Being a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopist, uOttawa alumna Dr. Jasmine Viger-Gravel is motivated by the prospect of applying multidisciplinary approaches to solve various societal problems. After obtaining both her Bachelor of Science (Cum Laude 2010) and her PhD in Chemistry (2015; under the supervision of Professor David Bryce) from the University of Ottawa, Dr. Viger-Gravel is now a Lecturer and Senior Researcher at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) in Switzerland.
Her research in the area of NMR spectroscopy aims to establish relationships between the structure and the activity of materials used in energy conversion and storage technologies to optimize their synthesis for the energy conversion devices of tomorrow. The overall goal of this research is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Jasmine and her research group use new analytical concepts to characterize the atomic-scale structure of nanocrystals used as catalysts in energy conversion reactions by developing and implementing innovative hyperpolarized NMR techniques. This method will be combined for the first time with ex-situ and operando approaches in the longer term, making it possible to understand reactions at surfaces under real reaction conditions. This means finding alternatives for society in terms of energy conversion and storage sources.
In addition to leading her own research program, Jasmine is also responsible for the NMR user facility at UNIGE as well as teaching organic chemistry and spectroscopy to graduate students. Thanks to the skills acquired in the Bryce Lab at uOttawa, Jasmine has been able to pursue her passion for NMR spectroscopy and discover and analyze various chemical systems ranging from halogen bonded cocrystals to heterogeneous catalysts to vaccine formulations. She considers that the hard skills acquired during her PhD at uOttawa helped her land her job at UNIGE. She designs, develops and applies scientific methods in collaboration with the department of biochemistry, provides technical and scientific support for NMR users, analyzes complex data sets, identifies trends and develops new approaches to keep abreast of novel scientific developments.
A valuable lesson learned during her time at uOttawa is that students should not be afraid to contact researchers outside of their discipline who can help them develop new skills necessary in order to reach their research objectives.
