Trisha Russell

Trisha Russell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Whitworth University since 2012. Her research focuses on organic and medicinal chemistry, particularly developing mass spectrometry-based assays for neonatal screening of lysosomal storage diseases. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and a B.S. from Western Washington University, with postdoctoral training at the University of Washington.

Her expertise includes enzymatic assay design, chiral catalysis, and analytical chemistry. Key collaborations involve the University of Washington Medicine Pediatrics, CDC, and state newborn screening laboratories. She teaches courses in organic chemistry, bio-organic chemistry, and chemistry for non-majors.

Research highlights include synthesizing substrates for enzyme activity assays and optimizing multiplex screening methods for diseases like Maroteaux-Lamy Syndrome. Honors include the BioMarin Postdoctoral Fellowship and Rackham Regents’ Fellowship.