The Team

Postdoctoral fellows

Maxime Boudjelel, Ph. D.

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Postdoctoral Fellow (joined March 2022)

Postdoctoral scholar, UC Riverside, 2020-2022 (with Professor Richard Schrock)

Ph.D. Molecular Chemistry, Université Paul Sabatier, 2019

(with Professors Didier Bourissou and Ghenwa Bouhadir)

M.S. Nanotechnology, Université Paul Sabatier, 2016

B.S. Chemistry, Université Paul Sabatier, 2014

Maxime is an Algerian-French organometallic chemist. Max was born in Lyon, France and raised in Toulouse, France. He received his B. Sc. in Chemistry at the University Paul Sabatier in Toulouse. During his senior year in 2015, Maxime discovered America by participating in an exchange program at UNC-Chapel Hill. In 2016, he received his M.Sc. in Nanotechnology, but decided to expand his knowledge by pursuing a Ph. D. in Main Group/Organometallic Chemistry at Université Paul Sabatier under the supervision of Dr. Bourissou and Dr. Bouhadir. In 2020, Maxime joined Prof. Schrock's lab at UC Riverside researching new ways to form alkylidenes. He joined the lab of Prof. Malapit in 2022 where he researches new catalytic transformations. Outside of the lab, he enjoys discovering new cuisines, playing squash, and being a cat dad.

Eva Maria Alvarez-Pari, Ph. D.

Postdoctoral Fellow (joined August 2022)

Ph.D. Chemistry, Max Planck Institute, 2022

(with Professor Tobias Ritter)

M.S. Chemistry, University of Oxford (with Professor Michael Willis)

and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (with Professor Markus Heinrich)

I was born in Bolivia and I am interested in the discovery of new synthetic methodologies to tackle current issues in organic synthesis for the development of valuable building blocks for drug discovery. I am a Lindau Alumni who has selected to participate in 2017 for the Nobel Laurate Meeting in Chemistry. Through an ERASMUS fellowship, I moved to Europe to pursue my Masters degree in chemistry where I conducted research in the laboratories of Prof. Willis at the University of Oxford and Prof. Heinrich at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität. I then moved to the Max Planck Institute for Organic Synthesis where I obtained my PhD under the mentorship of Prof. Ritter. I joined the Malapit group to work at the interface of organometallic chemistry and electrocatalysis for the discovery of novel organic reactions. Outside the lab, I am interested in hiking and outdoor activities or traveling.

Graduate students (PhD in Chemistry)

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Stella Fors

Graduate student (joined Fall 2021)

stellafors2026@u.northwestern.edu

NSF GRFP, Honorable mention

B.S. Chemistry, 2020

University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)

Research with Prof. Hosea Nelson

Stella grew up near San Francisco and escaped the Bay Area gloom by moving to Los Angeles to pursue her undergraduate degree at UCLA. While at UCLA, she researched Au-mediated catalysis under Professor Hosea Nelson. After graduating in 2020, Stella worked as a polymer chemist at HRL Laboratories in Malibu. In 2021, she started her PhD at Northwestern. When she's not in lab, you can find her trail running, practicing yoga, spending time with her cat, and getting together with friends.

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An Kitamura

Graduate student (joined Fall 2021)

ankitamura@u.northwestern.edu

Quad Fellow by Schmidt Futures, 2023

B.S. Chemistry, 2021

Carleton College

Research with Prof. Deborah Gross

I'm from Kanagawa, Japan. My research interests are in organic and electrochemistry. In the Malapit group at Northwestern, I'm currently working on the design and synthesis of redox-active organic molecules for potential application energy storage technology. Outside of research, I enjoy photography and ice skating.

