Mark Lautens OC
@MarkLautens
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Chair • ChemProf @UofT • Opinionated Science Advocate • @GlobeDebate • @NSERC Leader • @thiemechemistry EIC • #educateadvocate • my views only • science ++ more
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Joined January 2018
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Some thoughts in today’s
@globeandmail
@GlobeDebate
My focus is on doctoral students.
Let’s not overlook the huge contributions that foreign students make to this country
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Breaking news courtesy of Kevin Campos and Dave MacMillan, from Sally Evans.
Dave passed away last night. This pic that they included is how Dave looked during my days in his group. Circa 1985-87
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Opinion: To support science research in Canada, we must pay grad students and postdocs better /via
@globeandmail
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I hope at the conclusion of this pandemic, some of our amazing medical people step up and run for public office at the highest levels.
@jkwan_md
@BogochIsaac
@ASPphysician
We need qualified, well spoken docs with an appreciation of science and public health in government.
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U of T to implement salary increase for more than 800 women faculty members
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Very excited to share this news. A tribute to
@ACSorganic
@cenmag
that those outside US can be selected.
Happy to be first Canadian 🇨🇦 to be on the list.
ACS 2021 national award winners
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It is with great pleasure that the
@OMCOSBoard
& Organizing Committee led by
@LaurelSchafer
&
@JenLoveChem
announce Professor Abigail Doyle as the OMCOS Prize winner for 2023.
An amazing list of nominees this cycle.
The best I have ever seen.
Congrats Abi and thanks to all.
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I received a message today from a visitor who spent time in the group. They were updating me on career progress. Excited to share with me they got a job.
It made me think about what I like and hope for from former group members. Others may have different hopes but here are mine:
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I confess I cry too easily, but there is something about reading the Acknowledgment in a thesis that always brings a tear to my eye.
Not because they praise me (some do, others not so much) but because you see their love for their family and labmates.
Support matters - a lot.
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Congratulations to our
@thiemechemistry
colleague and EiC Ben List
@ben_list
on his selection of
@NobelPrize
which he shares with Dave MacMillan
@dmac68
Spectacular news.
A good day for organic chemistry and catalysis.
@maxplanckpress
@PrincetonChem
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As promised, Pasteur’s tartrate crystals. Racemic (on the right) and tartrate droit in the middle. What an amazing find!
Great for teaching chirality, optical rotation and showing the history of organic chemistry. Thanks
@ESPCI_Paris
& J. Cossy for supporting my visit.
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Some good news today.
After 34 years in the front of a classroom I was awarded an
@chemuoft
Teaching Award.
For using oral exams as an evaluation method. Particularly helpful during the pandemic.
For showing food and travel pics to 1st year students (and teaching them O-chem).
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AstraZeneca Professor of Organic Chemistry
@chemuoft
gets AZ vaccine
Thanks
@AstraZeneca
Happy be be in the sweet spot of age.
Taking the vaccine before it expires or I expire.
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If you will permit me one more Bob Grubbs story
@barneygrubbs
Years ago at an ACS meeting we talked about retirement. He said something that has stuck with me.
RHG: we are taught how to start a group, build a group and run a group. But no one teaches us how to close one down!
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Dear
@JustinTrudeau
@FP_Champagne
I hope you are noticing what is happening south of the border. We can’t expect the USA to do our science for us.
Please increase funding for science in a meaningful way.
P.S. Not boutique programs (to quote a wise scholar
@cdavidnaylor
).
The Senate just voted 68-32 for:
1. Doubling of the NSF budget over 5 years
2. 40% increase in funding for NSF’s core basic and fundamental research activities, from $8.5B $12 billion
3. $29B over five years for a new NSF Directorate for Technology and Innovation
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My latest....
At long last it appears. Like waiting for the birth of my first child (who was 1 week overdue)
Canada’s approach to scientific research has left us lagging behind when we need it the most
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New to Twitter. First actual tweet. For those who did not see this Opinion piece from back in December, I archive it now that I have an account. No idea what is coming next.
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Every time I type boronic in Word, it spell corrects to moronic. Anyone who ever got a letter of recommendation from me discussing a student who used boronic acids, please understand my true intentions.
#mistakescanhappen
#boronicnotmoronic
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So happy to receive the framed certificate from
@AmerChemSociety
for the HC Brown Award. Arrived by courier.
News now a year old, but still nice to get something tangible (the cheque was quite tangible as well).
