April 2024

Prof Fernanda Duarte Gonzalez, Associate Professor Computational Organic Chemistry (Department of Chemistry)

I am a computational chemist originally from Chile, now leading a research group at Oxford since 2018. We are interested in understanding chemical reactions and discovering new active molecules and catalytic activities across different scales, from small compounds to enzymes. We combine quantum and classical methods along with artificial intelligence to develop predictive models for designing molecules with applications in catalysis, sustainability, and health. Pragmatic in our approach, we use existing tools while also developing our own to streamline molecular modelling and (re)activity prediction. Outside work, I enjoy spending time with my little one, reading (mostly)non-fiction or tuning into a science/politics podcast.

Magali Gimeno, General Member OxWiChem

I was born in Córdoba, Argentina, where I completed my undergraduate studies in chemistry at the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. I then moved to the US to start my DPhil at the University of Rochester in Prof. Michael Neidig’s research group. When I was in my second year of the DPhil program, my advisor accepted a faculty position at the University of Oxford, and I relocated to the UK to complete my DPhil. My research in the Neidig group focuses on iron chemistry, specifically studying iron-bisphosphine intermediates in iron-catalysed alkyl-alkyl cross-coupling systems. In my free time, I enjoy walking through Oxford, reading, watching football, cooking Argentinian dishes and travelling.