André K. Isaacs (born December 20, 1981) is a Jamaican professor of chemistry researching organic and synthetic chemistry at the College of the Holy Cross. He is also a queer science communicator mainly using TikTok and Twitter, where he posts dancing and choreography videos to teach chemistry lessons. Many of his videos have gone viral on these platforms.[1][2]
André K. Isaacs | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 20, 1981 |
| Academic background | |
| Education | College of the Holy Cross (BS) University of Pennsylvania (PhD) |
| Doctoral advisor | Jeffery D. Winkler |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Organic and Synthetic Methods |
| Sub-discipline | Copper-mediated organic chemistry |
| Institutions | College of the Holy Cross |
| Website | https://www.isaacslab.com/ |
Early life and education
editIsaacs was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on December 20, 1981.[2] He regularly speaks of his uncle, who taught chemistry and mathematics but died young. Isaacs refers to him as his inspiration in pursuing science education. Although he chose science tracks during his childhood, he was always interested in culture and fashion.[3]
In 2005, after finishing schooling in Jamaica, he moved to the United States to pursue a bachelor's degree in chemistry at the College of the Holy Cross. His professors and research advisors encouraged him during his undergraduate education to continue graduate studies due to his skills in organic chemistry. He obtained a PhD in chemistry in 2011 at the University of Pennsylvania under the direction of Jeffrey Winker. Later, he went to the University of California, Berkeley as a postdoctoral fellow before moving back to College of the Holy Cross as an Associate Professor.[4][5]
Isaacs identifies himself as a queer Black immigrant in science and has used his experience to motivate his advocacy. After having come out to his unsupportive family, he found comfort within a supportive lab environment. He has spoken openly about the challenges of being queer, Black, and alienated, which nearly caused him to drop out of graduate school. Consequently, he has focused on community building when building his lessons and online presence.[3][6]
Research
editIsaacs works on copper-catalyzed reactions using click chemistry. Particularly, the copper-catalyzed cycloaddition of sulfonyl azides and terminal alkynes (CuAAC). Differential fragmentation of the resulting 1,2,3-triazole generates ketenimines and rhodium carbenoids which readily engage with a variety of nucleophiles to gain access to heterocycles of interest to the synthetic community.[7][8]
As of 2024, his lab is staffed only by undergraduate student researchers. His research group has demonstrated the utility of click chemistry in the synthesis of N-Heterocycles such as indolizines, dihydroisoquinolines and as an approach to beta-lactams.[3][8]
He has also researched antibiotic resistance and novel antibiotic drug development.
Science outreach
editIsaacs has had viral success in science outreach due to his accessible and approachable videos where he aims to demonstrate that science can be conducted by anyone.[9] During an interview on Today he stated:[10]
It doesn't matter what you look like. It doesn't matter how you identify. I want students to realize that whatever they bring is an asset and that science is better when people bring their unique qualities and skills to the table.
His videos include dances from popular movie franchises such as Black Panther or Harry Potter, pop culture moments such as Rihanna's performance during the Super Bowl LVII halftime show, among other trending audios. In many of his videos, he wears a signature rainbow lab coat to promote diversity and inclusivity within chemistry. He has even made the analogy that chemistry is queer due to molecules bonding with a wide variety of partners.[6][11]
In addition, his work covers topics on queer culture and social justice. Some of his chemistry videos explain addictive substances such as poppers or his thoughts and opinions around the Black Lives Matter movement. His scientific outreach videos also help explain chemistry, including the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry involving click and bioorthagonal chemistry. He has mentioned the importance of this award for him since it is the foundation of his scientific research. Additionally, Carolyn Bertozzi, one of the laureates, is the eighth woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the first (known) to belong to the LGBTQ+ community.[2][12]
In 2012 he founded Outfront, an alliance for LGBTQ+ students and staff at the College of the Holy Cross. The organization promotes and supports members of the LGBTQ+ community by increasing their visibility on campus.[5]
He has given lectures and published scientific articles presenting his lines of research as well as his methods of teaching chemistry. As a result, he has been invited to speak at universities such as King's College London, the University of Minnesota, and Stanford University.[8][13][14][15]
References
edit- ^ "Andre K. Isaacs". College of the Holy Cross. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ^ a b c Couture, Madison (June 12, 2023). "Celebrate All Scientists: Dr. André K. Isaacs". Liberty Science Center. pp. News & Social. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ a b c Kilian, Andre (June 10, 2021). "André Isaacs: "Be okay with making mistakes"". Advanced Science News. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ Noel, Melissa (October 18, 2023). "Meet The Black Professor Fusing Chemistry With Choreography To Teach Students, Inspire The Next Generation In STEM". Essence. pp. News. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ a b Santora, Tyler (April 8, 2022). "Andree Isaacs inspires future chemists on social media and on campus". c&en - Chemical and Engineering News. Vol. 100, no. 12. pp. Outreach. ISSN 0009-2347. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ a b Rodgers, Jaiden (March 1, 2024). "Queerness in STEM: Dr. André K. Isaacs holds Runway Q&A at Tufts". The Tufts Daily. pp. Science. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
- ^ "Isaacs Lab Research". Isaacs Lab. p. Research. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Professor Andre K. Isaacs". University of Minnesota. March 28, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
- ^ Alessandrini, Kyra (October 10, 2023). "This chemistry professor is using choreography to inspire students to learn about STEM". Blavity. pp. Education: News. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
- ^ "Meet the teacher fusing science with dance in the classroom" (video). Today. September 22, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ Raman, Spoorthy (March 10, 2023). "TikTok's dancing chemist catalyses joy in students". Nature. Nature. pp. Careers Q&A. doi:10.1038/d41586-023-00739-1. PMID 36899184. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
- ^ Motion, Alice (October 27, 2022). "The TikTok chemist". Chemistry World. pp. Opinion. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ White, Jhanelle (November 15, 2023). "Full house for TikTok Chemist's Daniell Lecture". News Centre. London: King's College London. pp. This week at King's. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ Saunders, Ashley (March 4, 2024). "NOBCChE Seminar: Andre K. Isaacs, College of the Holy Cross". Standford University. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
- ^ Isaacs, André K. (May 16, 2023). "How to attract the next generation of chemists". Nature Reviews Chemistry. 7 (6). Nature: 375–376. doi:10.1038/s41570-023-00503-z. ISSN 2397-3358.