Life and science has ups and downs.
This is a big UP.
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Some folks take joy in proving others wrong. Never really understood this pleasure.
We made an error in a paper. A theorist contacted us indicating our structure was likely wrong. We worked for months with NMR specialist, computational chemist and sorted it out.
We were wrong.
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Two years ago
@cdavidnaylor
and I wrote in
@TorontoStar
asking leaders where they stood on funding science.
Seems like an appropriate time to ask the question again with 2 weeks till the
#Elxn44
@JustinTrudeau
@theJagmeetSingh
@erinotoole
@yfblanchet
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Very pleased to win this award.
Lest you imagine I am very accomplished, note the current citation on the website includes the achievements of my group and my colleague
@FLPchemist
. If you add us together that is tough to beat.
I have requested a correction.
The 2020 winner of the E. W. R. Steacie Award is
@MarkLautens
from
@chemuoft
. This award is presented to a scientist who has made a distinguished contribution to chemistry. We'll see you at
#CCCE2020
#Winnipeg
in May!
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Great news.
Congratulations
@RousseauxGroup
for this recognition.
Named for the mother of our terrific colleague and superstar researcher
@MollyShoichet
Sophie Rousseaux receives 2020 Dorothy Shoichet Women Faculty in Science Award
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A nice end to my day in the UK. Published today.
My effort to amplify all that grad students and postdocs have done in recent weeks.
Keep up the great work.
For the good of the country, we must pay graduate student researchers a living wage
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A big congratulations to Dr. Austin Marchese, PhD
#55
from
@TheLautensGroup
Thanks to
@rmartinICIQ
who was our external examiner extraordinaire. So many great questions and thoughtful insights.
55 is a lucky number signifying life changes + new experiences😮
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A moment of pride as
@christine_m_le
delivers the
@JOC_OL
paper of the year.
I get to enjoy the success of those who passed through the lab, even as I note nearly all their acknowledgements mention the “freedom provided to explore my own ideas”
🤷🏽♂️😉😂
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It’s a wrap. PhDone for Dr Bijan Mirabi
@BijanMirabi
#57
Heading off to a top job in industry straight from his degree.
He did it all, synthesis, computation, medicinal chemistry with
@thesgconline
catalysis, methodology and mechanism.
Sad to see you go.
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Prime Minister
@JustinTrudeau
Minister
@cafreeland
and Minister
@FP_Champagne
I urge you to reconsider your decision not to provide better support for graduate students in Budget 2023.
You struck a panel that confirmed the results of your previous panel (Naylor Report).
Opinion: To support science research in Canada, we must pay grad students and postdocs better /via
@globeandmail
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A great feeling of relief after AZ dose
#2
.
Am I smiling? Yes.
Do I need a haircut. Oh yes.
Happy science and medicine have managed to blunt the tsunami. I guess the rest is up to us humans.
Oh dear. Smiling a bit less with that thought.
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Lacking meaningful discussion on science funding I offer the following:
Hello darkness my old friend
It’s time to write a grant again
I need funds for keeping
My group afloat while I am sleeping
And ideas that were once in my brain
Won’t remain
After the forefront of science
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Well done
@alexatorelli
@TheLautensGroup
in the defence of your PhD thesis.
#56
from the group
A big thanks to my colleagues (Mark Taylor,
@RousseauxGroup
@FLPchemist
) and Professor Kami Hull our external examiner.
On to
@GilmourLab
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Beautiful new chemistry building and lecture theatre for our
@thiemechemistry
visit to
@iiscbangalore
Most comfortable seats I have ever seen. I hope to keep them awake during my lecture.
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Big day in the Lautens household.
Eldest graduates with PhD in Molecular Genetics.
@LautensMargot
Two group members also graduate. Pics to follow.
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After seeing the “Opinion” piece in
@angew_chem
I wrote to my group to share my views.
I wanted them to know where I stand on issues of racism, misogyny and gender. I would urge PI’s to do the same.
Not because I have the answers. I don’t. But they should know who I am.
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Just one slide of many from the
@daddydog22
80th birthday celebration, courtesy of
@CarreiraGroup
The impact of Dave Evans' work in JACS.
125 papers in JACS. 26K citations to to the JACS work. One million total views/citations.
Wow. Wow. Wow.
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GoC gave $1.5B to fund basic research - no concerns raised. Scientists celebrated. Media mostly ignored news.
