Alice R. Walker
Carl R. Johnson Assistant Professor
Office: Chem 325
Lab: Chem 379
Website(s)
Social media
Department
Chemistry
Alice R. Walker
Research interest(s)/area of expertise
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Theoretical/Computational Chemistry
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Physical Chemistry
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Biochemistry
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Analytical Chemistry
Research
In my lab, we apply and develop computational chemistry methods to the study of photoactive biochemical molecules and systems. We have a particular interest in the mechanisms of nonradiative decay and fluorescence for molecules and proteins, and how those mechanisms relate to the structure of molecules and their interaction with their environment. This work involves combining computer science, quantum mechanics, classical physics, biochemistry, and physical chemistry.
Education
- PhD in Physical Chemistry from University of North Texas
- B.S. in Chemistry from University of Michigan_Dearborn
Awards and grants
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Ebbing Faculty Development Award, Wayne State University (2023)
Promise in COMP Award, 258th ACS National Meeting, San Diego, CA (2019) -
NSF Career Award, NSF CHE2338804
NIH R35 MIRA, NIGMS R35GM154949
Selected publications
1. Solomon Yamoah Effah*, W. K. D. N. Kaushalya*, Mark A. Hix, and Alice R. Walker. Computational investigations of the excited state dynamics and quenching mechanisms of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon DNA adducts in solution. Electron. Struct. 2022, 4, 044003. https://doi.org/10.1088/2516-1075/aca4ff
2. Joseph Wakpal, Vishaka Pathiranage, Alice R. Walker, and Hien M. Nguyen. Rational design and expedient synthesis of heparan sulfate mimetics from natural aminoglycosides for structure and activity relationship studies. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2023, e202304325. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202304325
3. Whitney S.Y. Ong*, Ke Ji*, Vishaka Pathiranage*, Caden Maydew, Kiheon Baek, Rhiza Lyne E. Villones, Gabriele Meloni, Alice R. Walker, and Sheel Dodani. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, e202302304. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202302304
4. Ashlyn R. Murphy, Mark A. Hix, and Alice R. Walker. Exploring the effects of mutagenesis on FusionRed using excited state QM/MM dynamics and classical force field simulations. ChemBioChem 2023, e202200799. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbic.202200799 Featured on the front cover of ChemBioChem and as VIP: https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cbic.202300300
5. Mark A. Hix and Alice R. Walker. AutoParams: An automated web-based tool to generate force field parameters for molecular dynamics simulations. J. Chem. Inf. Model. 2023, 63, 20, 6293-6301. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01049
6. Christina H. McCulley and Alice R. Walker. Dimer interface destabilization of photodissociative Dronpa driven by asymmetric monomer dynamics. J. Phys. Chem. B. 2023, 127(43), 9248-9257. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c03798
Courses taught by Alice R. Walker
Winter Term 2025 (future)
Winter Term 2024
Fall Term 2023
Winter Term 2023
Fall Term 2022
- CHM7600 - Structure and Function of Biomolecules
- CHM8800 - Seminar in Analytical Chemistry
- CHM8830 - Seminar in Physical Chemistry
- CHM5600 - Survey of Biochemistry