This year's Paul Dowd Lecture speaker is Prof. Mark Levin  from the University of Chicago.

Talk Title: Replacing Atoms in (Hetero)Arenes

Abstract: Transformations that allow for the replacement of one atom for another in aromatic ring systems will be presented, with a specific emphasis on C-to-N replacements. Key takeaways include the strategies and concepts that enable site-selective replacements without perturbation of the remaining molecular skeleton. Though the chemical modalities employed to accomplish such transformations are diverse, photochemistry and reagent design are a significant focus.

Speaker Bio:  Mark was born and raised in Cleveland, OH. In 2012, he earned a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY, conducting undergraduate research with Professor Alison J. Frontier on an oxidative variant of the Nazarov cyclization. After graduation, he joined the laboratory of Professor F. Dean Toste at the University of California, Berkeley. There, he studied the chemistry of the Au(I)/Au(III) redox couple in several contexts, including supramolecular catalysis and fluorine-18 radiosynthesis. After earning his Ph.D. in 2017, Mark joined the laboratory of Professor Eric N. Jacobsen as an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University where his research focused on enantioselective fluorination reactions with chiral organoiodane catalysts. In 2019, Mark joined the University of Chicago as an assistant professor of chemistry. He was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2022 and to full professor in 2025. His research interests include the development of synthetic methodology and study of their mechanisms, with a specific focus on “single-atom skeletal editing”.

See more of Dr. Levin's research on his lab website: https://levingroup.uchicago.edu/