​Raza Bioinorganic Chemistry Lab
Redox-Active Metal Complexes for Cancer Photomedicine

The Raza Bioinorganic Chemistry Lab develops redox-active metal complexes for cancer photomedicine. We are interested in light-activated therapeutic strategies that can improve selectivity, function under tumor-relevant hypoxia, and promote cancer-cell damage pathways with potential links to antitumor immunity. Our research combines synthetic inorganic chemistry with photochemistry, spectroscopy, electrochemistry, cellular imaging, and the development of a 3D tumor model. A major focus is the design of transition-metal chromophores that enable organelle-directed photodamage and Type I/II photochemical reactivity.

In parallel, we study metallocofactors in viral proteins, including iron-sulfur [Fe-S] clusters in SARS-CoV-2 proteins, to understand how transition metals influence viral protein structure and function.

Undergraduate researchers are central to our work. Students gain hands-on experience in synthesis, characterization, spectroscopy, photochemical assays, and biologically relevant studies while contributing to the development of new metal-based therapeutic strategies and scholarly publications.