Lee Thompson
Rm. 251, Chemistry Bld.
lee.thompson.1@louisville.edu
C.V.
Lee joined the Department of Chemistry at the University of Louisville as Assistant Professor in August 2017. Prior to his arrival in Louisville, he obtained a Master of Chemistry degree from University of Southampton (2004-2008). He carried out his doctoral research in the computational photochemistry group at Imperial College London (2009-2013), where he developed and applied computational methods for simulating the vibrational spectra of photoactive proteins. In 2014 he moved to the USA to take up a postdoctoral research position at the University of California, Merced (2014-2017) where he worked on approximate projection methods and their application to elucidation of transition metal oxide cluster photodetachment spectra.
Postdoctoral Researchers
Megan Mackintosh
Rm. 236, Chemistry Bld.
megan.mackintosh@louisville.edu
C.V.
Megan received here MS and PhD degrees in chemistry from the University of Louisville (UofL) in the group of Prof. Pawel M. Kozlowski. Her research at UofL involved studying the photochemistry of B12 dependent systems via multiscale methods with her main interest being the B12 photoreceptor CarH. After her graduation from UofL in December of 2021, she was awarded the Zuckerman STEM Leadership Program’s two-year postdoctoral fellowship to conduct research in Israel in Prof. Igor Schapiro’s group at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI). She continued to study photoreceptors at HUJI including phytochromes and bacteriorhodopsins. Megan is excited to return to UofL and to continue research in the area of computational chemistry and will focus her efforts on dynamic correlation of nonorthogonal CI methods.
Matheus Moraes
Rm. 236, Chemistry Bld.
matheus.moratoferreirademoraes@louisville.edu
Matheus Morato Ferreira de Moraes has a chemistry degree from the University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil, and a PhD degree in chemistry and technology from the Federal University of ABC (UFABC), Brazil. His research under Dr. Yuri A. Aoto focussed in the modeling of ground and excited structure of small transition metal containing molecules using wavefunction based methods -- in particular, multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) and coupled-cluster (MRCC) methods. His research scope increased to include small lanthanide systems during his first postdoctoral fellowship in Prof. Paweł Tecmer and Katharina Boguslawski group at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń (NCU), Poland. Since arriving at the University of Louisville (UofL), his primary research project is the development and implementation of real-time time-dependent nonorthogonal methods. The ultimate goal is the application of such methods to model and understand photoelectron detachment.
Graduate Researchers
Adam Kinyua
Rm. 245, Chemistry Bld.
adam.kinyua@louisville.edu
C.V.
Adam Kinyua, an international student from Kenya and a 2021 Berea College graduate, joined UofL in August of 2021 for a Doctoral in Computational Chemistry. He is an athletics enthusiast, enjoys outdoor activities, and has his life dedicated to the love of literature. Quantum chemistry and computer simulations of systems fascinate him.
Joey Quilliam
Rm. 245, Chemistry Bld.
michael.quilliam@louisville.edu
Joey Quilliam earned an associate's degree from Henderson Community College and a bachelor's degree from Murray State University. At Murray State, Joey conducted research for two years under Dr. Jonathan Lyon, focusing on transition metal cluster structures. Before starting their doctoral journey in Computational Chemistry at the University of Louisville (UofL) in January 2024, Joey gained valuable experience working in the industry for a year. With a deep passion for learning and tackling challenging computational projects, Joey is eager to explore quantum mechanics and advance their research in computational chemistry at UofL.
Peyton Simpson
Rm. 245, Chemistry Bld.
peyton.simpson@louisville.edu
C.V.
I possess a profound enthusiasm for all things STEM, specifically chemistry. In previous years, I delved into hands-on chemical experiments, including constructing and launching a model rocket and synthesizing solid-state rocket fuel. Upon entering the University of Louisville, I initially intended to immerse myself in an experimental lab, driven by my passion for practical applications. Surprisingly, I was introduced to the fascinating field of computational chemistry, which not only fulfilled my fondness for mathematics but also satisfied my craving for the intricacies of quantum mechanics. This marks a shift from my previous experience in the lab; however, I approach this change with an open mind. I am enthusiastic about delving into the research and hope to broaden my knowledge in this domain, embracing the opportunity to explore new and unfamiliar aspects.
Zihui Song
Rm. 245, Chemistry Bld.
zihui.song@louisville.edu
I am interested in interdisciplinary research areas, such as those between engineering, physics, and chemistry. After I finished my Master degree in materials science at the University of Vermont, US, I moved to University of Louisville, not only continuously satisfying my curiosity for knowledge, but also pursuing self-perception. More new topics, i.e. computer science and math, pop up. More motivations and ideas come out. This is the main reason that I was attracted by research in Dr. Thompson’s group. Keep staying hungry, staying foolish.
An Tran
Rm. 245, Chemistry Bld.
hoang.tran@louisville.edu
C.V.
An Tran is originally from Vietnam, where she attended the Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City - University of Science (VNUHCMC – US) to pursue a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 2014. She then moved to the USA, where she applied to the University of Louisville (UofL) in Louisville, KY as a transfer student in 2019 to complete her unfinished major degree in chemistry. She did her undergraduate research in the field of analytical chemistry and was also an UTA for CHEM 207/209/210. An has received her B.S. degree in 2022 and she is currently a graduate student in UofL. With her strong passion in math and physics, she is excited to learn and do research in the field of computational chemistry.
Undergraduate Researchers
Lane Brawner
Rm. 245, Chemistry Bld.
lane.brawner@louisville.edu
Former Members
Posdoctoral Researchers
Andrew Mahler 2018-2020 (Civilian programmer for the U.S. Army)
Graduate Students
Emily Kempfer 2018-2023 (Postdoctoral Researcher, Max Planck Institute, Mulheim, Germany)
Clint Evrard 2018-2023 (Assistant Professor, Chadron State University, Chadron, NE)
Xinju (Spancer) Dong 2018-2023 (Postdoctoral Researcher, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN)
Undergraduate Students
Dane Pike 2019-2020
Piper Roe 2019-2020
Kushal Nellore 2019-2021
Irma Avdic 2020-2021 (Graduate Student, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL)
Jayden Connelly 2022
Meagan Haase 2020-2022
Jonathan Bersson 2021-2022 (Graduate Student, University of Washington, Seattle, WA)
Casandra Schaefer 2023
Erin Pidcock 2023
High School Students
Demos Negash 2018