Rachel C. Steinhardt

Rachel C. Steinhardt is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Syracuse University within the College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on chemical biology and soft polymeric materials, with affiliations in Biochemistry and Biotechnology. She holds a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of California, Irvine (2015).

Research Interests:

• Chemical Biology: Designing molecular probes for dopamine/serotonin receptors to study neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and addiction.
• Soft Materials: Developing tetherless soft actuators for robotics and mechanobiology, emphasizing dynamic shape changes and 3D structures.

Recent Work Trends: Her articles emphasize photochemical control of neuroreceptors (e.g., 5-HT2A, DRD2) and biomechanical systems like soft actuators. Collaborations span immunology (vaccine adjuvants) and nanotechnology (gold nanoparticle actuators).

Awards & Grants:

• NSF CAREER Award (2023–2028): Chemical Tools for Bio-Orthogonal Neuromodulation.
• h-index: 13 (2023).

Teaching & Service: Teaches courses in medicinal chemistry and organic synthesis. Served on search committees for Chemistry and Biology faculty, and reviewed for ACS Chemical Biology and National Science Foundation. Her lab website: https://rcsteinh.expressions.syr.edu/.