Prof. Leanne D. Chen (Curriculum Vitae)
Group Leader
Growing up, Leanne was mesmerized by mathematics and loved solving puzzles with her grandfather. She found her affinity for chemistry while attending Queen’s University and had the opportunity to combine these two subjects for an NSERC-USRA project, a collaboration between Nicholas J. Mosey and Suning Wang†. She continued developing her expertise in Physical Chemistry during her PhD at Stanford University, where she led efforts on unravelling the discharge mechanisms of batteries and the second-order effects of electrolyte in catalysis under the tutelage of Jens K. Nørskov. She then moved to the California Institute of Technology as a Postdoctoral Scholar in the group of Thomas F. Miller III. Despite (or perhaps because of) the perpetual sunshine in California, she missed the snow too much and made her way back to Canada to start her independent career. In her spare time, Leanne enjoys taking photos, playing the piano, and finding ways to be creative in all aspects of life.
Julia Coveny
Undergraduate Researcher
Originally from Kitchener, Ontario, Julia developed a passion for science at a young age. Her interest in chemistry began in high school, which led her to pursue a BSc in Chemistry at the University of Guelph. Having been introduced to computational chemistry in her undergraduate experience, she was immediately interested and eager to learn more. This interest led her to the Computational Electrochemistry Lab, where she is excited to embark on her first project in research! When not focused on studying, Julia enjoys hanging out with friends, playing board games, and spending time with her dog.
Sydnee Dronsfield
Graduate Researcher (Co-Supervised with Prof. Viola Birss)
Sydnee grew up in Calgary, Alberta completed her BSc. Chemistry at the University of Calgary in 2022. During her undergrad she completed a student exchange to the University of East Anglia (2019-2020), where she completed her honours research project of biomass-derived anodes for lithium-ion batteries. Currently, Sydnee is completing her PhD at the University of Calgary supervised by Prof. Viola Birss with co-supervision from Prof. Chen. Her work focuses on a parallel experimental and computational analysis to develop anode electrocatalysts for chlorine-free saltwater electrolysis. Outside of research, Sydnee enjoys reading, baking, and attending concerts.
Shayne J. Johnston
Graduate Researcher
Shayne grew up in the small town of Lucan keeping himself busy with sports, especially hockey and baseball. He found a penchant for chemistry in high school and decided to continue studying chemistry at the University of Guelph. His first experience in research was in our Computational Electrochemistry Laboratory, where he was introduced to computational chemistry focusing on first-principles calculations of a Cu-doped Ni(OH)2 electrocatalyst for the ammonia electrooxidation reaction. Shayne decided to continue building his expertise in this area and is starting his MSc Degree in Fall 2022. In his spare time, Shayne enjoys watching and playing sports such as baseball and golf, as well as enjoying the outdoors.
Brendan J. R. Laframboise
Graduate Researcher
Brendan grew up in the town of Brooklin, Ontario. After graduating high school, he went on to pursue a BSc in Biological and Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Guelph. His first research experience was in the group of Prof. Derek K. O’Flaherty, where he focused on organic synthesis for applications to nucleic acid chemistry. Brendan became intrigued by the potential of computational simulations to solve urgent problems in energy and decided to join the Computational Electrochemistry Laboratory to pursue an MSc degree. When not focusing on science, Brendan likes to spend his free time going to the gym, writing songs, hanging out with friends, and trying new recipes.
Henry Lim
Graduate Researcher
Originally from Brampton, Ontario, Henry’s interest in chemistry initiated in his adolescence, and had progressed over time towards a focus on computational chemistry. After attending Professor Chen’s classes and learning more about her computational chemistry research, Henry was fortunate enough to join the Computational Electrochemistry Lab to pursue his graduate studies. In his free time, Henry enjoys swimming, cycling, and walking his dogs from time to time.
Brendan D. Paget
Graduate Researcher
Originally from London, Ontario, Brendan completed his BSc in Biological and Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Guelph. Throughout his undergraduate studies, Brendan participated in various research projects. Brendan first engaged in a research project as an Undergraduate Research Assistant for Prof. Dmitriy Soldatov. In this project, Brendan explored the photoreactivity of olefin-containing molecules in the solid state, specifically crotonic acid. In Brendan’s fourth year of his undergraduate studies, he joined the group of Prof. Derek O’Flaherty to complete his honours research project. Here, Brendan studied nucleic acid chemistry and organic synthesis methods. Outside of academia, Brendan is an avid sports fan, with particular interest in soccer and football. Brendan also enjoys to workout and listen to music on his free time. Brendan’s love for coding and chemistry is what led him to join the Computational Electrochemistry Laboratory for his MSc.
Stephen W. Tatarchuk
Graduate Researcher (Co-Supervised with Prof. Aicheng Chen)
Stephen originally decided to pursue an education in chemistry due to the balance of highly theoretical and practical concepts. During his BSc and MSc, he worked on research projects focused on plasmonic nanocomposites and electrochemical catalysis as well as using different computational techniques to explain and predict the experimental behaviour of solid-state materials. Stephen’s current research focuses on applying computational methods to help develop a deeper theoretical understanding of electrochemical catalysis systems for carbon dioxide reduction, urea oxidation, and ammonia oxidation reactions. Stephen spends his free time enjoying the outdoors, building computers, and working on various hobby projects.
Dr. Jingwen Zhou
Postdoctoral Scholar
Jingwen, originally from Hebei Province, China, developed a passion for computational chemistry for its ability to simulate and explore data and phenomena beyond traditional experimental methods. During her MSc, she focused on developing high-performance catalysts for biomass hydrodeoxygenation by integrating thermodynamic and kinetic modeling. This experience provided her with a solid foundation in using computational methods to solve real-world problems. During her PhD, Jingwen applied various computational techniques to investigate reaction mechanisms and identify catalyst descriptors for Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHCs) and ammonia oxidation reactions (AOR). Her work further strengthened her ability to lead independent research projects and tackle complex scientific challenges. In her spare time, Jingwen enjoys singing, jogging, and learning to play new musical instruments.
Group Alumni
Jesper Biesenthal (W25, UR)
Daniel Quintal (F24, UR)
Olivia Parker (S24, UR)
William Cooper (F23–S24, UR)
Alexander MacKay (S22&S24, UR)
Dr. Austin Pounder (S20–W24, GR)
Dr. Kayla S. Snyder (F20–F23, GR)
Dr. Rachelle M. Choueiri (S20–W23, PDS)
Xinrun Liu (S22, UR)
Krish Kiran Valluru (F20–S21, UR)
Mirna Ghattas (F20–W21, UR)
Katrina Ruzicka (F20–W21, UR)
Alexander Sweett (W21, UR)
Fiona Bishop (F20, UR)
Megan Farkas (F20, UR)
Laura Martin (F20, UR)
Cassandra Rooke (F20, UR)
Taylor Rounds (F20, UR)
Lindsey Starkman (F20, UR)
Chelsea D’Cruz (S20, UR)
Michi the Akita Inu
Lab Mascot
The Akita Inu (秋田犬 or “dog from Akita Prefecture”) became famous through the true story of Hachikō, a testament to the gentle and loyal nature of this breed. The story is retold in the Futurama episode “Jurassic Bark”, the ending of which is likely better known as the most heartrending moment of all time—even by Futurama standards.
Michi is now on Instagram!