Organic Synthesis, Soft Materials, Medicinal Chemistry, Chemical Biology

B.S., 2005, University of California, Berkeley

M.S., 2010, University of California, Santa Cruz

Ph.D., 2015, University of California, Irvine

Postdoctoral Researcher, 2018, University of Chicago

ACS Cottrell New Faculty Workshop, 2018

ASBMB Image Workshop, 2018

PMSE (Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering Division) Session Co-Chair, ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 2017

UC Berkeley Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program Fellowship, 2003

CHE 600: Chemical Biology

CHE 414/614: Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry

The Steinhardt lab focuses on synthesizing chemical tools to elucidate, manipulate, and image the interactions between organ systems–such as the nervous and immune systems–to pioneer new medical treatment strategies. Using technology like synthetically-tuned natural products, smart biocompatible polymers, and luminescent soft materials, we work to bridge the gap between molecular understanding of cellular function and mechanistic understanding of how individual organs work together to create a living being. This research relies on fundamental studies of physical organic, synthetic, and materials chemistry, and applies that knowledge to manipulating cells and tissues to fix disordered interactions that occur in disease.

Brubaker, K.; Garawal, A.; Steinhardt, R. C.; Esser-Kahn, A.P. Oxygen concentration by a countercurrent multiplier. Nature Comms. 2018, 9, article 736.

Steinhardt, R. C.; Hiew, S.; Mohapatra, H.; Nguyen, D.; Oh, Z.; Truong, R.; Esser-Kahn, A. P. Cooperative CO2 binding by a bifunctional guanidine and bifunctional alcohol. ACS Cent. Sci. 2017, 3, 1271-1275.

Steinhardt, R. C.‡; Steeves, T. S.‡; Wallace, B. M.; Moser, B.; Fishman, D. A.; Esser-Kahn, A. P. Photothermal nanoparticle initiation enables radical polymerization and yields unique, uniform microfibers with broad spectrum light. 2017, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2017, 44, 39034-39039. ‡ denotes equal contribution

Moser, B. A.; ‡ Steinhardt, R. C.‡; Esser-Kahn, A. P. Surface coating of nanoparticles reduces background inflammatory activity while increasing particle uptake and delivery. ACS Biomater. Sci. Eng. 2016, 3, 206–213. ‡ denotes equal contribution

Steinhardt, R. C.; Rathbun, C. M.; McCutcheon, D. C.; Krull, B.; Porterfield, W. B.; Furche, F.; Prescher, J. A. Brominated luciferins are versatile bioluminescent probes. ChemBioChem 2017, 18, 96–100.

Steinhardt, R. C.; O’Neill, J. A.; McCutcheon, D. C; Rathbun, C. M.; Prescher, J. A. Design and synthesis of an alkynyl luciferin analogue for bioluminescence imaging. Chem. Eur. J. 2016, 22, 3671–3675.

McCutcheon, D. C.; Paley, M. A.; Steinhardt, R. C.; Prescher, J. A. Expedient synthesis of electronically-modified luciferins for bioluminescence imaging. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 7604-7607.

Hirschi, A.; Cecchini, M.; Steinhardt, R. C.; Schamber, M. R.; Dick, F. A.; Rubin, S. M. An overlapping kinase and phosphatase docking site regulates activity of the Retinoblastoma protein. Nature Struct. Mol. Biol. 2010, 17, 1051-1057.

Halpenny, G. M.; Steinhardt, R. C.; Okialda, K. A.; Mascharak, P. K. Characterization of pHEMA-based hydrogels that exhibit light-induced bactericidal effect via release of NO. J. Mater. Sci. Mater. Med. 2009, 20, 2353-2360.

Mizisin, A. P.; Steinhardt, R. C.; O’Brien, J. S.; Calcutt, N. A. TX14(A), a prosaposin-derived peptide, reverses established nerve disorders in streptozotocin-diabetic rats and prevents them in galactose-fed rats. J. Neuropath. Exp. Neurol. 2001, 60, 953-960.