Rate My Professor Sinan Gai

Dr. Sinan Gai serves as Instrument Support Technician in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Otago, part of the Division of Sciences. He completed his Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry at the University of Otago from August 2015 to November 2019. His PhD thesis, "Donor-Acceptor Cyclopropanes as Building Blocks for the Synthesis of Natural Product Scaffolds," was supervised by Bill C. Hawkins and Eng Wui Tan. This research developed novel synthetic strategies employing donor-acceptor cyclopropanes to access structurally complex natural product-like scaffolds.

Gai's academic interests center on synthetic organic chemistry, catalysis, and medicinal chemistry. He demonstrates proficiency in total synthesis, natural product synthesis, synthetic methodology, drug synthesis, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, 2D NMR, LC-MS, and analytical HPLC, aiding his technical support duties. His career includes postdoctoral research following his doctorate, contributing to advancements in organic synthesis. Notable publications feature "The Synthesis of Cyclopropyl-Fused Tetrahydrofurans from Vinylcyclopropanes" (2025), "Expedient synthesis of [5,5]- and [6,5]-benzannulated spiroketals from 1,1-diacyl-2-vinyl cyclopropanes" (2024), "The synthesis of benzannulated spiroketals from 1,1-diacyl-2-phenylcyclopropanes" (2021), "Identification of Active Site Residues of the Siderophore Synthesis Enzyme PvdF and Evidence for Interaction of PvdF with a Substrate-Providing Enzyme" (2021), "Benzannulated 6,5-Spiroketals from Donor-Acceptor Cyclopropanes" (2019), "Selective Mono‐allylation of 1,3‐Diketones and Their Use in the Synthesis of 3‐Allyl Chromones and Benzannulated 6,5‐Bicyclic Ketals" (2018), and "The Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Anithiactin A/Thiasporine C and Analogues" (2015). Collaborations with researchers such as Nigel T. Lucas, Sigurd M. Wilbanks, and Iain L. Lamont highlight his role in interdisciplinary efforts, including affiliate investigator status at the Maurice Wilkins Centre. His publications have accumulated 97 citations.