About the seminar:

In this talk, I will describe how we apply a diverse set of machine learning algorithms to aid in the identification of optimal reaction conditions and general catalyst systems. A significant portion of this talk will focus on our experimental efforts in evaluating these tools for developing enantioselective reactions. Continuous improvement of this workflow has directed us to develop bespoke machine learning algorithms for top-down mechanistic analysis. These techniques will also be covered and have been vetted in the complex organometallic space, serving as a useful complement to the traditional bottom-up approach. Finally, I will describe our latest efforts in developing novel catalyst structures and demonstrate their utility in various transformations.

About the speaker:

Jolene received her MSci in Chemistry from Queen’s University Belfast in 2013. She then pursued her PhD at the University of Cambridge under the supervision of Professor Jonathan Goodman. After completing her doctorate in 2017, she was awarded a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship and moved to the University of Utah to work with Professor Matthew Sigman. In September 2020, Jolene joined the faculty at the University of British Columbia as an Assistant Professor, where her research focuses on the application of machine learning to organic synthesis. She was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in July 2025. Jolene has received several awards for research excellence, including the Thieme Chemistry Journals Award, the Amgen Young Investigator Award, the CSC Keith Fagnou Award, and the Brian James Prize for Catalysis Research in Canada. She was also selected as a Scialog Fellow in Automating Laboratories. Since launching her independent research program, she has published over 45 papers spanning experimental chemistry, computational methods, artificial intelligence, drug delivery, and more.