Primary research interest

 Computational Chemistry

About me

Elizabeth Krenske obtained her PhD in synthetic main-group chemistry in 2005 from the Australian National University, where she worked with Professor Bruce Wild. After two years of postdoctoral research at the ANU she was awarded a Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholarship and spent two years at the University of California, Los Angeles, working in the field of theoretical and computational chemistry with Professor Kendall Houk. She returned to Australia in 2009 as an ARC Australian Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Melbourne, and then moved to the University of Queensland in 2012 as an ARC Future Fellow. She is currently an Associate Professor in the UQ School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences. Her research was featured in the inaugural Young Investigator issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society. She is a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and former Associate Editor of the RSC journal Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry.

Research focus and collaborations

The Krenske laboratory uses computer simulations to explore molecular structure and behaviour, from small molecules to proteins. The laboratory’s research is directed toward the invention of new chemical technologies (e.g. catalysts) and the understanding of biomolecular processes (e.g. protein/drug interactions).

Current research activities include:

  • fundamental explorations of the reaction mechanisms of organic and biological reactions
  • development of computer-based technologies for the design of new catalysts for chemical synthesis
  • modelling and prediction of drug/biomolecule interactions and their roles in determining drug efficacy and toxicity
  • computational prediction of molecular spectroscopic properties for natural products structure determination and optoelectronic materials design

Funded projects

  • ARC Discovery Project 2022 
    Opening Up Access to L-Sugars through a Synergy of Experiment and Theory
  • ARC Discovery Project 2018
    Computational Tools for Organic Synthesis
  • Australia–India Strategic Research Fund 2017 (with E. Namdas, S.-C. Lo, and P. Burn)
    Large Area Opto-Electronics (LAOE) for Australia and India
  • UQ Strategic Research Fellowship 2017
    New Computational Technology to Drive Innovation in Molecular Science
  • ARC Discovery Project 2015 (with B. Flynn, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
    Chiral Catalysts by Rational Design
  • ARC Future Fellowship 2012
    Theoretical modelling and design of safe covalent anti-cancer drugs
  • ARC Discovery Project 2009 (APD Fellowship)
    Exploring new roles for phosphorus radicals in health, environment, and technology

Teaching interests

  • CHEM3011 Advanced Physical Chemistry
  • CHEM3001 Advanced Organic Chemistry
  • CHEM3016 Advanced Experimental Chemistry
  • CHEM2050 Intermediate Chemistry 1
  • CHEM2058 Translational Chemistry & Data Processing
  • CHEM2901 Advanced Intermediate Chemistry 1
  • SCIE1200 Introduction to Science Research

Achievements and awards

  • 2023 Advisory Board member, Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry
  • 2022 Fellow, Higher Education Academy
  • 2021 Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry
  • 2017 Editorial Advisory Board member, ACS Omega
  • 2017 Fellow, Royal Australian Chemical Institute
  • 2017 feature in the Journal of the American Chemical Society inaugural Young Investigator Issue
  • 2017 UQ Strategic Research Fellowship
  • 2012 ARC Future Fellowship
  • 2009 ARC Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • 2007 Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholarship

Featured publications

Researcher biography

Professor Elizabeth Krenske leads a computational chemistry laboratory that specialises in understanding molecular behaviour. Her laboratory has a particular focus on the study of chemical reaction mechanisms, including the computational prediction of reaction outcomes. Prof. Krenske obtained her PhD in synthetic main-group chemistry at The Australian National University's Research School of Chemistry, where she worked with Professor Bruce Wild. After two years of postdoctoral research at the ANU she was awarded a Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholarship and spent two years at the University of California, Los Angeles, working in the field of theoretical and computational chemistry with Professor Kendall Houk. She returned to Australia in 2009 as an ARC Australian Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Melbourne, and moved to The University of Queensland in 2012 as an ARC Future Fellow. She is currently an Associate Professor in the UQ School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences.

Prof. Krenske is a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and former Associate Editor of the RSC journal Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry.