: Adam Cook in a black gown with a red and gold hood, holding a diploma. To his left stands Professor Stephen Newman, in a black gown with a yellow stole. They’re surrounded by others celebrating graduation.
From tackling complex chemical reactions to mentoring the next generation of scientists, alumnus Adam Cook has embraced every challenge with curiosity and determination. His research on greener chemical transformations has the potential to revolutionize industries. Now, as a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford, he’s working on groundbreaking technologies for treating HIV and cancer.

Adam Cook has always been drawn to the challenge and creativity of chemistry. He attended a small Catholic school in Ajax, Ontario, where his passion for problem-solving flourished. “Chemistry was always the most challenging subject for me, and I enjoyed that challenge,” he says.

Adam earned his undergraduate degree in pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology before pursuing a PhD in organic chemistry at the University of Ottawa’s Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences under the supervision of Professor Stephen Newman.

During his PhD, Adam focused on nickel-catalyzed carbon-oxygen bond activation, aiming to develop greener chemical transformations. “Much of the modern world depends on the petroleum industry, which relies heavily on carbon-hydrogen bond activation. In my research, I explore avenues towards carbon-oxygen bond activation, as the presence of carbon-oxygen bonds is a hallmark of many more renewable, sustainable chemical feedstocks,” he says. Adam has explored how to convert naturally abundant materials into valuable products.

One major application of Adam’s research is improving the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling, a widely used chemical transformation and one of the most commonly used reactions in the pharmaceutical industry. His work could enhance this already essential process, with benefits for the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries, for example. “This has broad applications and can save time, money and resources,” Adam says.

Like many researchers, Adam faced challenges—finding the right reaction conditions, staying motivated amidst the pressures of grad school and navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these obstacles, he published seven first-author papers and one third-author paper in high-impact journals, including recent articles in Nature Synthesis and the Journal of the American Chemical Society. In recognition of this work, Adam received the 2025 CCUCC Chemistry Doctoral Award, given by the Canadian Society for Chemistry to the top doctoral student in Canada in chemistry.

A key source of support throughout Adam’s PhD was his mentor, Professor Newman. “He’s the best boss one could ask for. His door is always open, and he’s always willing to help,” Adam says. Inspired by this mentorship, Adam himself has guided undergraduate and graduate students, reinforcing his wish to lead his own research team as a professor. His dedication to science education goes beyond the lab—he has been actively involved in outreach programs such as uOttawa’s mini enrichment program and the national Verna J. Kirkness Program, which provides Indigenous high school students with hands-on research experience and mentorship in university labs. 

Now a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University and a recipient of the prestigious Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship, Adam is working with Professor Paul Wender to develop new technologies for combatting complex, translational medical challenges including HIV and cancer. “This fellowship is amongst my proudest accomplishments. It’s an opportunity to use what I’ve learned during my academic career at uOttawa and elsewhere to contribute to cutting-edge research with real-world, immediate impact,” he says.

With Adam’s passion for chemistry and a commitment to both research and teaching, his journey highlights the exciting possibilities within organic chemistry.

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