Holt Sakai PhD

Dr. Holt Sakai, PhD, is an organic chemist and researcher at Princeton University, where he is affiliated with the MacMillan Group in the Department of Chemistry. His research focuses on the development of new synthetic methodologies, particularly in the field of photoredox catalysis and radical-mediated transformations, with applications in complex molecule construction and drug discovery.

Dr. Sakai earned his PhD from Harvard University in 2023. He completed his undergraduate studies in chemistry at Yale University, where he conducted research on palladium-catalyzed dehydrogenation under the mentorship of Professor Timothy Newhouse. He also gained additional research experience in catalytic chemistry, including copper-catalyzed amination, and worked as a discovery chemistry intern at Genentech.

At Princeton, Dr. Sakai contributes to cutting-edge research in catalysis, including work on photoredox-enabled transformations and novel bond-forming reactions. His publications include studies on radical cross-coupling and deoxygenative functionalization strategies, advancing the toolkit of modern synthetic chemistry.