Research in the Cusumano Group integrates the fields of organometallic, computational, physical organic, and synthetic organic chemistry to offer a unique ‘physics-based approach’ to address pressing challenges in the field of synthetic chemistry. Overarching themes in the group’s research include exploring novel electronic structure–reactivity paradigms, harnessing photochemistry and excited-state reactivity, developing chemical intuition from quantum mechanical calculations, and pursuing strategies to control the dynamical behavior of fleeting reaction intermediates. Ultimately, we employ these insights in the development of synthetic methods for the construction of challenging bonds.
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles
- Postdoctoral Researcher
2025
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena
PhD - Chemistry
2023
North Carolina State University
Raleigh
B.S. - Chemistry
2018
“Mechanism of Ni-catalyzed Photochemical Halogen Atom-Mediated C(sp3)–H Arylation.” Cusumano, A. Q.; Chaffin, B. C.; Doyle, A. G. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 15331–15344. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c03099]
“Molecular Dynamics Investigations of Dienolate [4+2] Reactions.” Chen, P.‡; Cusumano, A. Q.‡; Flesch, K. N.; Santiago, C. S.; Goddard, W. A. III; Stoltz, B. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 12758–12765. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c02681]
“Divergent Catalysis: Catalytic Asymmetric [4+2] Cycloaddition of Palladium Enolates.” Flesch, K. N.‡; Cusumano, A. Q.‡; Chen, P.; Santiago, C. S.; Sardini, S. R.; Du, Y. E.; Bartberger, M. D.; Goddard, W. A. III; Stoltz, B. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 45, 11301–11310. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c02104]
“The Transition Metal Catalyzed [π2s + π2s + σ2s + σ2s] Pericyclic Reaction: Woodward–Hoffmann Rules, Aromaticity, and Electron Flow.” Cusumano, A. Q.; Goddard, W. A. III.; Stoltz, B. M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 19033–19039. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c09575]
“Reaction Mechanism, Origins of Enantioselectivity, and Reactivity Trends in Asymmetric Allylic Alkylation: A Comprehensive Quantum Mechanics Investigation of a C(sp3)–C(sp3) Cross-Coupling” Cusumano, A. Q.; Stoltz, B. M.; Goddard W. A. III. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 13917–13933. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c06243]
Ruth L. Kirschstein NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship
2023
Herbert Newby McCoy Award for Achievements in Graduate Research
2023
Dr. Alex Cusumano Joins the University of Chicago Chemistry Department Faculty