Niny Z. Rao

Niny Z. Rao serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry within the College of Life Sciences at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA. Her academic appointments and research activities are centered at this institution with laboratory facilities in the Chemistry division.

Her educational foundation includes:

• PhD in Physical Chemistry from Florida State University (2002)
• BChE from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (1998)

Dr. Rao's research program spans two distinct yet complementary domains: computational chemistry and artisanal food/beverage chemistry. In computational chemistry, she employs quantum mechanical methods to characterize molecular structures and properties relevant to materials science and medicinal chemistry. Her food chemistry work focuses on traditional production methods, particularly investigating how roasting parameters and brewing techniques alter chemical profiles in artisanal coffee. Current projects emphasize cold brew coffee chemistry, examining variables like contact time, roast levels, and bean varieties to understand antioxidant extraction and flavor compound stability. This dual focus bridges theoretical molecular science with practical food chemistry applications.

Analysis of her publication record reveals strong concentration in coffee chemistry (8 of 15 recent articles), particularly cold brew optimization and spent coffee valorization. The remaining publications demonstrate deep expertise in computational chemistry, including boron-containing compounds, polyene systems, and biomolecular simulations. This pattern indicates strategic focus on applied food chemistry while maintaining foundational computational research capabilities.

Dr. Rao actively mentors undergraduate researchers through Jefferson's research program, with student projects frequently presented at regional and national conferences. Her supervision emphasizes hands-on analytical techniques and computational modeling, preparing students for advanced scientific careers. While no major research grants are explicitly mentioned, her consistent publication output suggests sustained funding support for laboratory operations and student stipends.

Her laboratory work integrates analytical chemistry instrumentation for coffee analysis with computational resources for quantum chemical calculations, creating a hybrid research environment that bridges experimental and theoretical approaches to chemical problems.