Wade Downey

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded C. Wade Downey, assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Richmond, a three-year, $180,000 research grant to support his project, “Reaction, Acceleration, Mediation and Catalysis by In Situ Silylation.”

In situ silylation methodology provides a general strategy for development of one-pot reactions, reaction catalysis and rate acceleration — all areas of growing interest in the pharmaceutical industry. Grant funds will provide summer stipends for Downey and three students each year, laboratory supplies and travel to present research results at national meetings.

Dr. Downey was also awarded $20,000 from the Thomas F. Jeffress and Kate Miller Jeffress Memorial Trust of Richmond, VA for the first year of his research project. The funds will provide summer support for Dr. Downey and two undergraduate research students, along with supplies such as chemicals and glassware. In addition, there are travel funds to enable the team to present their results at local, regional and national conferences.

Downey came to Richmond in 2005 after completing his undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, master’s and doctoral degrees at Harvard University, and postdoctoral research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His prior funding has included grants from the American Chemical Society, Jeffress Trust and Research Corporation.