Helma Wennemers PhD

Helma Wennemers is an organic chemist whose research concentrates on asymmetric catalysis, chemical biology, and synthetic materials. She develops peptides to address the question of whether small molecules can fulfill functions for which nature evolved large macromolecules. This scope includes the development of bioinspired asymmetric catalysts and functionalizable collagen, and molecular scaffolds for applications in supramolecular and biological chemistry (e.g., cell-penetrating peptides, and tumor targeting) and the controlled formation of metal nanoparticles. Helma received her Ph.D. degree from Columbia University, New York, and did postdoctoral studies at Nagoya University before joining Basel University as the Bachem-endowed Assistant Professor. In the fall of 2011, Helma moved to ETH Zurich where she is a Professor of Organic Chemistry.