Regular biography
Rick Lane Danheiser is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research focuses on the development of new synthetic methods and strategies, particularly in the total synthesis of natural products and biologically important compounds. His laboratory investigates the design and invention of new cycloaddition and annulation strategies for the synthesis of carbocyclic and heterocyclic compounds. Current research includes the study of highly unsaturated conjugated molecules and unusually strained molecules, with applications in the synthesis of biologically active natural products. His work also emphasizes environmentally benign methods for organic synthesis, including the use of supercritical water and carbon dioxide as reaction media.