Derek Kiebala

Derek Kiebala completed his Bachelor's degree in integrated science and chemistry at Northwestern University in Chicago. In the group of Prof. Samuel Stupp, Derek investigated the self-assembly of perylene diimides for hydrogen-producing soft hydrogels. Derek then completed his Master's in organic chemistry at KU Leuven in Belgium, where in the group of Prof. Wim Dehaen he researched dipolar cycloaddition chemistry and synthesized novel heterocycles directed at biological targets. Derek is currently completing his Ph.D. with Prof. Christoph Weder and Dr. Stephen Schrettl at the Adolphe Merkle Institute in Fribourg, Switzerland, where he is investigating supramolecular mechanophores and mechanochromic materials.