People make the science.

We learn together across graduate, undergraduate and co-op research, building scientific independence through shared curiosity and mentorship.

Prof. Divya Matta Kaur · Principal Investigator

Principal investigator

Prof. Divya Matta Kaur

Associate Professor of Chemistry · Brock University

Divya is a theoretical chemist and computational biophysicist studying photosynthesis and molecular energy conversion. Her group investigates how protein environments shape electron and proton transfer, and how those principles can inform artificial catalysis and light-responsive biomaterials.

Her mentorship centres on clarity, scientific independence and belonging. She is particularly committed to creating routes into computational science for women, racialized and international trainees, caregivers, and students whose paths into research have not been linear.

Brock faculty profile ↗

Current members

Current researchers

Graduate students

PhD Student

Subrat Kumar Sethy

May 2026–present

Subrat Kumar Sethy joined the Kaur Group in May 2026 as a PhD student in Physical and Computational Methods, supported by an NSERC doctoral award. His research uses classical and quantum computational methods to investigate how structural and environmental factors influence chlorophyll d-containing Photosystem I, exploring principles that could inform future clean-energy technologies.

He earned his BSc in Chemistry from Ravenshaw University in 2023 and his MSc in Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur in 2025, specializing in computational chemistry. He also has experience teaching chemistry at a pre-university coaching institute.

Outside the lab, Subrat enjoys painting and sketching.

Research milestones

First author of the 2026 Journal of Physical Chemistry B study on Photosystem I iron–sulfur energetics.

GRAMMS poster presentation · 1 October 2026 ↗

PhD Student

Jigisha Ghadge

Fall 2026–present

Jigisha uses computational tools to understand biological systems. Her research focuses on the structure and interactions of Photosystem I, a protein complex that captures light energy and drives electron transport during photosynthesis.

With a background in pharmacy and pharmaceutical modelling, she is interested in combining biology, computational science and data-driven approaches to understand complex biological processes.

Outside the lab, Jigisha enjoys exploring new places, discovering different cultures and cuisines, and connecting with people. She enjoys coffee or dinner with friends and playing badminton.

Undergraduate students

Undergraduate Honours Thesis Student

Salwa Cibura

April 2026–present

Computational study of charge localization in the reaction centre of Fischerella thermalis.

Earlier research experience

Research trainee, September–December 2025; CHEM 3P91 project-course student, January–April 2026, studying acceptor sites in far-red-acclimating cyanobacteria.

Co-op students

Co-op Student

Lukus Swayze

September 2026–present

Research experience with the Kaur Lab at Brock University.

Research collaborators

Dr. Abraham Peele Karlapudi

Remote Research Collaborator

Abraham collaborates with the group on far-red photosynthetic adaptation, including light-harvesting and photosystem gene responses under changing illumination. He is a co-author of the 2026 Plants study on transcriptomic remodelling in Acaryochloris marina.

Past members

Alumni

We celebrate our former trainees and the research, ideas and community they helped build. Within each category, the most recently completed appointments appear first.

Graduate alumni

September 2024–October 2026

Jimit Hetalkumar Patel

MSc in Chemistry

Research: electrostatic and electronic tuning of chlorophyll redox potentials in Photosystem I of far-red organisms, including donor- and acceptor-side redox tuning in far-red-light acclimated Photosystem I.

Defence completed 23 September 2026; graduated October 2026. Earlier role: undergraduate honours thesis/co-op student, June 2023–August 2024, studying reaction centres of visible- and far-red-absorbing cyanobacteria.

Co-author of the 2026 Journal of Physical Chemistry B paper and the 2025 Plants perspective on far-red electron transfer.

Defence album ↗Graduation album ↗

January 2023–May 2025

Katayoun Etemadi

MSc in Biotechnology

Katayoun completed her MSc in Biotechnology in May 2025 and celebrated her thesis defence with the group in June. Her thesis, Theoretical Investigation of the Electronic Structure in the Reaction Center of Acaryochloris marina, helped establish an important direction in the lab’s reaction-centre research.

Process Technician at Eurofins Pharmaceuticals, from July 2026.

Celebration album ↗

Undergraduate alumni & research trainees

January–September 2026

Khushi Soni

Undergraduate Honours Thesis Student

Electronic structure in Photosystem I of far-red-acclimating cyanobacteria.

Earlier role: project-course research trainee, September–December 2025.

January–September 2026

Siya Hariprasad

Undergraduate Honours Thesis Student

Computational Investigation of Redox Tuning in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Photosystem I.

Earlier roles: volunteer, May–August 2025; project-course student, August–December 2025. Presented at the Undergraduate Research Symposium on 20 August 2026; graduated October 2026.

Field Application Scientist, BTNX Inc., from September 2026.

Presentation highlight ↗

May–July 2026

Ivy Charlebois

Volunteer

Research experience in the Kaur Lab.

September 2025–April 2026

Yashi Gajjar

Undergraduate Honours Thesis Student

Role of iron–sulfur clusters in Photosystem I of Acaryochloris marina.

Earlier role: volunteer, May–August 2025.

September–December 2025

Mariangela Hernandez

Volunteer

Research training in computational biophysics.

March 2024–March 2025

Diego Macias

Volunteer / Project-Course Student

Redox dynamics of Photosystem I iron–sulfur clusters in Acaryochloris marina.

Project-course appointment: May–August 2024.

Subsequent education: Saba University School of Medicine.

June 2023–August 2024

Amen ElMasadef

Undergraduate Honours Thesis Student

Amino-acid environments in far-red photosynthesis studied through in silico mutagenesis.

Earlier role: volunteer, June–September 2023.

Subsequent education: graduate study at Brock University.

May–August 2024

Malvina Manirazika

Project-Course Student

Comparative acceptor-site analysis in Acaryochloris marina and other cyanobacteria.

May–September 2023

Calourin Shehata

Project-Course Student

Theoretical study of the acceptor site of far-red-light Photosystem I.

Subsequent education: St. George’s University.

Co-op & secondary-school research alumni

February–June 2026

Chloe Trout

Work Education Program Research Student

Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School · Early research exposure in computational chemistry and photosynthesis.

Jimit’s earlier undergraduate/co-op appointment is included in his graduate alumni profile above.