Nessan Kerrigan obtained his B.Sc. in Chemistry from University College Dublin (1992-1996). He then completed his Ph.D. in Chemistry at University College Dublin (1996-2000) under the direction of Professor Declan G. Gilheany. He spent a year in industry working as a process development chemist for Merck before carrying out postdoctoral research at the University of Glasgow (2002-2004) with Professor David J. Procter. He carried out further postdoctoral research at the University of Pittsburgh (2004-2006) with Prof. Scott G. Nelson. Dr. Kerrigan began his independent research career at Oakland University, Michigan in 2006. The Kerrigan group carries out research in the area of synthetic organic chemistry. Most of their work is of the basic/fundamental chemistry research kind and is focused on the development of new efficient methods for the construction of interesting organic molecules which are used as pharmaceuticals or have biomedical potential (e.g. as chemotherapeutic agents). The group’s work in the US was generously supported by the National Science Foundation (2015-2018) and by the National Institutes of Health (NIGMS, 2014-2017), and more recently in Ireland by Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish Research Council. In August 2017, Dr. Kerrigan took up a position as Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry in the School of Chemical Sciences at Dublin City University.
External grants awarded to the Kerrigan Group:
10. RSC Research Enablement Grant (E22-5472593338). Title: ‘Catalytic Asymmetric Alkylation of Ketenes.’ Awarded for 2022-2023 (€11,357).
9. EI European Research Council Proposal-Preparation-Support (EC20211170). Title: ‘New Methods for the Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Small Chiral Molecules from Ketenes.’ Awarded for 2022 (€14,972).
8. RSC Research Fund (R21-1153432789). Title: ‘Bifunctional Asymmetric Catalysis for Reactions of Ketenes with Epoxides.’ Awarded for 2021-2022 (€4,597).
7. SFI Industry Fellowship (18/IF/6301). Title: ‘Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Cyclopentanones and Application to the Synthesis of Prostaglandin Pharmaceuticals.’ Awarded for 2019-2020 (€68,500.99).
6. HEA COVID extension (€4,500) to Sophie Connolly (M.Sc. student in the group). Awarded for 2021-2022.
5. IRC GOI Postdoctoral Fellowship (Shubhanjan Mitra, GOIPD/2019/637). Title: ‘Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Cyclopentanones and Application to the Synthesis of Prostaglandin Pharmaceuticals.’ Awarded for 2019-2021 (€91,850.10). Extended to March 2022 through HEA COVID extension (€14,505).
4. National Science Foundation CHE-1464622. Title: ‘Asymmetric Synthesis of Gamma-Lactones from Sulfoxonium Salts.’ Awarded for 2015-2018 ($300,000/€267,661).
3. National Institutes of Health R15GM107800. Title: ‘Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Deoxypropionates from Ketenes.’ Awarded for 2014-2017 ($333,587/€297,627).
2. National Science Foundation CHE-1213638. Title: ‘Catalytic Asymmetric Heterodimerization of Ketenes and Applications.’ Awarded for 2012-2015 ($300,000/€267,661).
1. National Science Foundation CHE-0911483. Title: ‘Catalytic Asymmetric Dimerization of Ketoketenes.’ Awarded for 2009-2012 ($340,000/€303,349).
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