Lab alumni Katelyn and Bailey on their recent publication in The Journal of Organic Chemistry!! Their work demonstrates a dual catalytic approach for radical generation from gem-bromodifluoroesters and amides by combining halogen-bonding photocatalysis and a catalytic Finkelstein reaction. You can check out the article here.

Congratulations to Tarannum Tasnim for successfully defending her PhD dissertation!! Tarannum's work in the Pitre Lab concentrated on leveraging halogen-bonding interactions between hydroquinone catalyts and fluoroalkyl halides to promote radical fluoroalkylation reactions under visible light irradiation. Congrats again, Dr. Tasnim!!

Congratulations to Viraj and Kaitlin on their recent publication in Tetrahedron Chem!! The publication is part of the Photocatalysis in Organic Synthesis Special Issue, and their work introduces an updated intermittent illumination technique using modern LED technologies to study radical chain reactions. You can check out the article here.

The Pitre Lab has recently been awarded a Maximizing Investigator's Research Award (R35) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health. This grant provides support for research in an investigator's laboratory that falls within the mission of NIGMS, providing investigators with greater stability and flexibility, thereby enhancing scientific productivity and the chances for important breakthroughs. This NIH grant will provide support for the next five years. You can read more about this grant here.

Congrats to the Pitre Lab!

Congratulations to Prasadi Gallage for successfully defending her PhD dissertation today!! Prasadi's work in the Pitre Lab concentrated on the investigation of the visible light reactivity of 1,4-dihydropyridine anions and their applications as radical precursors and single-electron reductants. Up next, Prasadi will be moving to Waco to start a postdoctoral fellowship with Liela Romero at Baylor University in September. Congrats again, Dr. Gallage!!

Pitre Lab undergraduate researcher, Kaitlin Ashcraft, was recently highlighted by OSU News as this month's Senior Spotlight. The article highlights some of the research Kaitlin has accomplished throughout her time in the Pitre Lab, and how those experiences have prepared her for professional school. You can check out the full article here. Congratulations Kaitlin on all your accomplishments!