Sereina Riniker

Sereina Riniker is a Full Professor of Computational Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich. Her career at ETH Zurich began in June 2014 as Assistant Professor (tenure track), followed by promotions to Associate Professor (April 2020) and Full Professor (April 2025). The group focuses on developing advanced computational methods combining molecular dynamics simulations with cheminformatics techniques.

• Born in Switzerland (1985)
• MSc in Chemistry (ETH Zurich, 2008)
• PhD in Molecular Dynamics (ETH Zurich, 2013)

Research interests include:

• QM/MM hybrid simulations
• Machine learning for molecular modeling
• Free energy calculations
• Implicit solvent models
• Conformational analysis
• Drug discovery applications

Recent publications show strong trends in combining quantum mechanical accuracy with machine learning efficiency, including novel approaches like neural network potentials and multiresolution modeling. The group has received multiple grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) for their work on free energy calculations and molecular modeling.

Awards and honors include:

• 2024 Hansch Award
• 2018 ETH Latsis Prize
• 2017 OpenEye Outstanding Junior Faculty Award
• 2017 Silver Jubilee Award
• 2015 Ewald Wicke Prize

The Computational Chemistry group maintains strong industrial collaborations, particularly with Novartis and Givaudan AG. Their research combines theoretical method development with practical applications in biological and chemical systems.