Teresa Rapp

Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Oregon

Assistant Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry

Dr. Teresa Rapp grew up in Oak View, CA where she began her higher education at the
local community college, earning an A.A. at Ventura College in 2009. She completed
her B.S. in Chemistry at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2012, where she performed
chemical education research with Prof. Derek Gragson. Looking for a change, Dr. Rapp
moved to Philadelphia, where she trained for her PhD at the University of Pennsylvania
under Prof. Ivan Dmochowski. It was in the Dmochowski lab she discovered the
potential of ruthenium compounds applied to biological problems, especially hydrogel
biomaterials after collaborating with the Burdick lab in Penn Bioengineering. To expand
her skillset, Dr. Rapp pursued a postdoc with Prof. Cole DeForest at the University of
Washington, where she published multiple reviews on visible light-sensitive biomaterials
and two novel applications of ruthenium crosslinkers in biomaterials (Nat. Comm. And
JACS). In 2023 she moved to Eugene, OR to begin her independent career in the
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Oregon, building a lab
that leverages inorganic chemistry to direct biological events. When she's not in lab, Dr.
Rapp enjoys the beautiful Eugene summers exploring the local hiking and camping
spots, and the rainy winters hosting get-togethers at home.