Marcus Sak

fun

Download PDF

Marcus H. Sak

msak@g.harvard.edu

Education

Harvard University

2021–present

Ph.D. Candidate, Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Expected May 2026 • Catalytic Principles for Selective Small-Molecule Catalysis

Yale University

2017–2021

B.S./M.S. in Chemistry

Summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa • GPA: 3.98/4.00

Research Experience

Merck & Co., Inc.

2025–present

Visiting Scientist, Process R&D Enabling Technologies

High-throughput and automated experimentation for combinatorial screening

Harvard University

2021–present

Ph.D. Candidate, Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Advisor: Prof. Eric N. Jacobsen • Asymmetric catalysis of ionic pathways; screening for cooperative catalysis

Yale University

2018–2021

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Advisor: Scott J. Miller • Peptide-catalyzed enantioselective reactions and mechanistic studies

Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen

2019

DAAD RISE Intern

Advisor: Peter R. Schreiner • Synthesis and computational studies of minimal mercaptocarbenes

National University of Singapore

2015–2016

Research Intern

Advisor: Yixin Lu • Asymmetric phosphine catalysis

Publications

  1. Sak, M. H.; Liu, R. Y., Kwan, E. E.; Jacobsen, E. N. Accelerating the discovery of multicatalytic cooperativity. Nature 2025, 633, in press.
  2. Sak, M. H.; Jacobsen, E. N. Selective Noncovalent Catalysis with Small Molecules. Chem. Rev. 2025
  3. Sak, M. H.*; Lovinger, G. J.*; Jacobsen, E. N. Catalysis of An SN2 Pathway by Geometric Preorganization. Nature 2024, 632, 1052.
  4. Turek, A. K.; Sak, M. H.; Miller, S. J. Kinetic Analysis of a Cysteine-Derived Thiyl-Catalyzed Asymmetric Vinylcyclopropane Cycloaddition Reflects Numerous Attractive Noncovalent Interactions. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 16173.
  5. Chan, Y.-C.; Sak, M. H.; Frank, S. A.; Miller, S. J. Tunable and Cooperative Catalysis for Enantioselective Pictet-Spengler Reaction with Varied Nitrogen-Containing Heterocyclic Carboxaldehydes. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60, 24573.
  6. Coombs, G.; Sak, M. H.; Miller, S. J. Peptide‐Catalyzed Fragment Couplings that Form Axially Chiral Non‐C2‐Symmetric Biaryls. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 2875.

Presentations

Talk: Catalytic Principles in Phosphonium Dealkylation towards P-Stereogenic Compounds. ACS DOC Graduate Research Symposium, 2025, San Diego, CA
Talk: Catalytic Principles in Phosphonium Dealkylation towards P-Stereogenic Compounds. Johnson & Johnson, 2025, San Diego, CA
Talk: Accelerating the Discovery of Cooperative Catalysis. Rowan Scientific, 2025, Boston, MA
Poster: Catalysis of An SN2 Pathway by Geometric Preorganization. Stereochemistry Gordon Research Conference, 2024, Newport, RI
Poster: Catalytic Enantioselective Arbuzov Reaction by Ion Pair Reorganization Towards Stereogenic-at-P(V) Compounds. Boston Symposium on Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry, 2024, Boston, MA
Talk: Catalytic Enantioselective Arbuzov Reaction by Ion Pair Reorganization. Harvard Chemistry & Chemical Biology Symposium, 2023, Cambridge, MA

Teaching

Harvard University

2022–2023

Teaching Fellow

• CHEM 105 (Advanced Organic Chemistry)

• CHEM 17 (Principles of Organic Chemistry), CHEM 20 (Organic Chemistry I)

Yale University

2018–2021

Quantitative Reasoning/Science Peer Tutor

General Chemistry I/II, Organic Chemistry I, Physical Chemistry I/II

Fellowships

Industry-Sponsored Research Fellowship

2024–2027

Merck & Co., Inc.

DAAD Research Internship in Science and Engineering (RISE)

2019

German Academic Exchange Service

Honors & Awards

Certificate of Distinction in Teaching

2023

Harvard University

Exceptional Distinction in the Major

2021

Yale University • First award since 2015

Werner Bergmann Prize for Outstanding Senior in Chemistry

2021

Yale University

Mentoring

Harvard University

• John Rezk (Third-year graduate student, 2022–2025)

• Frank Lee (Harvard College undergraduate, 2022–2025)

• Maximilian Frank (Visiting Masters student, LMU Munich, 2025–present)

Service

Chair, Gordon Research Seminar

2024

Managed finances, applications, and speaker program for Stereochemistry GRS

STEM Professional, Letters to a Pre-Scientist

2021–2022

Exchanged letters with rural middle-schoolers about experiences in STEM

Editor in Chief, Yale Scientific Magazine

2020

• Headed editorial and business operations for a national popular science publication

• Performed science demonstrations for local middle- and high-schoolers