Katie Starr joined the Department of Chemistry in 2025. Her scholarship is rooted in the drug discovery process and answering how structure determines function. She is especially interested in the synthesis of novel natural product derivatives with anti-diabetic activity. By combining traditional organic chemistry methodology with medicinal chemistry principles, her lab aims to analyze the structure-activity relationships of lead compounds and optimize their drug-like properties. 

Prior to Kenyon, Starr received her Ph.D. from The Ohio State University where she worked on the synthesis of small molecule V-ATPase inhibitors with anti-ovarian cancer activity. At Ohio State, she also received the university’s Graduate Associate Leadership Award and the Teaching Online and Technology-Enhanced Teaching Endorsements from the Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning. 

Areas of Expertise

Medicinal chemistry, organic chemistry, natural products

Education

2025 — Doctor of Philosophy from The Ohio State University

2022 — Master of Science from The Ohio State University

2020 — Bachelor of Science from Gannon University

Courses Recently Taught

We create scientific knowledge through observation, mental models and careful design of experimental procedures. We invite you to explore and understand this process through a combination of practical experience and critical analysis. CHEM 123 and 126 are your introduction to modern experimental chemistry and are foundational to all upper-level chemistry laboratory courses. Course activities: analyze and design laboratory procedures, practice operation of laboratory equipment, assess and validate techniques, construct knowledge through discussion. Format: one three-hour laboratory session per week. Topics typically include gravimetric and volumetric techniques, standardization, titration, spectrophotometry, infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, molecular modeling, separations, chromatography, thermal analysis, kinetics, programming, data acquisition and data analysis. Prerequisite: CHEM 123. First-years and sophomores only. Offered every spring semester.

This course is a continuation of CHEM 231. This lecture course offers a study of the chemical and physical properties of organic compounds. Theoretical principles are developed with particular emphasis on molecular structure and reaction mechanisms. The descriptive aspects of organic chemistry include strategies for synthesis and the study of compounds of biochemical interest. This counts toward advanced course electives requirement for the major. Prerequisite: CHEM 231. Offered every fall semester.

In this laboratory course, students engage in multiweek, multistep projects that integrate both modern organic synthesis and advanced high-field nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. This course meets for one three-hour laboratory period per week. This counts toward advanced lab elective requirement for the major. Prerequisite: CHEM 234. Not offered every year.