Members of the Van Duyne Group (August, 2011)

All emails at northwestern.edu unless otherwise noted!

Post Doctoral Fellows

My science interests stem from the optical properties of noble metal nanoparticles due to the localized surface plasmon resonance. I am currently working on creating high enhancement factor substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, studying ultrafast plasmonics, and non-linear Raman spectroscopies.  One key interest is studying the feasibility of surface enhancement to coherent anti-stokes Raman spectroscopy and stimulated Raman gain spectroscopy. I live in the far north suburbs of Chicago with my wife, Anna, and daughter, Sarah.

Anne-Isabelle Henry, a-henry@northwe...

I arrived at Northwestern University in september 2008 as a joint post doc in the Van Duyne Group and Schatz group. I received a PhD from University Paris 6 in Paris,  France. My PhD co-advisors in the Laboratoire des Materiaux Mesoscopiques et Nanometriques (LM2N) were Prof. Marie-Paule Pileni and Dr Alexa Courty. My PhD work has included the synthesis of silver nanocrystal in reverse micelles, the control of the nanocrystal organization in two- and three-dimensional arrays, and the study of some physical properties (optics and crystalline growth) of these structures. My research now focuses on the correlated study of optical and structural properties of gold nanoparticles. I am from France. I was born near Paris, but my family comes from Brittany. I received a B.Sc. and a M.Sc. from University Paris 11 in Orsay, France. I spent 2 month in Berlin for an internship at the Fritz-Haber-Institut-der-MPG in the department of physical chemistry. I enjoy music (I play the piano), cooking (and then eating !), watching « Dexter » (and other Tv series), and travelling.

Laura Sagle, l-sagle@northwe....

I am a postdoctoral fellow in the Van Duyne group since June, 2009.  I received my Ph. D. from UCSD working under Professor Floyd Romesberg at the Scripps Research Institute in physical chemistry with an emphasis on biophysics and protein folding.  During my graduate work we developed a new technique in which carbon-deuterium bonds were incorporated into proteins and used as infrared probes for protein folding and structure-function investigations.  I then carried out postdoctoral research with Professor Paul Cremer at Texas A&M University.  My research there was aimed at understanding how denaturants and stabilizers interact with proteins using a wide range of techniques such as:  Amide I Band ATR-FTIR, circular dichroism, visible-infrared sum frequency generation spectroscopy and temperature gradient microfluidics.  In the Van Duyne group, I am currently working on carrying out LSPR experiments investigating protien binding, folding and kinetics in a microfluidic platform. I am originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and certainly miss the wonderful vibe and energy there.  I enjoy playing the piano, hearing live music, playing cards, cooking, and lazy days on the beach.

Eddie Foley, eddie@northwe...

Paige Hall, w-hall@northwe...

My research focuses on using LSPR to study the dynamics of protein folding and protein-ligand interactions. By coupling these LSPR studies to time of flight mass spec, we hope to develop a nanoparticle-assisted laser desorption ionization technique that will simultaneously allow kinetic measurements and molecular identification. I am originally from Austin, TX and received my B.S. in biochemistry and Spanish from the University of Notre Dame. My hobbies include reading, playing volleyball and listening to reggae music.

Nan Jiang, n-jiang@northwest...

I joined the Van Duyne research lab as a postdoc in August 2010. I received my Ph.D. from the Institute of Physic,Chinese Academy of Sciences under the guidance of Prof. Hongjun Gao. During my doctoral study, I worked in the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research with Prof. Klaus Kern for 2 years. My graduate work focused on rational design, selective self-assembly, and characterization of functional nanostructures by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM). In Van Duyne group, I am currently working on ultrafast tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) with single molecules sensitivity. I am originally from the eastern part of China. I received a B.Sc.from University of Science and Technology of China. I enjoy traveling, music and badminton.

Renee Frontiera, rfrontiera@northwe...

I began working as a postdoc in the Van Duyne group in September 2010, after receiving my PhD in December 2009 from University of California-Berkeley. There I worked with Richard Mathies using Femtosecond Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy to examine ultrafast structural snapshots of chemical reaction dynamics in proteins and photovoltaics. Currently I am working on combining ultrafast spectroscopies with surface and tip enhanced spectroscopies, with the ultimate goal of monitoring plasmonically catalyzed reactions and single molecule reaction dynamics. I grew up in Madison, WI and majored in Chinese linguistics and chemistry at Carleton College in Northfield, MN. I'm a fan of traveling, playing hockey (Go Tigers!), sunshine, farmer's markets, and the great Chicago beer scene.

Bhavya Sharma, bhavya-sharma@northwe...

I joined the Van Duyne group as a postdoc in April 2011, after receiving my Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh in January 2011 under Prof. Sandy Asher. My Ph.D. work was in the area of UV resonance Raman spectroscopy, examining electronic transitions in alanine-based peptides with deep UV resonance Raman excitation profiles and depolarization ratios. In the Van Duyne group, I am currently working on the excitation profiles of SERS nanotags and the development of new plasmonic materials.  My hobbies include watching ice hockey, reading, and traveling.

Graduate Students

Sam Kleinman, email s-kleinman@northwe...

I am a fifth year graduate student in the Van Duyne research group. My research is focused on studying the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of single molecules as well as the plasmonic properties of single nanoparticle aggregates. I also work on projects which utilize electrochemistry to influence the scattering spectra of adsorbed species. When I’m not in the lab I like to see live music in the great city of Chicago. I earned my undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley. When living in the Bay Area I executed undergraduate research on nanorod synthesis and the subsequent reactions of these nanorods with gold nanospheres under Paul Alivisatos, Go Golden Bears!

Matthew Sonntag, matthewsonntag2013@u.northwe...

I am a fourth year graduate student joint between the Van Duyne and Seideman research groups. I am interested in exploring tip enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) and the coherent control of EM energy in nanoparticle systems. I received my undergraduate degree from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. My first passion is sports. I played soccer in college and after growing up in Janesville, Wisconsin; I of course support the Badgers and the Packers. My other passion is reading and0my favorite authors are John Grisham and Tom Clancy.

Emilie Ringe, emilielavigne2007@u.northwe...

I joined the Van Duyne’s group in fall 2008, and am joint with Prof. Laurence Marks (Mat. Sci.). I am studying nanoparticle shape, from a modeling (why does a given shape emerge?) and an experimental (what properties are affected by shape?) approach. I am french Canadian, and completed most of my undergraduate work at McGill University, in Montreal. I moved to Chicago in summer 2006, and completed a B.A./M.S. in two years under the supervision of Prof. James Ibers, here at Northwestern. My main hobbies are endurance training, cooking, and traveling. I am also very active in the community, through science outreach and by being a guide runner for visually impaired athletes.

Laura Ruvuna, lauraruvuna2012@u.northwe...

I’m a fourth year graduate student in the Van Duyne Group.  I am interested in localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and its applications in biological sensing. I am originally from Uganda, Africa but grew up mostly in Texas. I received a B.S in Chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin and worked with Dr. John T. McDevitt. I like reading, tennis, traveling, and Texas football. Hook ‘em Horns!

Lauren Kreno, laurenkreno2013@u.northwe...

I am a fourth year joint student in the Van Duyne and Hupp groups.  My research will focus on high-resolution localized surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy for sensing applications.  I’m originally from West Chester, PA (E-A-G-L-E-S, EAGLES!) and earned a B.A. in chemistry from Cornell University.  Movie-watching is my favorite way to unwind, especially with movies that contain science.  MST3K and Real Genius are two of my favorites.

Ke Ma, kema1.2013@u.northwe...

I am a fourth year biomedical engineering graduate student in the Van Duyne lab. Currently, I am working on the project of developing in vivo real-time glucose monitoring sensor by using surface-enhanced Raman scattering. I grew up in Tianjin, China. I earned my bachelors degree in biomedical engineering from Catholic University in DC.

