Faculty Research Webinar "Synthetic Inorganic Chemistry for Neuroimaging Applications" Prof. Liviu Mirica

Faculty Research Webinar "Synthetic Inorganic Chemistry for Neuroimaging Applications" Prof. Liviu Mirica

Thursday, November 5, 2026
5:30-6:30 pm

Abstract
A brief introduction to the research projects in the Mirica group will be presented first. The talk will then focus on developing diagnostic agents for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD is the most common neurodegenerative disease, and its major neuropathological hallmark is the deposition of extracellular amyloid plaques consisting of the beta-amyloid (Aβ) peptide, while the smaller, soluble Aβ oligomers are considered the most neurotoxic species. This presentation will focus on the development of multifunctional compounds with high affinity for Aβ aggregates and metal ions as potential positron emission tomography (PET) imaging agents for early diagnosis of AD.

Prof. Liviu Mirica
William H. and Janet G. Lycan Professor of Chemistry

Bio
Professor Liviu M. Mirica is the Lycan Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from the California Institute of Technology, his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Stanford University, and was an NIH postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. His research group focuses on developing novel transition metal catalysts for a range of redox transformations, including biomimetic applications, as well as metal-containing bifunctional compounds as potential therapeutic and diagnostic agents for neurodegenerative diseases.