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Emily Mahoney

Graduate student (joined Fall 2021)

emilymahoney2026@u.northwestern.edu

NSF GRFP Fellow 2022-2025

B.S. Chemistry, 2021

Rochester Institute of Technology

Research with Prof. Hans Schmitthenner

Emily is from Cazenovia, a small town in upstate New York that is centered around an even smaller lake. When she is home she loves to swim, hike, climb and take her dog on walks. Emily attended Rochester Institute of Technology where she earned her bachelors degree in chemistry in 2021. At RIT, she focused on the synthesis of dyes utilized as cancer imaging agents. After taking a summer to travel and scuba dive, she came to Northwestern to begin her PhD. In the Malapit group, Emily is working on organic redox flow batteries and is very excited to be doing something that contributes to sustainable energy use in the future.

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Griffin Stewart

Graduate student (joined Fall 2022)

griffinstewart2027@u.northwestern.edu

B.S. Chemistry, 2021

Georgia Institute of Technology

Research with Prof. Seth Marder

I am a small town Southerner-turned-city person. My interest in chemistry ignited late in my high school days at the Mississippi School for Math and Science, and I have gained a special interest in sustainability, watching what pollution and climate change driven catastrophes have done to my home region in the deep south/Gulf of Mexico. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, brewing mead, painting my place with my high school sweetheart, and playing bridge.

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Mohammed (Mo) Ullah

Graduate student (joined Fall 2022)

mohammedullah2027@u.northwestern.edu

B.A. Chemistry, 2022

Wesleyan University

Research with Prof. Erika A. Taylor

Mohammed is from Brooklyn, NY. At Wesleyan University, he worked on the synthesis of a dimeric lignin probe under the mentorship of Dr. Erika A. Taylor. He was also a McNair Fellow during his time at Wesleyan. Mohammed looks forward to working in the Malapit group at Northwestern, specifically in reaction discovery through electrochemical methods. Outside of science, he enjoys binge-watching shows, drawing, painting, trying new food, and attempting to do pottery.

Jessica Weiyu Zhong

Graduate student (joined Fall 2022)

weiyuzhong2027@u.northwestern.edu

B.A. Chemistry, 2022

Colgate University

Research with Prof. Ernest Nolen

Jessica spent her childhood in Chengdu, Hong Kong, and Charlotte, NC. She earned her bachelor's in Chemistry at Colgate University, where she focused on the synthesis of Tn antigen mimics for glycoconjugate cancer vaccine development. Beginning a new chapter of her life at Northwestern, Jessica is excited to be working on reaction discovery using the powerful tools of organometallic chemistry, organic synthesis, and electrocatalysis. Besides chemistry, Jessica is also passionate about ballet, ice skating, and late night karaoke.

Visiting research scholars

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Visiting Faculty Scholar (joined Winter 2022)

Lecturer, Liaocheng University, July 2016 - present

yanqin.he@northwestern.edu

Visiting scholar, Northwestern University, 2021 (with Professor Thomas J. Meade)

Research Associate, University of Cincinnati, 2020 (with Professor Yujie Sun)

Visiting scholar, University of Utah, 2019 (with Professor Peter J. Stang)

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2016

Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Advisor: Professor Yu-Wu Zhong

Yanqin He, Ph. D.

Yanqin was born and raised in Jining, China. She received her Ph.D. in 2016 from the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences under the supervision of Professor Yu-Wu Zhong. There she developed transition metal catalyzed reactions for C-H functionalization. After graduation, Yanqin became a lecture at Liaocheng University. In 2018, she joined Professor Peter J Stang’s group at Utah University to conduct supermolecular chemistry. In 2022, Yanqin joined Professor Malapit’s group as a visiting scholar.

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Lorenzo Ballerini

ERASMUS Visiting scholar (joined January 2023)

ERASMUS+ Fellow 2023

M.S. Organic Chemistry, University of Pisa, Italy, 2022

(with Professor Fabio Bellina)

B.S. Chemistry, University of Pisa, Italy, 2020

(with Professor Marco Lessi)

I was born in Carrara, a small town in Italy. I received my BS and MS degrees at the University of Pisa working on Pd-catalyzed direct arylation and cross-coupling reactions. In 2023 I joined Professor Malapit's group as a visiting scholar to work on reaction discovery through electrochemical methods. In my free time, I enjoy travelling and hiking, but I am also interested in history and geography.