Brock University Department of Chemistry and Centre for Biotechnology

Ontario College of Health and Technology
1040 South Service Road, Stoney Creek

Brock University's Department of Chemistry is a vibrant collection of researchers with expertise in every field of chemistry.

Many of our faculty are active members of the interdisciplinary Centre for Biotechnology. The Department of Chemistry is a vibrant collection of researchers with expertise in every field of chemistry. Our programs stress chemical principles and practice through research in organic, inorganic, analytical, physical and theoretical chemistry, with a strong emphasis on the interdisciplinary fields of

bio-inorganic and bio-organic chemistry and chemical biophysics. Research interests of the department include development of new chiral ligands, organometallic reagents, and methods for asymmetric synthesis, green chemistry including bacterial dioxygenase-mediated degradation of aromatics, new approaches in natural product synthesis emphasizing morphine alkaloids, design and synthesis of fluorinated inhalation anesthetic agents and unnatural oligo-saccharide conjugates, ligand design and crystal engineering aimed at self-assembly of novel molecule-based materials, organic electrochemistry, energetics of photosynthesis studied by time-resolved electron spin resonance of short-lived paramagnetic intermediates, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, organometallic mass spectrometry, quantum and computational chemistry, pesticide and trace element analysis, protein affinity labelling and protein-lipid interactions, silicon chemistry and the chemistry of silicones and silicone-modified materials, and structure-activity correlations of anticancer pharmaceuticals. The Department of Chemistry is dedicated to being on the cutting edge of research and many of our faculty are active members of the interdisciplinary Centre for Biotechnology. Biotechnology has been used for centuries in fermentation and the making of bread and cheese, but today involves new scientific tools like genetic and protein engineering, cell fusion and production of monoclonal antibodies. Biotechnology is a strategic technology and an important economic component of industrialized nations. The Centre for Biotechnology at Brock is a joint effort between the Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, with courses drawn from both departments plus courses designed specifically for the program. Brock Chemistry – Finding Solutions Today for the Challenges of Tomorrow

Gallery: Award-winning prof urges grads to make ‘life-giving’ change

06/12/2026

Faculty of Mathematics and Science 2026 Excellence in Teaching Award recipient, Chemistry Prof. Divya Matta urges graduates to make "live-giving" change.

Gallery: Award-winning prof urges grads to make ‘life-giving’ change “As a chemist, I spend much of my life thinking about transformation.” The idea of growth — and the power of perseverance — was central to Assistant Professor of Chemistry Divya Kaur Matta’s message as she addressed Brock’s newest graduates ...

06/10/2026

Chemistry PhD candidate Rozhin Rowshanpour (Prof. T. Dudding - supervisor) will defend the thesis “Developing New Strategies in Organic Synthesis Through Photocatalytic Azo Formation, Radical Fluorination, and Carbonyl Activation” on Monday, June 15, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The defence will take place in PLAZA 601C.

The examination committee members are Maureen Reedyk, Chair; Travis Dudding, Supervisor; Rebecca Davis, External Examiner (University of Manitoba); Yifeng Li, Internal Examiner; and Georgii Nikonov and Tony Yan, Advisory Committee.

A comparative examination of platinum catalysts for the direct hydrosilylation of alkenoic acids

06/02/2026

The Zelisko research team published a paper comparing platinum catalysts for the hydrosilylation of alkenoic acids.

A comparative examination of platinum catalysts for the direct hydrosilylation of alkenoic acids Three platinum sources, Adam's catalyst, Karstedt's catalyst, and platinum black, were utilized to mediate the hydrosilylation of alkenoic acids with hydrosilanes. All catalysts exhibited the capacity to mediate hydrosilylation with varying degrees of efficiency, which correlated to the nature of th...

05/28/2026

Chemistry PhD candidate Temitayo Laleye (Prof. J. Atkinson - supervisor) will defend the thesis “Synthesis of a Homologous Series of Bolaphosphatidylcholines: Influence of Chain Length and Rigidity on Self-Assembly and Model Phospholipid Membrane Structure” on Monday, June 1 from 11 am to 2 pm, in Plaza 600F.

The examination committee includes William Pickett, Chair; Jeffrey Atkinson, Supervisor; John Sanderson, External Examiner (Durham University); Thad Harroun, Internal Examiner; and Travis Dudding and Tony Yan, Supervisory Committee Members.

Photos from Brock University Department of Chemistry and Centre for Biotechnology's post

05/28/2026

Prof. Georgii Nikonov giving his Rio Tinto award lecture at the Canadian Societies for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering 2026 Conferences and Exhibition.

05/28/2026

A great day of presentations from Brock Chemistry researchers at the Canadian Societies for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering 2026 Conferences and Exhibition.

05/04/2026

Chemistry PhD student Giovanna Costa (Prof. T. Yan - supervisor) received the best poster award at the Chemical Biophysics Symposium at the University of Toronto for the poster titled, "Optimizing DNA recovery at low concentrations using alternative co-precipitants". Mariam El-Morched a Chemistry PhD student with Prof. T. Yan was selected to give an oral presentation titled "Examining kinetics and dynamics of DNA, proteins and chemical reactions in simulated cytoplasmic fluids" at the same symposium.