Physical Chemistry

Physical Faculty

Tim Bertram

Position title: Professor of Chemistry, Affiliate Professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

Email: tbertram@chem.wisc.edu

Mark D. Ediger

Position title: Hyuk Yu Professor of Chemistry

Email: ediger@chem.wisc.edu

Samuel H. Gellman

Position title: Irving Shain Chair of Chemistry, Professor of Chemistry, Vilas Research Professor, Ralph F. Hirschmann Professor of Chemistry

Email: gellman@chem.wisc.edu

Pupa Gilbert

Position title: Professor of Chemistry, Professor of Physics

Email: pupa@physics.wisc.edu

Robert J. Hamers

Position title: Professor of Chemistry, Steenbock Professor of Physical Science

Email: rjhamers@wisc.edu

Aaron Hoskins

Position title: Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry

Email: ahoskins@wisc.edu

Xuhui Huang

Credentials: Director, Theoretical Chemistry Institute

Position title: Hirschfelder Chair in Theoretical Chemistry, Professor of Chemistry

Email: xhuang448@wisc.edu

Our research is in the area of Theoretical Chemistry and Molecular Biophysics. The operation of biological molecules is a highly dynamic process that relies on numerous functional conformational changes. We are interested in elucidating the dynamics of these conformational changes by developing new methods based on statistical mechanics that can bridge the gap between experiments and atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.

Song Jin

Position title: Francis J. DiSalvo Professor of Physical Science

Email: jin@chem.wisc.edu

JR Schmidt

Position title: Professor of Chemistry, Associate Chair for the Undergraduate Program

Email: schmidt@chem.wisc.edu

Marcel Schreier

Position title: Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry

Email: mschreier2@wisc.edu

Zoe Todd

Position title: Assistant Professor

Email: zrtodd@wisc.edu

Reid Van Lehn

Position title: Associate Professor

Email: vanlehn@wisc.edu

B.S. and Ph.D., Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Position title: Hunt-Hougen Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering Associate Professor of Chemistry Reid is the Hunt-Hougen Associate Professor in the Department of…

James C. Weisshaar

Position title: Richard J. Burke Professor of Chemistry

Email: weisshaar@chem.wisc.edu

Susanna Widicus Weaver

Position title: Vozza Professor of Chemistry and Astronomy

Email: slww@chem.wisc.edu

Yang Yang

Position title: Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Email: yyang222@wisc.edu

Arun Yethiraj

Position title: V. W. Meloche-Bascom Professor of Chemistry

Email: yethiraj@chem.wisc.edu

Lian Yu

Position title: Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chemistry

Email: lyu@pharmacy.wisc.edu

Martin T. Zanni

Position title: V. W. Meloche-Bascom Professor of Chemistry

Email: zanni@chem.wisc.edu

Physical Labs

  • Bertram Group

    Research in the Bertram Group focuses on chemical processes occurring in Earth's atmosphere.

  • Brunold Group

    The Brunold Group investigates the geometric and electronic properties, and thus the reactivity, of metal centers in proteins and cofactors through combined spectroscopic and computational studies of key enzymatic states and synthetic inorganic model complexes.

  • Cavagnero Group

    The Cavagnero Group focuses on understanding the early stages of protein folding and aggregation in the cell, with emphasis on the role of the ribosome, molecular chaperones and prions.

  • Fredrickson Laboratory

    The Fredrickson Lab research aims to elucidate the chemical principles underlying the structures of the solid-state compounds that form upon alloying metals together: intermetallic compounds.

  • Garand Group

    The Garand Group seeks to provide a molecular-level understanding of complex chemical structures, interactions and reaction mechanisms.

  • Goldsmith Group

    The Goldsmith Group is developing new technology for controlling how light interacts with molecules, often at the level of single molecules.

  • Hamers Group

    Research in the Hamers Group lies at the intersection of chemistry, materials science, and nanotechnology.

  • Hermans Group

    The Hermans Group is a multidisciplinary team, focusing on both fundamental and applied aspects of sustainable chemistry and catalysis.

  • Huang Laboratory

    The main goal of the Huang Lab is to understand and manipulate biomolecular dynamics by developing and applying novel statistical mechanics-based methods that can bridge the gap between experiments and simulations.

  • Jin Group

    The Jin Group is interested in the chemistry, physics, and technological applications of nanoscale and solid-state materials.

  • McMahon/Woods Research Group

    The McMahon/Woods research program explores fundamental aspects of organic chemistry with the goal of understanding the chemistry that occurs in harsh reaction conditions.

  • Nathanson Group

    Molecular beam-scattering experiments have blossomed into a universal technique for understanding and controlling reactions in the gas phase and on solid surfaces.

  • Schmidt Group

    The Schmidt Group applies computational approaches to study complex materials, often with direct applications to problems of relevance to energy and fuels.

  • Soley Group

    The Soley Group pursues research at the intersection of chemistry, physics, applied mathematics, and computer science with a particular interest in ultracold chemistry, quantum computing algorithms, quantum reflection, and PT symmetry.

  • Todd Group

    The Todd Lab's interest lies in investigating the origins of life on Earth and understanding the implications for the possibility of life on other planets.

  • Widicus Weaver Group

    The Widicus Weaver Group conducts research in the emerging field of prebiotic astrochemistry to investigate the chemical mechanisms in space that lead to the development of biological systems.

  • Wright Group

    The Wright Group focuses on using nonlinear spectroscopy as a tool to study a vast array of different molecular and material states--from low-energy vibrational modes of proteins to excitonic and ionized states of quantum dots and everything in between--and their coherent dynamics.

  • Yang Group

    The Yang Group's research focuses on theoretical and computational chemistry, with two primary areas of interest: 1) developing hardcore theoretical methods in multicomponent quantum chemistry and 2) applying these methods to chemical, biological, and materials systems.

  • Yethiraj Group

    The Yethiraj Group research focuses on theoretical studies of soft condensed matter.

  • Zanni Group

    The Zanni Group studies topics in biophysics and the energy sciences using 2D IR spectroscopy.

  • Gilbert Group (Affiliate)

    The Gilbert Group investigates these fascinating biominerals, revealed their complex crystal arrangement, discovered how they co-orient all their nanocrystals, and is discovering how they self-sharpen with use.

  • Hoskins Group (Affiliate)

    The Hoskins Group uses highly multidisciplinary approach to studying eukaryotic RNA processing.

  • Ping Group (Affiliate)

    The Ping Group’s research focuses on developing theoretical and computational methods such as many-body perturbation theory and first-principles open quantum dynamics based on density-matrix formalism, to understand and predict materials’ properties including optoelectronic, excitonic, and …

  • Rienstra Laboratory (Affiliate)

    The Rienstra Lab is interested in the development and application of solid-state NMR spectroscopy to protein, lipid and small molecule structure and dynamics.

  • Schreier Laboratory (Affiliate)

    Since most existing chemical processes rely on hydrocarbons as feedstocks and energy carriers, the Schreier Lab employs our understanding of electrochemical interfaces towards developing the science for converting hydrocarbons using electrical energy.

  • Van Lehn Group (Affiliate)

    The Van Lehn Group uses molecular simulations and data-centric methods to characterize, predict, and engineer the behavior of synthetic and biological soft materials for applications relevant to human health, sustainability, and energy.

  • Yu Group (Affiliate)

    The Yu Group studies the solids of organic molecules, with special attention to the different solids of the same molecules.