Graduate Student Spotlight: Karitza Díaz González

We are pleased to highlight Karitza Díaz González, a PhD student in Chemistry, whose research explores molecular design and photophysical behavior in systems with potential applications in cancer therapy.

Working with Dr. Carlos E. Crespo Hernández, Karitza’s research investigates DNA and RNA photosensitizer derivatives for photodynamic therapy (PDT), a light-based approach to cancer treatment. Her work also examines charge-transfer dynamics and triplet-state suppression in barbituric acid push-pull chromophores, contributing to a deeper understanding of excited-state behavior in complex molecular systems.

Karitza’s recent accomplishments include a manuscript under revision, “C₂ Substitution Controls Charge-Transfer Dynamics and Suppresses Triplet Population in Barbituric Acid Push-Pull Chromophores,” submitted to Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences in 2026. She also received an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Honorable Mention in 2024 and delivered an oral presentation at the 2025 SACNAS National Diversity in STEM Conference, where she shared her doctoral research with a national audience of scientists, faculty, and students.

We are proud to recognize Karitza for her dedication to research excellence and her contributions to chemistry at the intersection of photochemistry, molecular design, and human health.

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