Janel Rivera Cancel

Janel obtained her double major B.S. in chemistry and biomedical sciences from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico in Ponce. Here she conducted research on the synthesis and characterization of quantum dots for toxic waste treatment. She joined the Chemistry Ph.D. program in 2020 and is currently co-advised by Professor Nicolas Giovambattista, Professor Gustavo Lopez, Professor Xi Chen, and Professor Rein Ulijn. She studies the water-biomolecule interface using molecular dynamic simulations to understand their behavior at different temperature conditions and glassy states of water. She also researches supramolecular water-responsive materials and isotope effects on their mechanical properties.