Ross D. Jansen-van Vuuren is a Research Associate at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, developing sustainable approaches to deuterium incorporation in organic compounds. His research explores (bio)catalyst immobilisation and recycling, continuous-flow chemistry, and mechanochemical, electrochemical and photochemical methods. He also investigates new applications for deuteration, including stabilising chemically fragile yet highly potent natural compounds found in African medicines. His work is supported by competitive national and international funding and academic–industrial collaborations.
Born in Zimbabwe, Ross spent seven years teaching secondary-school Chemistry before completing a PhD in organic chemistry at the University of Queensland, Australia, in 2012 under Professor Paul Burn. His doctoral and postdoctoral research focused on organic semiconductors for CMOS photosensors and organic light-emitting diodes. At Queen’s University, Canada, he investigated CO₂-switchable materials with Professor Philip Jessop and directed ortho-metalation strategies for deuteration with Professor Victor Snieckus. A EUTOPIA Science and Innovation Fellowship brought him to Ljubljana in December 2020.
Ross champions research collaboration between the Global North and South e.g., by engaging in Rising Scholars activities. He is a EUTOPIA Young Leaders Academy alumnus, an Editor of Scientific African, and a member of the International Isotope Society and the World Council of Isotopes.