Julia Turner

Research in the Turner Lab combines synthetic organic chemistry with modern physical organic chemistry (computation, data science, & machine learning) to understand and predict chemical reactivity. We seek to uncover the mechanistic principles that govern reaction performance and use these insights to enable the rational design of new catalytic transformations. By integrating experimental and computational approaches with statistical modelling, we aim to develop predictive frameworks for reaction discovery and optimization.

Our research focuses on the data-driven design and mechanistic understanding of selective catalysts for complexity-generating synthetic transformations. More information regarding current research projects can be found on our group website.

• Physical organic chemistry

• Data science & machine learning

• Catalyst design

• Enantioselective catalysis

• Computational chemistry

• Photocatalysis

• Hydrogen atom transfer

• Synthetic methodology development

• 2024, Ph.D., Chemistry, University of Toronto, Canada

• 2019, B.Sc., Honors Specialization, Biochemistry and Chemistry, Western University, Canada

• 2024–2026, NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship

• 2024 & 2025, CAS Future Leaders Top 100 Program

• 2024, Boehringer Ingelheim Award for Excellence in Organic Chemistry

• 2024, David H. Farrar Graduate Scholarship in Chemistry

• 2022 & 2023, Ontario Graduate Scholarship

• 2023, Jim Guillet Chemistry Graduate Scholarship

• 2022, Special Opportunity Graduate Travel Fellowship

• 2022, Merck Canada Ltd Chemistry Conference Award

• 2021, CSC Centenary Scholarship for Chemistry Graduates

• 2018, NSERC USRA

• 2015, Western Scholarship of Excellence

• 2025 Co-Chair, Physical Organic Chemistry Gordon Research Seminar

• Julia Turner’s publications can be viewed on Google Scholar.