Justin Wilson

Justin Wilson is a Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), affiliated with the College of Letters and Science. He holds a PhD from MIT (2013) and a BS from UC Berkeley (2008). His research focuses on bioinorganic chemistry, radiochemistry, and f-element coordination chemistry, with applications in anticancer drug design, radiopharmaceuticals, and mitochondrial calcium uniporter inhibition. Key projects include developing chelating agents for radiometals, designing inhibitors for ischemia-reperfusion injury, and exploring rare earth element separations.

Wilson’s awards include the Cottrell Scholar Award (2017), Jonathan Sessler Award (2019), and the National ACS Harry Gray Award (2022). His lab has produced over 100 publications, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to medicinal and nuclear chemistry. Notable students include Zhouyang Huang, Nicholas Bigham, and Yangyang Gao. The lab collaborates with institutions like Los Alamos National Laboratory and Cornell University, advancing translational research in diagnostics and therapeutics.

Education: PhD in Inorganic Chemistry (MIT, 2013); BS in Chemistry (UC Berkeley, 2008). Professional milestones include tenure at Cornell (2021) and a faculty position at UCSB (2024). Research highlights include Ru265, a mitochondrial calcium uniporter inhibitor, and Py-Macrodipa, a dual-size chelator for radiometals. The lab also engages in undergraduate education through nuclear chemistry experiments and outreach programs like 'Radioactive World.'