A Lehigh undergraduate is reimagining how we make pharmaceuticals — one colorful molecule at a time.
When Matthew Reeves first walked into Elizabeth Young's physical chemistry lab as a Lehigh freshman, he thought he was heading toward a career more suited to studying solar cells and renewable energy. Fast forward to his senior year, and he's elbow-deep in a completely different challenge: finding cleaner, more efficient ways to synthesize compounds that might one day become life-saving medications. His journey illustrates a truth about scientific discovery — sometimes the best research paths emerge from unexpected turns.
Reeves' senior thesis focuses on oxadiazepines, organic compounds sharing structural similarities with benzodiazepines, the drug class including Valium and Xanax. While benzodiazepines are well-established medications for anxiety, seizures, and sleep disorders, their chemical cousins remain frustratingly difficult to produce.
His research explores whether a particular chemical reaction can work with azo dyes and investigates whether light-induced shape changes in these molecules can help drive reactions forward. This methodology could open avenues to diverse libraries of medically valuable ring-shaped molecules previously difficult to synthesize.
Read the full article on the College of Arts and Sciences News.
Spotlight Recipient
Matthew Reeves
Chemistry Major