Chemistry Grad Student Awarded Future Leaders Award

Every year, the Future Leaders Program of the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) chooses 31 distinguished graduate students and postdoctoral fellows specializing in chemistry or related fields to participate in an all-expenses-paid development program. Since its founding in 2010, the Future Leaders has selected over 400 recipients worldwide from 38 different nations. This year, the cohort includes graduate student Anjali Gurajapu from the laboratory of Sarah Reisman, Bren Professor of Chemistry and Norman Davidson Leadership Chair of the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (CCE).

After completing her undergraduate studies in chemistry and data science at UC Berkeley, Gurajapu joined Reisman's group. There, her research, which lies at the intersection of data science and organic synthesis, aims to use computational insights to develop new reactions to synthesize complex molecules with applications in human health.

"Plants or animals make these really complicated molecules that sometimes have medicinal uses," Gurajapu says. "We want to develop reactions, so we can use those molecules more easily." Specifically, Gurajapu works on developing reactions known as nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. Cross-coupling reactions are used in the pharmaceutical industry but often involve the rare and expensive element palladium. Nickel, by contrast, is more abundant and often displays complementary reactivity.

As part of the Future Leaders Program, Gurajapu will receive an expenses-paid trip to Columbus, Ohio, where the CAS headquarters are located, and to the national American Chemical Society (ACS) conference, to be held in late August in Chicago. Fellows will also receive a $1,000 cash prize, ACS membership for three years, coverage in C&EN magazine, the opportunity to present their work, as well as connections to peers across the world who shares similar research interests in synthetic and medicinal chemistry.

At Caltech, Gurajapu is also involved in BOND, a student organization within the CCE division, as its media and communications coordinator. BOND seeks to create an environment in which students from various backgrounds can engage in conversations and exchange ideas that will contribute to the division. The goal, she says, is to "foster belonging and inclusivity here at Caltech."