Dean J. Tantillo

Dean J. Tantillo is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Davis, where he has been employed since 2003. He holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles (1995-2000) and an AB in Chemistry from Harvard University (1991-1995). His research focuses on theoretical and computational chemistry, with emphasis on mechanistic studies of organic reactions, carbocation rearrangements, natural products biosynthesis, and dynamic effects in chemical reactions.

His research interests span theoretical chemistry, mechanistic chemistry, computational chemistry, biosynthesis of natural products (especially terpenes), organometallic chemistry, and physical organic chemistry. Key areas include carbocation stability, enzyme-catalyzed reactions, pericyclic reactions, catalyst design, and the development of computational methods for predicting reaction outcomes.

Professor Tantillo has received several prestigious awards, including:

• Fellow, American Chemical Society (ACSF, 2017)
• Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC, 2016)
• Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, 2016)

He has secured significant research funding, including multiple NSF grants such as 'Modern Theoretical Carbocation Chemistry' (2016-2019) and 'Mechanisms of Complex Carbocation Rearrangements' (2010-2016). He leads an active research group focused on computational chemistry and collaborates extensively with synthetic and biological chemists to validate theoretical predictions.