Alison R.H. Narayan | |
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Born | 1984 (age 39–40) |
Nationality | American |
Alma mater |
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Scientific career | |
Fields | Biocatalysis, Organic chemistry |
Institutions | University of Michigan - Life Sciences Institute |
Thesis | New Reactions and Synthetic Strategies toward Indolizidine Alkaloids and Pallavicinia Diterpenes (2011) |
Doctoral advisor | Richmond Sarpong |
Other academic advisors | David H. Sherman |
Alison Rae Hardin Narayan (born 1984)[1] is an American chemist and the William R. Roush assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.[2] Additionally, she is a research assistant professor at University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute.[3]
Narayan grew up in Cheboygan, Michigan graduating from high school in Frankenmuth. She completed her B.S. in chemistry at the University of Michigan in 2006. During her bachelor's degree, she carried out research under the supervision of John P. Wolfe on palladium-catalyzed methodology for the synthesis of substituted tetrahydrofuran rings.[4] Narayan completed her Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 2011 with Richmond Sarpong at the University of California, Berkeley, with a thesis entitled "New Reactions and Synthetic Strategies toward Indolizidine Alkaloids and Pallavicinia Diterpenes".[5][6][7] In 2011, Narayan returned to the University of Michigan as a postdoctoral fellow in David Sherman's lab.[8] During her postdoc, she engineered cytochrome P450 enzymes to perform C-H functionalization in non-native substrates.[9][10][11] In 2015, Narayan joined the Department of Chemistry and the Life Sciences Institute at the University of Michigan as an assistant professor.[12]
The Narayan lab focuses on identifying and characterizing enzymes from various microorganisms that can catalyze chemical reactions that are challenging to reproduce synthetically. These biocatalysts can be employed to create various chemicals for pharmaceutical or other purposes.[9][13]
Narayan has received numerous awards and honors including:
Mentored Key Publications