Nathan Greeneltch, nathangreeneltch2012@u.northwe...

I am a fourth year graduate student in the Van Duyne Group. I am from Florida and completed my undergraduate work in Forensic Science and UCF in Orlando. I am interested in physical and analytical chemistry and am looking forward to my work in this group. I am currently experimenting with single particle imaging and nanoparticle spacial manipulation using the AFM together with visual microscopy. Also, I will work on gas phase sensing of chemical warfare agents and liquid phase sensing of illicit drugs

Natalie Ray, natalieray2013@u.northwe...

I did my undergrad at University of Wisconsin-Madison majoring in Art History and Chemistry.  I did undergraduate research with Judith Burstyn synthesizing and studying copper (I) phenanthroline complexes.  I managed to make it out of Wisconsin alive as a Bears and Cubs fan (I'm from Medinah, IL).  I also love the Blackhawks and Badgers.  On Wisconsin!

Jordan Klingsporn, jklingsporn@u.northwe...

I am a third year graduate student in the Van Duyne Group. I am originally from Green Bay, WI (Go Pack!).  I completed my undergraduate degree in chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. I also participated in an exchange program at San Jose State University for one year. I have worked the last three summers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory conducting nuclear forensic research and reconditioning electronic and ultra high vacuum equipment.

Eric Smoll, ericsmoll2014@u.northwestern.edu

I am a third-year graduate student joint with Professor George Schatz and Professor Richard Van Duyne.  I have a B.S. in Chemical Physics from the University of California, San Diego. As an undergraduate, I applied resonance Raman spectroscopy to detect pigments in Coptic Egyptian artifacts and to investigate chromophore-centers in proteins under the mentorship of Professor Judy Kim and Professor Michael Tauber. Here at Northwestern, I am interested in advancing our ability to monitor and understand transient dynamics of molecules at interfaces via the development of ultrafast surface-enhanced coherent Raman techniques. I enjoy reading, cycling about, and live music.

Alex Peroff, alexperoff2014@u.northwe..

I am a third year graduate student joint with Professor Eric Weitz and Professor Richard Van Duyne.  I am originally from New Jersey, earned my B.A in Chemistry at Bowdoin College in 2008.  I took a year off from school to work at Robertson Microlit Labs, an analytical chemistry lab in Madison NJ.  My current work as a graduate student is to use electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques to study the mechanism of CO2 reduction to fuels.  My hobbies include reading non-fiction, working out, martial arts, and cooking.

Amber Davis, amberdavis2014@u.northwes..

I am a second year graduate student in the Van Duyne lab. I am working on our current art conservation science project where we are investigating the photo-degradation of a dye molecule called Eosin Y with surface enhanced Raman spectrscopy. I graduated from Bowdoin College, ME in 2006 with a BA in chemistry and a minor in Anthropology. Afterwards, I spent a couple years working for the VI National Park Service (where I first got involved in art conservation) and then I interned at the Smithsonian Institution in a conservation and a conservation science department. My hobbies include eating good food, drinking good wine, exploring the city, and movies.

Natalie Gruenke, nataliegruenke2015@u.northwes..

I'm a second year graduate student joint with Professor Van Duyne and Professor Schatz.  I'm from Cincinnati, but did my undergraduate work in South Carolina at Furman University where I majored in Chemistry and Physics.  My current research in the Van Duyne group involves exploring different colloidal systems for application in surface enhanced femtosecond Raman spectroscopy.

Sicelo Masango, sicelomasango2015@u.northwest..

I am a second year graduate student who is joint between the Van Duyne and Stair research groups. I hail from Swaziland, a tiny country in Southern Africa. I earned my bachelor's degree in chemistry at Carleton College in Minnesota. I am interested in the fabrication of plasmonic and catalytic nanomaterials using Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) and also using surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) to study ALD systems in-situ. My hobbies include watching and playing soccer (Go Man U!), biking, working out, traveling, and listening to music.