Alexander R. Lippert
Associate Professor
Department of Chemistry, Southern Methodist University

Abstract: Luminescence is the spontaneous emission of light from a molecular excited state and encompasses fluorescence, chemiluminescence, phosphorescence, and other long-lived luminescence processes. Our laboratory specializes in the synthesis of luminescent small molecules and their application in analytical bioimaging, clinical diagnostics, and advanced materials. We have pioneered in vivo chemiluminescence imaging using 1,2-dioxetanes, with an emphasis on reactive sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen species. Working with local hospitals and industry, we have completed in-human trials and are working towards translating chemiluminescence methods for clinical diagnostics and monitoring. Additionally, our research group has harnessed molecular luminescence for innovative advanced materials applications, including volumetric 3D displays and high-resolution nanofabrication techniques. This seminar will cover recent progress on these topics.

Bio: Dr. Lippert received a B.S. in Chemistry from the California Institute of Technology (Advisor: Linda Hsieh-Wilson), PhD in Synthetic Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania (Advisor: Jeffrey Bode) and did postdoctoral research in Chemical Biology and Imaging at University of California, Berkeley (Advisor: Christopher Chang). Dr. Lippert started at SMU (Dallas, TX) in 2012 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2018 after building NSF and NIH funded programs to develop in vivo chemiluminescence imaging and chemical probes for reactive sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen species. Recently, he has received funding from the ACS Petroleum Research Fund and Welch Research Foundation to develop a new type of super-resolution nanofabrication technique. Dr. Lippert is co-founder and Chief Science Officer of BioLum Sciences, LLC, a company developing home-monitoring medical devices for respiratory and cardiovascular disease.