Roseanne Sension

Professor Roseanne Sension is a faculty member at the University of Michigan with dual appointments in the Department of Physics and Department of Chemistry. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley (1986) and a B.A. from Bethel College (1981). Her research focuses on ultrafast photoinitiated reactions in fluid condensed-phase environments, utilizing femtosecond laser spectroscopy and theoretical modeling to study chemical reaction dynamics, bond-selective control, and enzyme mechanisms in B12-dependent systems.

• Developed designer light pulses to control chemical reactions in solution
• Conducted X-ray free-electron laser studies at LCLS, SACLA, and European XFEL
• Investigated photochemistry of cobalamins (vitamin B12 derivatives) and their biological applications
• Explored electrocyclic ring-opening reactions in natural products like a-terpinene and 7-dehydrocholesterol

Her recent work with ultrafast X-ray absorption and phase-controlled pulses has revealed structural evolution in photoexcited molecules on subpicosecond time scales. Collaborations with national laboratories and institutions have advanced molecular imaging and optical control of biochemical processes. She has mentored numerous graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, with publications spanning physical chemistry, biophysics, and inorganic photochemistry.