IITK Foundation IITKDF GiveBack

Dr. Monika Raj

(PHD/CHM/2009)

Prof. Monika Raj is a Professor of Chemistry at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She previously served as an Associate Professor at Emory University and Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Auburn University, Alabama, USA. In 2020, she was awarded the prestigious Sloan Research Fellowship.






Profile

Prof. Raj earned her doctorate in Chemistry from IIT Kanpur in 2009 followed by postdoctoral from University of Pennsylvania, USA in 2010 and New York University in 2014. She then worked as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Seton Hall University before joining University of Auburn. Her lab works in utilizing organic chemistry tools for solving the problems in the field of biology. The focus is on development of new chemical reactions, catalysis and ligation methodologies for synthesis of biological molecules. Prof. Raj was recognized with the Rising Star Award by the American Chemical Society in 2025, served as a Keynote Speaker at the Georgia Southern University Research event in 2024, and delivered the McLean Lecture in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Detroit Mercy in 2022.

Achievements and Honors


  • Keck Foundation Award (2026)
  • Foreign Fellow of National Academy of Sciences (NASI), India (2026)
  • Rising Star Award, American Chemical Society (2025)
  • Distinguished Faculty Lecture, Emory College of Arts and Science (2023)
  • Kavli Fellow, National Academy of Sciences (2023)
  • McLean Lecture in the Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Detroit Mercy (2022)
  • American Peptide Society (APS), Council member (2021-2027)
  • Chair of APS Early Career Research Award (2022)
  • Sloan Fellowship, 2020
  • James E. Land Professorship of Chemistry & Biochemistry, 2019
  • National Institutes of Health, Maximizing Investigators' Research Award, 2019
  • Georgina Sweet Award, Australian Peptide Society, 2019
  • Early Career Lectureship from APS, 2019.
  • Early Career Lectureship, Japan Peptide Society, 2019.
  • Rising Star Award, Chemical Protein Synthesis, Germany, 2019.
  • National Science Foundation Career Award, 2018.
  • Community Development Investment Grant, Seton Hall University, 2017.
  • Researcher of the year, SHU, 2016
  • University Research Council Award, 2015
  • Eli Lilly Asia Outstanding Thesis Award, First Prize in Asia

Last updated Feb 20, 2026