Department of Chemistry – Departmental Seminar
About the event
Speaker: Dr. J. David Robertson
Professor in Chemistry, Executive Director of the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR), University of Missouri
https://chemistry.missouri.edu/people/robertson
Host: Assistant Professor Liane Moreau
Title: From Out of the Blue: Radioisotopes for Targeted Radiotherapy at MURR
Abstract: The University of Missouri is home to the nation’s largest university research reactor. The 10 MW University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) is a national resource for research and application of neutron-related science. While the applications are numerous and varied, one of MURR’s key roles is employing nuclear science in the battle against cancer and other chronic human disorders. An overview of MURR and our unique role in radioisotope production will be presented along with results for novel nanoparticle constructs for targeted-alpha radiotherapy.
J. David Robertson is a professor in the Chemistry Department at the University of Missouri and Executive Director of the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR). He received his B.S. degree in chemistry from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1982 and his Ph.D. in nuclear chemistry from the University of Maryland at College Park in 1986. As Director, Dr. Robertson has overall responsibility for the research reactor including safe and reliable operation of MURR, leadership for the research and education mission of MURR, and income generation through products and services that support the operation and mission of MURR. His research is focused on the development of isotopes for a variety of applications including cancer therapy, nuclear batteries and nuclear forensics. Dr. Robertson served as the Chair of the Division of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in 2006 and as National Director for the ACS Nuclear Chemistry Summer Schools from 2011 through 2019. He was named the 2006 University of Missouri William H. Byler Distinguished Professor, and was named a Fellow of the American Chemical Society in 2010.