Postdoctoral Research Associate
Department of Chemistry
University of Rochester
Hutchinson Hall B28
120 Trustee Road
Rochester, New York 14627
Email: jkoelbel@ur.rochester.edu
Education and Experience
B.Sc. Physics, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, 2017
PhD Chemical Engineering, University of Cambridge, 2022
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Brown University, 2022-2025
Research Interests
I am interested in how collective molecular vibrations govern the structure, dynamics, and function of materials. In my research, I combine terahertz and low-frequency Raman spectroscopy with molecular simulations to uncover the microscopic origins of charge transport in organic semiconductors, elasticity in flexible crystals, and pore dynamics in metal–organic frameworks, among others. I have also applied these approaches to protein stability and glass-forming liquids, linking vibrational dynamics to biomolecular function.
Outside the lab, I enjoy hiking, traveling, and exploring new places.
Awards and Recognitions
- 2022–2024 Hibbitt Engineering Fellowship
- 2021 Flash Talk Prize for “Crystallizing Magnesium Sulfate Solutions: Observing Structure with Terahertz Spectroscopy” at Sensors Day 2021 (Cambridge, UK)
- 2021 Reaction Chemistry and Engineering Prize (best presentation) for “In-situ Observation of the Structure of Crystallizing Magnesium Sulfate Solutions” at the CEB Research Conference 2021 (online)
- 2017–2022 Research Studentship in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology with MedImmune Ltd. (now AstraZeneca)
- 2017–2018 Scholarship of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation
- 2016 Scholarship of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for a summer internship at the University of Cambridge
- Member of the Early Career Editorial Board of the Journal of Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves