• Organic chemistry
• Catalysis
• Organometallic chemistry
• Chemical theory and computation

Prof. Ramirez joined the Department of Chemistry as an Assistant Professor in January 2025. The Ramirez laboratory develops experimental and computational approaches to address challenges associated with efficiency in the synthesis of pharmaceutically relevant small molecules. The mission of this research program is to establish synthetic methods in the areas of main group catalysis, asymmetric organocatalysis, and transition metal photochemistry. Students trained in the Ramirez laboratory will develop strong skills in synthetic and computational organic chemistry with a focus on reaction development. This synergistic skillset in synthesis and computations will also give rise to a range of opportunities for collaboration with the broader scientific community.

Research Website

Education

BA: Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 2016
PhD, Organic Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, 2021
Post-doctorate: California Institute of Technology, 2021 – 2024

Honors and Awards

• NIH K99/R00 MOSAIC Pathway to Independence Award, 2023–2028
• NSF MPS-Ascend Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, 2021–2023​
• Caltech Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2021–2023
• Catalysis Innovation Consortium Travel Grant, 2023
• CAS Future Leaders Award, 2023
• Royal Society of Chemistry’s Horizon Prize, 2021
• UCLA Ralph and Charlene Bauer Award, 2021

Selected Publications

• Stanko, A. M.; Ramirez, M.; de Almenara, A. J.; Virgil, S. C.; Stoltz, B. M. Enantioselective Nickel-Catalyzed α-Spirocyclization of Lactones. Org. Lett. 2024, 26, 6793–6797.
• Zhu, L.; Maskeri, M. A.; Ramirez, M.; Le Bideau, F.; Ghosez, L.; Houk. K. N. Computational Exploration of Anomalous Regioselectivities in Cycloadditions of Ketenes to Oxazolines. J. Org. Chem. 2022, 87, 3613­–3622.
• Ramirez, M.; Vece, V.; Hanessian, S.; Houk, K. N. Computational and Further Experimental Explorations of the Competing Cascades Following Claisen Rearrangements of Aryl Propargyl Ethers: Substituent Effects on Reactivity and Regioselectivity. J. Org. Chem. 2021, 86, 17955−17964.
• Ramirez, M.; Darzi, E. R.; Donaldson, J. S.; Houk, K. N.; Garg, N. K. Cycloaddition Cascades of Strained Alkynes and Oxadiazinones. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2021, 60,18201–18208.
• Ramirez, M.; Svatunek, D.; Liu, F.; Garg, N. K.; Houk, K. N. Origins of Endo Selectivity in Diels–Alder Reactions of Cyclic Allene Dienophiles. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2021, 60,14989–14997.
• Yang, C.; Liu, Z.; Li, Y.; Zhou, S.; Lu, C.; Guo, Y.; Ramirez, M.; Zhang, Q.; Li, Y.; Liu, Z.; Houk, K. N.; Zhang, D.; Guo, X. Electric Field–Catalyzed Single-Molecule Diels–Alder Reaction Dynamics. Sci. Adv. 2021, 7, eabf0689.
• Ramirez, M.; Li, W.; Lam, Y.; Ghosez, L.; Houk, K. N. Mechanisms and Conformational Control of (4+2) and (2+2) Cycloadditions of Dienes to Keteniminium Cations. J. Org. Chem. 2020, 85, 2597–2606.
• Simmons, B. J.; Ramirez, M.; Garg, N. K. Facile Reduction of Amides Using Nickel Catalysis: Reduction of 12-Aminododecanolactam. Org. Synth. 2019, 96, 436–454.
• Yamano, M. M.; Knapp, R. R.; Ngamnithiporn, A.; Ramirez, M.; Houk, K. N.; Stoltz, B. M.; Garg, N. K. Cycloadditions of Oxacyclic Allenes and a Catalytic Asymmetric Entryway to Enantioenriched Cyclic Allenes. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2019, 58, 5653–5657.
• Barber, J. S.; Yamano, M. M.; Ramirez, M.; Darzi, E. R.; Knapp, R. R.; Liu, F.; Houk, K. N.; Garg, N. K. Diels–Alder Cycloadditions of Strained Azacyclic Allenes. Nat. Chem. 2018, 10, 953–960.