Daniel Flores has a passion for teaching organic chemistry and helping students learn how to problem solve. He believes in an engaged learning environment, encouraging students to ask questions and enabling them to think critically so they understand the material. He has previously been a TA for the general organic chemistry series at UCSD and is exciting about continuing to have the opportunity to engage with new students.
Currently, Daniel is a Sr. Scientist at Ionis Pharmaceuticals in the Process Chemistry group. This work involves improving the processes used to makes starting materials and drug substances, specifically oligonucleotides. Previously he was a member of the Chemistry team at Element Biosciences working on upstream R&D for short read DNA sequencing. This work focused on designing new probes and novel fluorescent dyes to enable high accuracy base calls.
Daniel received his B.S. from the University of Kentucky (2015). Here he got his first taste of research in the lab of Prof. Susan Odom, synthesizing small molecules as electrolyte additives for Li-ion batteries. After spending a summer at UC Santa Barbara in the Hawker group he knew he needed to move so southern California and completed his Ph.D. at UC San Diego under the guidance of Professor Valerie Schmidt (2020). His thesis focused on developing new modes of alkene activation using a copper photocatalyst.