Jenee Cyran, Ph.D.

Summary: Our research interest is to investigates structure and photochemical processes of pollutants in the atmosphere and environment and their impact on human health. We utilize novel spectroscopic techniques to elucidate the role of the surface in these interactions and reactions.

Minimum Classes: General Chemistry

Projects: Our goal is to obtain molecular-level details on the interactions and behavior of PFAS with lipid membranes that would, ultimately, facilitate the development of therapeutics against PFAS-induced toxicity and cellular damage. we will use surface-specific sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy that will provide a molecular picture of the behavior and interactions of PFAS with lipid monolayers. SFG spectroscopy has been previously used to probe interfacial water organization and molecular level details of the outermost molecules at the surface, including surfactants, persistent organic pollutants and lipid monolayers. In vibrational SFG spectroscopy, an infrared beam is resonant with molecular vibrations that render a vibrational spectrum of ordered molecules at the surface.