Sarah E. Reisman

Sarah E. Reisman is the Bren Professor of Chemistry and Norman Davidson Leadership Chair at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), within the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. She holds a B.A. from Connecticut College (2001) and a Ph.D. from Yale University (2006). Her research focuses on synthetic organic chemistry, natural product total synthesis, and asymmetric catalysis, with a strong emphasis on developing new methodologies for complex molecule construction.

As Department Chair, Reisman leads the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, overseeing academic and administrative operations. Her lab actively promotes diversity and inclusion, fostering a collaborative environment that values varied perspectives. Key contributions include pioneering work in nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, electrochemical synthesis methods, and the development of asymmetric catalytic strategies.

Reisman has advised numerous graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, mentoring over 20 students since her tenure at Caltech. Her group’s achievements include the first total syntheses of challenging natural products like perseanol and ryanodine, as well as advancements in machine learning-driven reaction prediction models.

Her lab maintains active collaborations and regularly publishes in top journals such as Journal of the American Chemical Society and Accounts of Chemical Research. Current research explores scalable synthetic approaches, green chemistry methodologies, and the application of computational tools to accelerate reaction design.