Dr Sarah Cleary

I am interested in developing green chemistry methods for organic synthesis transformations. During my PhD, I led the discovery and development of efficient, atom economical reactions that broke and formed carbon-carbon bonds. Here in the Vincent group, these methodology development skills are put to use in the process development of the HydRegen technology in batch reactions.

sarah.cleary@chem.ox.ac.uk

Current Position

2018 -	Postdoctoral Research Associate Vincent Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford Process development of the HydRegen technology, a sustainable heterogeneous biocatalytic hydrogenation system with a focus on the scale-up of batch reactions
Research experience
2013 - 2018	Graduate Research Assistant Department of Chemistry, University of Vermont (Burlington, VT, USA) Led discovery and development of a Lewis acid catalyzed C-H insertion reaction Synthesized 10-membered lactone natural product analogs via a ring fragmentation
2013	Research and Development Intern Research and Development Department, Seventh Generation (Burlington, VT) Tested ingredient compatibility for the formulation of a new, non-toxic dish soap that contained hydrogen peroxide
2011-2012	Undergraduate Research Fellow Department of Chemistry, Bates College (Lewiston, ME, USA) Synthesized phenylpropanoid glycoside antioxidants and quantified their free radical scavenging activity
Education
2018	Ph.D. University of Vermont (Burlington, VT, USA) Major: Organic Chemistry Thesis Title: "Fragmentation, rearrangement, and C-H insertion: reactions of vinyl cations derived from diazo carbonyls" Advisor: Professor Matthias Brewer
2012	B.S. Bates College (Lewiston, ME, USA) Major: Biological Chemistry Thesis Title: "Synthesis and antioxidant activity of phenylpropanoid glycosides" Advisor: Professor Jennifer Koviach-Cote Minor: Dance
Honors and Awards
2019	Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award University of Vermont Graduate College, Burlington, VT
2019	Graduate Dissertation Award Department of Chemistry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
2010-2012	Dean's List for Academic Excellence UBates College, Lewiston, ME
2011	NIH INBRE Student-Faculty Grant in Biology and Biochemistry Bates College, Lewiston, ME
Publications
	Srinivasan, S.J., Cleary, S.E., Paul, E.P., Ramirez, M.A., Vincent, K.A., 'E. coli Nickel-Iron Hydrogenase 1 Catalyses Non-native Reduction of Flavins: Demonstration for Alkene Hydrogenation by Old Yellow Enzyme', ChemRxiv, accepted, Link Cleary, S. E.; Hensinger, M. J.; Qin, Z.-X.; Hong, X.; Brewer, M. "Migratory Aptitudes in Rearrangements of Destabilized Vinyl Cations." J. Org. Chem., 2019, 84, 15154-15164. Cleary, S. E.; Li, X.; Yang, L.-C.; Houk, K. N.; Hong, X.; Brewer, M. "Reactivity Profiles of Diazo Amides, Esters, and Ketones in Transition Metal Free C-H Insertion Reactions." J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2019, 141, 3558-3565. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b12420. Cleary, S. E.; Hensinger, M. J.; Brewer, M. "Remote C H Insertion of Vinyl Cations Leading to Cyclopentenones." Chem. Sci., 2017, 8, 6810-6814. Featured as a HOT article on the Chem. Sci. blog. DOI: 10.1039/C7SC02768K.
Conference Presentations
	Cleary, S. E., Zhao, X., Haver, R., Ryan, M. E., Reeve, H. A., Vincent, K. A. (February 2020) "H2-Driven NADH Recycling by Heterogeneous Chemo-bio Catalysts for 100% Atom Economical Asymmetric Reductions," Applied Late-Stage Functionalisation: Where Chemistry Meet Biology, Manchester, UK. (Poster) Cleary, S. E., Zhao, X., Joseph Srinivasan, S., Ramirez, M., Reeve, H. A., Vincent, K. A. (July 2019) "Heterogeneous Bio- and Chemo-biocatalysts in Green, Atom Economical NADH-dependent Batch Reactions," 14th International Symposium on Biocatalysis and Biotransformations, Groningen, The Netherlands. (Poster) Cleary, S. E.; Hensinger, M., and Brewer, M. (April 2018) "Intramolecular C-H Insertion of Vinyl Cations Leads to Cyclopentenones," Martin E. Kuehne Memorial Symposium, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT. (Poster) Cleary, S. E.; Hensinger, M., and Brewer, M. (June 2017) "Cyclopentenones via Intramolecular C-H Insertion of Vinyl Cations," ACS National Organic Symposium, UC Davis, Davis, CA. (Poster) Cleary, S. E.; and Brewer, M. (April 2016) "Lewis Acid-Promoted Ring Fragmentation Approach to the Total Synthesis of Phoracantholide I and Diplodialide C," UVM Student Research Conference, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT. (Poster) Cleary, S. E.; and Koviach-Cote, J. (March 2012) "Synthesis and Antioxidant Activity of Phenylpropanoid Glycosides," Mount David Summit, Bates College, Lewiston, ME. (Poster)
Policy and Leadership Experience
2019-Present	Chemistry Postdoctoral Representitive Oxford Research Staff Society, University of Oxford
2019-Present	Postdoctoral Representitive and Founding Member Chemsitry Postdoc Committee, University of Oxford Piloting the New Starters initiative, including implementation of a Buddy program for new hires to the Chemistry Department and design of a new starters Roadmap that provides a timeline for different employment and department expectations.
2017-2018	Senator Graduate Student Senate (GSS), University of Vermont Member of the Graduate Student Housing Committee, worked with the Dean of the Graduate College to implement guaranteed housing for all first-year international graduate students, and established a five-year goal to build or allocate more on-campus graduate student housing and events space
2017-2018	Graduate Student Representative Education and Research Technology Committee, Faculty Senate, University of Vermont Worked with the Dean of University Libraries to budget the use of a surplus in technology funds (>$250,000) resulting in the creation of mini-grants geared toward aiding the student-led development of innovative technologies