Juha Siitonen

Our society is largely built on the molecules we synthesize. The pharmaceuticals that heal us, the agrochemicals that protect our crops, the synthetic fibers we wear and the electronic devices we use to communicate are all results of chemists’ skills in making new useful molecules synthetically. My research is focused on how even more sophisticated and complex molecules could be prepared efficiently and with a small carbon footprint. This ensures that in the future we will be able to produce important molecules sustainably and in a resource-wise fashion.

Our research draws inspiration from structurally complex naturally occurring molecules, natural products, which we synthesize in the laboratory. As these molecules have multiple functional groups, challenging 3D architectures and puzzling chemical structures, they offer a unique platform for studying the forefronts of modern chemistry. In our experimental work we apply the tools of computational and theoretical chemistry.

In addition to research, I am an active teacher, educational developer and a science popularizer.

I received my PhD from the University of Jyväskylä in 2018. After that, I worked at Rice University in Texas first as a teaching postdoctoral fellow and later as a lecturer. In early 2022 I joined the faculty at Aalto University as an assistant professor in organic chemistry.

Twitter: @juhesiit.

Homepage: https://etosgroup.fi/