GoC spent $4.5B for a pipeline - everyone angry. Progressives, First Nations, environmentalists and Albertans.
Next time?
Spend $4.5B on science.
#soundsofscience
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I vividly recall the feelings when my first close friend in the Trost group left the lab to return to Japan. It was a super sad day.
Nearly 40 years later I still have a similar feeling when a PhD student says goodbye. They are like family after 5 years of close contact.
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Next stop on our
@thiemechemistry
tour of India is
@iitbombay
with future Synlett EiC
@maiti_iitb
A 2h flight and a little (not so little) lunch with
@PolBesenius
prior to meeting faculty.
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A few pics from the Carreira Symposium.
Tobias Ritter rockin’ a bold jacket.
Do Erick and I share the same tailor?
Even Switzerland has train delays on snow days.
But the sun always returns.
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Another gift from a company that is much appreciated (as you can clearly see). Austin in heaven.
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We said (a sad) goodbye to Rachel today. Next step on her journey is a postdoc then back to 🇨🇦 in 2023 for a faculty position.
Nice to have an in-person farewell lunch and chat. Wishing her all the best.
Rachel did so much for the group and always with a smile. Thanks.
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Tomorrow is an exciting day in my 4th year/grad course covering the synthesis of pharmaceuticals.
We co-opted a special guest speaker.
The students will hear from
@DrLCsquare
- process chemist and raconteur extraordinaire.
Lucky me. I learn instead of teach.
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Happy to report that the International Society of Heterocyclic Chemistry selected me as the EC Taylor Senior Award winner
Congratulations to Ryan Shenvi
@Shenvi_Lab
and Jeff Kuethe who were selected for the Katritzky and Industrial Awards respectively.
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Daughter. Got. Married.
Kris hails from North Carolina.
Guests came from as far as Australia to celebrate and even helped make wedding dress.
The most diverse and unique group I have ever spent an evening with.
Amazing dinner at Miku.
#Lifeisneverboring
#HappyFathersDay
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A pleasure to see this in print
@ACSCatalysis
A big thanks to
@RamonArora
who led the effort, 1st year student Clara Jans, visiting student
@ReginaOechsner
+ recent grad Dr. Austin Marchese, with computational support from
@BijanMirabi
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The office of Marie Curie, one of the all time greats of chemistry & physics. I got chills standing by her desk.
#womeninSTEM
My first lecture of the year begins with this photo, followed by one of her laboratory. Thanks to my hosts at the ENS &
@ESPCI_Paris
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This. Is. Exciting.
When your child (albeit 25 yo) submits their first manuscript, you remember how you felt 38 years ago. Nothing else like it.
Congratulations Margot.
Identification of the pathway of Rhodoquinone biosynthesis in C.elegans | bioRxiv
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A former student just asked for a letter of reference and 30 min later I had sent it on. Of course I let them know I had followed through.
Their reply: That was fast
Mine: It takes longer to write when the person is not so talented
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Of course on a day like today it is wonderful to congratulate
@NobelPrize
winners and perhaps show you have met them.
Here we are a few years back
@SSPCentre
meeting organized by
@GuiryGroupUCD
featuring
@CarolynBertozzi
in pre-Laureate days
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@DrLCsquare
the only
@RSCTheAcademies
Fellow to wave at his young kids while being honoured.
Way to go LC
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Time to say goodbye to Bengaluru, and later this evening, to India.
Thanks to all our hosts
@Delhiuniversit
@iitbombay
@iiscbangalore
who welcomed us and
@thiemechemistry
for bringing me along for a wild ride.
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@sirfrasersays
@SebVidalChem
@uclachem
A hard yes to this statement.
I work with my students. They work with me. We educate each other.
They discover new things. I alert them to what I know that is known.
I am “boss” to no one.
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I avoid public ranting but today I will make an exception
I referee many submissions on the Catellani reaction. We named it after my friend Marta from Uni Parma
Today’s submission mentions her name but has 0 citations to her work! 1 citation to ours. No reviews of rxn cited!
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Our new group logo
Thanks to the talented Heather Lam who created this for my 60th birthday
You can interpret many ways:
ML is a metal-ligand complex
My initials + mountain/ski hill
A new style flask for multicomponent-multicatalyst reactions (MC)2R
Well done Heather 🥂🍷👍
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My favourite piece of art in the collection. Painted by my daughter in 2000, when she was 7 years old.
She told me she wanted to capture me in an activity I enjoy, but the scene is from her imagination.
