RESEARCH
Research interests in the Musah lab fall under the broad heading of bioorganic chemistry, but the studies impact several areas including environmental, forensic, plant chemical defense and medicinal natural products chemistry. These seemingly disparate focal areas are united by the techniques used to investigate them (such as direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry) and/or the plants around which the studies revolve. Areas of focus include:
Environmental and atmospheric chemistry of terrestrial plant emitted organosulfur volatiles
Organosulfur materials chemistry
Plant chemical defense mechanisms
Development of bacterial quorum sensing and biofilm inhibitors
Complex matrix materials identification for disease diagnostics and forensics using mass spectrometry and chemometrics
Anticancer natural products drug discovery
Develop of forensic applications of ambient ionization mass spectrometry
Ambient ionization mass spectrometric imaging techniques and applications
Pedagogical innovations in STEM education and STEM transfer student assimilation
TEACHING
The teaching philosophy of Professor Musah is based on the premise that for a student to learn some chemistry, they need to care to learn chemistry. Chemistry is colorful, odiferous, fast or slow, explosive, fiery, hot or cold, tactile. It is related in wonderful ways to almost everything that is tangible, and it happens everywhere!
STEM EDUCATION
Professor Musah's efforts in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education included instituting and serving as Director of the UAlbany Center for Achievement, Retention and Student Success (CARSS). CARSS serves more than 1200 STEM majors each academic year, and offers free tutoring in STEM gateway courses. This has resulted in increased persistence and graduation rates of STEM majors.
Features
Professor Rabi Musah was featured in the 2022 National Forensic Science Week. The article can be found here.
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