معرفی
Dr. Meagan Hinze serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry within the College of Science & Engineering Technology at Sam Houston State University. Her laboratory focuses on biocatalytic research with emphasis on enzyme engineering and organic synthesis applications.
Dr. Hinze earned her B.Sc. in Chemistry and German from Butler University in 2009, followed by her M.S. in 2012 and Ph.D. in 2015 from Cornell University. She completed postdoctoral training at the University of Michigan from 2015-2019 before establishing her independent research program at SHSU.
Her research interests center on the biocatalytic activity of Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenases (BVMOs) with applications toward synthesizing bioactive compounds and diverse synthons. Students in her lab develop skills in organic synthesis, chemical biology, and enzyme engineering. Her work bridges fundamental enzymology with practical applications in biocatalysis and natural product synthesis.
The publication record demonstrates a clear progression from natural product synthesis toward enzyme engineering and biocatalysis, with increasing focus on marine toxins and their enzymatic transformations. Her recent work shows strong emphasis on developing biocatalytic methods for challenging chemical transformations, particularly oxidative reactions.
- NSF CAREER award (2024)
- The Welch Foundation grant (2024)
- ACS Petroleum Research Fund grant (2024)
- Organic Syntheses Summer Research Grant (2023)
- Hamilton Company Syringe Grant Award (2021)
Dr. Hinze maintains an active undergraduate and graduate mentoring program, with multiple students presenting at regional conferences including the ACS Southwest Regional Meeting and SHSU's Undergraduate Research Symposium. Her lab has received consistent external funding supporting student research experiences. The Hinze Lab has grown steadily since its founding in Fall 2019, now supporting a cohort of 8-10 researchers during summer months. The lab participates in initiatives like the Empowering Women in Organic Chemistry (EWOC) Conference and is part of the NSF Center for Chemoenzymatic Synthesis (C-CES) through the Biocatalysis Network.
