The People Behind
the Science
Meet the researchers, students, and collaborators driving sustainable chemistry at the Technion.
Sakthi received his Ph.D. from IIT Kanpur in 2019 under the guidance of Prof. Raja Angamuthu, where he developed a strong foundation in synthetic and mechanistic chemistry. He then pursued postdoctoral research with Prof. Lee Cronin, gaining valuable international experience at the interface of chemistry and automation. In 2021, he joined the Technion to work with Prof. Graham de Ruiter, where his research centers on the design and synthesis of coordination chemistry-driven metallaaromatic complexes with potential applications in photocatalysis.
Amrita obtained her Ph.D. in Computational Chemistry from IISER Kolkata, working with Prof. Sourav Pal and Dr. Mudit Dixit (CSIR-CLRI, Chennai). In 2024, she moved to the Technion to work on computational and mechanistic studies of iron-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions and the role of aromaticity in materials design under the supervision of Prof. Graham de Ruiter and Prof. Renana Gershoni-Poranne.
Ajeet obtained his Ph.D. in Computational Chemistry from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, under the supervision of Dr. Lisa Roy in 2025, focusing on theoretical studies of water splitting using homogeneous catalysts. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Technion, where his research focuses on metallaaromaticity, electronic structure, and the rational design of functional materials under the supervision of Prof. Graham de Ruiter and Prof. Renana Gershoni-Poranne.
Avishek obtained his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from IISER Bhopal, working with Prof. Nitin T. Patil on cross-coupling reactions and the difunctionalization of C–C multiple bonds employing gold catalysis. After a short postdoctoral stay with Prof. Akkattu T. Biju at IISc Bangalore, he joined the Technion in May 2026 to work with Prof. Graham de Ruiter. His current research focuses on ligand design for earth-abundant transition-metal catalysis.
Soumadip received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from the University of Calcutta and Banaras Hindu University, respectively. He earned his Ph.D. from IISER Kolkata under the supervision of Prof. Sayam Sen Gupta. In 2026, he joined the Technion to work with Prof. Graham de Ruiter. His research centers on transition-metal complexes for catalytic small-molecule activation, as well as selective C–H and C–F bond functionalization using photochemical and electrochemical strategies.
Ashutosh obtained his M.Sc. from IISER Thiruvananthapuram in 2024, where he conducted research on the activation of inert chemical bonds via photoredox catalysis under the guidance of Prof. Veera Reddy Yatham. Later that year, he joined the research group of Prof. Graham de Ruiter, where his current work focuses on the development of photocatalyzed and iron-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, with an emphasis on earth-abundant metal systems.
Kritika Verma, from Udhampur, Jammu & Kashmir, graduated from the University of Jammu in 2020 and earned her master’s degree from IIT Ropar in 2023, working with Prof. Prabal Banerjee on the chemistry of donor–acceptor cyclopropanes. In 2024, she joined the de Ruiter group, where she focuses on the design and synthesis of earth-abundant transition-metal photocatalysts. In her free time, she enjoys table tennis, badminton, and music.
Akhanda received his B.Sc. degree in 2021 from Jhargram Raj College and his M.Sc. degree in 2023 from IIT Kanpur, where he worked with Prof. Sabuj Kundu on manganese-catalyzed transfer dehydrogenation reactions. In 2024, he joined the group of Prof. Graham de Ruiter at the Technion, where he works on the electrochemical oxidation of ammonia for carbon-free solar fuels.
Priya Mata completed her B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Chemistry at H.N.B. Garhwal University, Srinagar, Uttarakhand. She carried out a research project under Prof. Susanta Hazra at IISc Bangalore. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. under the supervision of Prof. Graham de Ruiter at the Technion, where her research focuses on metalla-aromaticity and the properties of metal-containing aromatic systems. Outside the lab, she enjoys cooking and traveling.
Ratan completed his B.Sc. degree at Visva-Bharati University, West Bengal, and earned his M.Sc. from IIT Kanpur, where he conducted his master’s research under the supervision of Prof. Sabuj K. Kundu. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in the de Ruiter group, working on iridium-catalyzed alkane dehydrogenation. His research interests also include iron-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, particularly Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling.
Yonathan holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. His academic and research interests lie in synthetic organic and organometallic chemistry, particularly in the coordination chemistry of lanthanides and actinides. He is also interested in the application of these fields to green energy and sustainable chemical processes.