Professor Erick M. Carreira (ETH Zürich), known for developing innovative methods in catalysis and for the total synthesis of complex, biologically important molecules, visited UCLA on April 29 to give the Spring 2026 Chemistry & Biochemistry Distinguished Lecture.
Enthusiastic students, postdoctoral researchers, staff, and faculty members attended the lecture in the Dongwon Yoo Seminar & Conference Hall, located in the Mani L. Bhaumik Collaboratory in Young Hall. Following his talk, Professor Heather Maynard presented Carreira with a crystal award. A reception followed in the Collaboratory study area.
In his lecture, titled “New Strategies and Tactics for Synthesis: Merging Total Synthesis and Methodology,” Carreira discussed his latest work on elegant total syntheses of various natural products.
Select photos from the event can be viewed below, and the full photo gallery is available here.










Penny Jennings, UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, penjen@g.ucla.edu.