Now working towards a PhD in molecular genetics.
#WomenInSTEM
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40 and 60. Chemistry has never been the same since I lost the ‘stache.
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Experienced a real high today in 1st year chemistry class.
Student: did you write an OpEd on citizenship?
Me: yes.
Student: we read it in our high school English class.
Me: 😮
Another student: I read your OpEd with
@cdavidnaylor
Me: I wonder if our leaders did??
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When I was an Assistant Prof (back in the days when the wheel was invented) I had my first appointment with my new Family Doc.
She saw I was carrying an Intro Org Chem text and exclaimed “you don’t have to take that do you?”
I replied “I have to teach it!”
#wheniwasyoung
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I grew up without a father so I had a lot to learn about being one.
To no one’s surprise, that education continues to this day.
A few mistakes along the way. But two (willing?) pupils that helped me grow.
A Happy Fathers Day to all fathers, particularly those without one.
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Effective July 1, 2023, I will assume a new role.
This little video provides a hint.
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As I prepare for a short talk at the Evans Memorial Symposium in SF
@AmerChemSociety
my mind and memories cast back to 1987 and my postdoc with DAE.
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As the excavations through my office continues (looking for an envelope today), I came across this gem written by my uncle when
@stephenlautens
was married.
Worth 5 min of your time, regardless of when you were married.
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My thoughts Budget 2019 bringing additional support for our graduate students and PDFs.
Many others have made a similar call. My aim is to bring this to the public.
Graduate students are the lifeblood of research. They need more support
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Great to see one of the students from the Fagnou lab be recognized in this way.
@RousseauxGroup
had to endure lots of disruptions when Keith died suddenly.
Still her career has taken off. No wonder we were so wise to hire her. 😉
The Keith Fagnou Award is presented to a scientist residing in Canada who has made a distinguished contribution to organic chemistry while working in Canada. Congrats to Dr. Sophie Rousseaux
@RousseauxGroup
of
@UofT
on being the recipient of this award.
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Veronique
@OxfordChemistry
is not only a great lecturer and scientist, but is super happy before, during and after her talks.
@PurdueChemistry
Brown Lectures
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Some thoughts on doing science in the public eye, in real time.
Thanks
@globeandmail
for publishing.
My title was “Science is Messy”
The pandemic is shedding light on the messy and sometimes infuriating process of scientific discovery
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In light of the recent federal budget, and the silence on the topic of fundamental research, I am re-upping the first OpEd I ever was fortunate to have published in
@GlobeDebate
. A special thanks to those who edited and improved it. I had a lot to learn.
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Many thanks to the
@thiemechemistry
publishing house and the other editors for supporting me taking this new role.
Glad I had a recent pic, courtesy of the great V. Tony Hauser O.C. (so still a German connection) to use for the occasion.
Taken at our beloved chalet 2020.
News from the Editorial Board 📢📚It is our great pleasure to announce that Prof.
@MarkLautens
(
@UofT
, Canada) will become
#SYNTHESIS
Editor-in-Chief at the beginning of January 2022. We wish him great success in his new role! 💙
Read more 👉
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2019: what’s an epidemiologist/infectious disease specialist?
2022: our best table is waiting for you Doc
@BogochIsaac
@DFisman
@AntibioticDoc
@ASPphysician
@deonandan
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Happy birthday Erick
@CarreiraGroup
Forever joined by bryostatin (bryostatic at times) and our days in the Evans group.
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No one did more to increase the visibility of synthesis and catalysis in Spain than you
@MAPerBro
By creating and building the ICIQ, then bringing together many of the best from Spain and world, you did so much.
I hope you have been properly celebrated, prior to leaving.
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@OdedRechavi
I did have such a person. I encouraged them to apply, recommended them, they took the offer and they were super successful.
Their field of research was just about to take off and they were on the leading edge. A 2 year PDF and they would have missed the 1st wave.
#FagnouFactory
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Welcome (back) to Canada
@crjsteph
and welcome
@SchindlerLab
So happy to have join “us”
Canada is a better place when we have the best people possible.
Profs. Corinna Schindler & Corey Stephenson will join UBC Chemistry, jointly appointed with
@UBCbiochemistry
in the summer of 2024. Both are award winning researchers, with Stephenson being appointed as a Canada Excellence Research Chair at UBC. Read more:
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I rarely take credit for an idea, and never take credit for all the effort that goes into making an idea work.
