Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology
Cornell University
Marissa grew up in both Northern and Southern California before graduating from UC Berkeley in 2017 with a B.S. in Chemistry. As an undergraduate she performed research in the laboratories of Prof. John Hartwig (UC Berkeley) and Prof. Melanie Sanford (University of Michigan). She completed her thesis work in the laboratory of Prof. Sir David MacMillan at Princeton University, receiving her Ph.D. in 2022. Most recently, she was an NIH NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow at MIT in the laboratory of Prof. Alexander Radosevich.
Over the course of her career, Marissa has received awards in recognition of her achievements as both scholar and teacher, which include an NIH F32 fellowship to support her postdoctoral studies, High Honors in Chemistry for her undergraduate thesis work at UC Berkeley, and the Margaret & Herman Sokol Fellowship in Chemistry for excellence in teaching from Princeton University.
B.S. Drury University, 2020 (Biochemistry) Ph.D. University of Minnesota, 2025 (Chemistry)Hometown: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
B.A. Bryn Mawr College, 2025 (Chemistry & German)Hometown: Malvern, PA (GO BIRDS!)
B.A. Colorado College (Chemistry), 2025Hometown: Westminster, Colorado
At Colorado College, Damion researched the green synthesis of a prodrug against Pseudomonas Aeruginosa under the guidance of Amy Dounay. He then explored polymer-supported photocatalysts during an REU experience at Colorado State University in the labs of Garret Miyake and Megan Hill. In the Lavagnino group, Damion is excited to research and develop new synthetic methodologies. Outside of the lab, he enjoys cooking, crafting, and a bargain.
Fun Facts:
B.S. Rochester Institute of Technology (Chemistry), 2025Hometown: Naples, NY
B.Sc. York University, Toronto (Chemistry), 2024M.Sc. University of Ottowa (Chemistry), 2025Hometown: Guangzhou, China
Zichuan developed a strong interest in organic synthesis and transition-metal catalysis while taking advanced-level organic and inorganic classes in his undergraduate. He gained his first research experience on the synthesis of titanium and zirconium complexes under the supervision of Prof Gino Lavoie. He then joined Prof. Christine Le’s lab, where he studied palladium-catalyzed transformations of carbamoyl fluorides. After graduating from York, Zichuan decided to further pursuit on palladium catalysis and joined Prof Steve Newman’s lab at UOttawa as an MSc student. In Ottawa, he studied and developed a regioselective Heck reaction of boron-containing olefin substrates. Now at Cornell, he is excited to further conduct research in the Lavagnino group to explore new catalytic organic transformations. Outside the lab, Zichuan enjoys playing chess and tennis, and often pauses during walks to identify bird species in the trees.
Fun Facts:
Class of 2028 (Majors: Chemistry & Computer Science)Hometown: West Windsor, NJ
Class of 2028 (Major: Chemical Engineering)Hometown: West Windsor, NJ
Class of 2028 (Major: Chemical Engineering)Hometown: Accra, Ghana
Class of 2028 (Majors: Chemistry & Mathematics)Hometown: Lexington, KY
Class of 2027 (Major: Chemistry)Hometown: Dedham, MA
Interested students should apply to the PhD program of the Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology at Cornell University
Interested researchers should submit a cover letter, CV, and research statement to lavagnino@cornell.edu with the subject line “Postdoc Application”
Students should submit a resume/CV and a cover letter describing their scientific interests and professional goals to lavagnino@cornell.edu with the subject line “Undergraduate Application”
