ProfessorAlex Bissember

Alex Bissember is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Tasmania. His research interests span areas of organic, organometallic, inorganic, and natural products chemistry and chemical education.

Alex completed his PhD with Prof. Martin Banwell at ANU in 2010. He was awarded the 2009 American Australian Association Merck Company Foundation Fellowship, which supported postdoctoral research with Prof. Greg Fu at MIT and Caltech. In 2013, Alex commenced his independent career at the University of Tasmania. He is a former ARC Future Fellow.

QUALIFICATIONS
PhD (Chemistry), ANU, 2010
BSc. (1st Class Hons Chemistry), ANU, 2005
BSc. (Chemistry & Physics majors), ANU, 2004

AWARDS, HONOURS & FUNDING
2026–2028 ARC Discovery Project Grant, DP260100139

2025–2027 ARC Discovery Project Grant, DP250100285

2023 Royal Society of Tasmania M. R. Banks Medal
2023 Royal Society of Chemistry Chemical Communications Pioneering Investigator
2023–2026 ARC Linkage Project Grant, LP220100252
2021 Elected a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute
2021–2024 ARC Discovery Project Grant, DP210100025
2021–2025 ARC Future Fellowship, FT200100049
2020 ARC Discovery Project Grant, DP200101714
2020 Royal Australian Chemical Institute Alan Sargeson Lectureship
2019 Royal Society of Chemistry Dalton Transactions New Talent: Asia-Pacific
2019 University of Tasmania Vice Chancellor’s Innovation Award
2019 University of Tasmania College of Sciences & Engineering Innovation Award
2018 University of Tasmania College of Sciences and Engineering Executive Dean’s Award for Development and Innovation in Learning and Teaching
2017 Royal Australian Chemical Institute Organometallic Chemistry Award
2017 Minister’s Tasmanian STEM Innovation of the Year Award
Finalist, 2017 Tasmanian STEM Young Researcher of the Year Award
2017 University of Tasmania Vice Chancellor’s Award for Early Career Academic Teaching
2017 Collier Charitable Fund Grant
2016 University of Tasmania Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning
2015 PhosAgro/ UNESCO/ IUPAC Green Chemistry for Life Grant
2013 University of Tasmania Faculty of Science Engineering & Technology Early Career Researcher Award
2009 American Australian Association Merck Company Foundation Fellowship

APPOINTMENTS
President, Southern Highlands Conference on Heterocyclic Chemistry (2024)
Vice President, Southern Highlands Conference on Heterocyclic Chemistry (2023)
Member of College of Assessors, New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (since 2021)
Australian Council for Undergraduate Research Steering Group Member (since 2020)
Editorial Board Member, Scientific Reports (2015–2021)
RACI National Organic Division Treasurer (2019–2022)
RACI Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chair (2019–2020)
RACI Organic Division Representative for Tasmania (since 2017)
Visiting Associate, California Institute of Technology (2015)
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, California Institute of Technology (2012–2013)
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2010–2012)

AVAILABLE PHD PROJECTS
- New Catalysts for Chemical Synthesis: project
- Total Synthesis of Alkaloid Natural Products
- Development of Original Photoredox-Catalysed Reactions: project
- Development of Original Electrosynthetic Reactions: 
- Mechanistic Studies of Metal-Catalysed Cross-Coupling Reactions