But this idea is one that intrigued me for several years and thanks to Jeanne, Liher and Xavier we crossed the finish line.
@TheLautensGroup
Enantio- and Diastereodivergent Sequential Catalysis Featuring Two Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Asymmetric Reactions (
@MarkLautens
)
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The network of amazing scientists and friends is unparalleled. I will be forever grateful for the friends I made.
My cohort included:
Erick Carreira
Jon Ellman
Greg Fu
Thomas Früh
Rainer Metternich
Amir Hoveyda
Scott Rychnovsky
Todd Jones
Mike Morrissey
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Normally I would let an organizer announce this symposium. But none are on Twitter!!!
So here I am announcing my own Birthday Symposium in QC. Great list of BFF/ML alum/supporters.
@TomislavRovis
@CarreiraGroup
Organic Chemistry | 102nd CCCE
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My latest
Thanks
@the_scolby
@TorontoStar
@NSERC_CRSNG
scholarship values have stagnated as illustrated by last weeks
@evoecolab
led initiative.
But applies to all our research team members.
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First in-person lecture by a visitor since 2020. Wow.
Happy to have
@tnoel82
@NoelGroupUvA
join us for a stimulating fun-filled eurofins lecture, accompanied by some colorful expressions.
One printable one: “screw it, we won’t do it”
Live talks are the best
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At long last, an updated group photo.
Just in time for the
@CIC_ChemInst
meeting in Calgary where 4 group members will present their latest results.
Our biggest challenge was getting a pic with everyone having 👀 open. Mission accomplished.
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Student from France wrote requesting an internship. Cover letter email & cv in French.
My reply? Are you aware our lab operates in English?
The reply: my professors in France told me you are fluent.
Me: 💯 the best possible reply (even though not accurate)
Merci chers amis.
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My mother Audrey would have turned 85 today. A milestone she missed by 20 years.
Limited digital images then, but this from 1999 at Disney Paris holding a Michelin’s green guide sums it up.
Sacrificed way, way too much for me.
Not enough words to day thanks mom.
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Supervising is hard work (for many of us and I include myself).
So is being a student (I am old but still remember enough to know it was not all sunshine and lollipops).
I prefer to do what I can to do better and be better. It is a lifelong project. At least for me.
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Child
#1
turned 27 yesterday and celebrates 1st year wedding anniversary on Wednesday.
@LautensMargot
Can’t gather as normal so I will pick up food from Aloette tonight and drop portions at each child’s home.
I am a modern day Johnny Appleseed - but with better food.
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Opened my mail today and came across
@thiemechemistry
SYNTHESIS volume 1 for 2022. A proud moment.
A nice surprise to see the masthead and Editorial. I plan to count it amongst my publications and Opinions. I happily double-count when favourable to do so.
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Come join our department.
Looking for outstanding researchers and communicators to educate and train the next generation of scholars.
University of Toronto: Assistant Professor - Biological Chemistry
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Photo from
@OMCOSBoard
in Jeju, Korea with
@Silicon_Martin
Last time I saw Bob Grubbs in person.
He was a straight-talker as befits those from suburban Possum Trot, KY. I loved he gave you his unvarnished opinion.
@barneygrubbs
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We say goodbye to Jose.
PhD
#51
He did some spectacular cycloisomerization chemistry during his thesis.
Off to
@abbvie
for a job straight out of grad school.
A big thanks to
@GuiryGroupUCD
for participating as the external examiner. Lots of good discussion.
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I don’t win as many awards as in the past, but tonight at the
@guideMichelinFR
Rincon I received my 25th anniversary gift from
@synthesis_1969
@synlett_journal
An excellent likeness.
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Thanks
@OrgSynth
for the shoutout.
I have fond memories of "checking" procedures submitted for consideration. Some great co-workers had the chance to try new chemistry and learn what is needed for reproducible experimental descriptions.
A valuable lesson for them and me.
Congratulations to former OS Editor Mark Lautens, recipient of the 2021 Herbert C. Brown Award for Creative Research in Synthetic Methods!
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Happy 65th birthday to my friend and fellow editor of Synthesis
@thiemechemistry
Paul Knochel
@KnochelLab
This picture taken at a Thieme Editorial Board meeting in Grenada in 2009.
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Nearly a decade since the sudden and untimely death of Keith Fagnou, his impact continues to be felt for work on C-H functionalization. Join the symposium celebrating him in QC.
Inorganic Chemistry | 102nd Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition
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