Neil Garg

{{short description|American organic chemist}}

{{Infobox scientist

| name = Neil K. Garg

| image = Neil Garg.jpg

| image_size =

| image_height =

| caption = Neil Garg is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCLA.

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1978|12|18|mf=yes}}

| birth_place =

| nationality = American

| field = Chemistry

| known_for =

| students =

| alma_mater = NYU (B.S., 2000)
California Institute of Technology (Ph.D., 2005)

| doctoral_advisor = Brian M. Stoltz

| academic_advisors = Marc Walters (Undergraduate, NYU);

Larry Overman (Postdoc, UC Irvine)

| work_institutions = University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles

| prizes = David A. Evans Award, Robert Foster Cherry Award, Elias J. Corey Award, Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award, Guggenheim Fellowship, Mukaiyama Award, RSC Horizon Prize

| website = https://garg.chem.ucla.edu

| footnotes =

}}

Neil K. Garg is a Distinguished professor of chemistry and holds the Kenneth N. Trueblood Endowed Chair at the University of California, Los Angeles.{{cite web|url=http://www.chemistry.ucla.edu/directory/garg-neil-k|title=Neil K. Garg|publisher=ucla.edu|accessdate=January 23, 2017}}{{Cite web |title=About Neil |url=https://garg.chem.ucla.edu/about-neil |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=Garg Lab |language=en-US}}

Garg's research is focused on the chemical synthesis of organic compounds, with an emphasis on the development of new strategies to prepare complex molecules possessing unique structural, biological, and physical properties. His group challenges long-standing paradigms of reactivity.

The Garg lab is known for making breakthroughs in catalysis, especially strong bond activation of esters and amides using nickel catalysts,{{Cite journal |last1=Hie |first1=Liana |last2=Fine Nathel |first2=Noah F. |last3=Shah |first3=Tejas K. |last4=Baker |first4=Emma L. |last5=Hong |first5=Xin |last6=Yang |first6=Yun-Fang |last7=Liu |first7=Peng |last8=Houk |first8=K. N. |last9=Garg |first9=Neil K. |date=August 2015 |title=Conversion of amides to esters by the nickel-catalysed activation of amide C–N bonds |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=524 |issue=7563 |pages=79–83 |doi=10.1038/nature14615 |pmid=26200342 |pmc=4529356 |bibcode=2015Natur.524...79H |issn=1476-4687}} and in the understanding and use of distorted, strained intermediates, such as arynes, cyclic alkynes, cyclic allenes,{{Cite journal |last1=Tena Meza |first1=Arismel |last2=Rivera |first2=Christina A. |last3=Shao |first3=Huiling |last4=Kelleghan |first4=Andrew V. |last5=Houk |first5=K. N. |last6=Garg |first6=Neil K. |date=2025-02-12 |title=σ-Bond insertion reactions of two strained diradicaloids |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08745-1 |journal=Nature |language=en |pages=1–3 |doi=10.1038/s41586-025-08745-1 |pmid=39938569 |issn=1476-4687}}{{Cite journal |last1=Yamano |first1=Michael M. |last2=Kelleghan |first2=Andrew V. |last3=Shao |first3=Qianzhen |last4=Giroud |first4=Maude |last5=Simmons |first5=Bryan J. |last6=Li |first6=Bo |last7=Chen |first7=Shuming |last8=Houk |first8=K. N. |last9=Garg |first9=Neil K. |date=October 2020 |title=Intercepting fleeting cyclic allenes with asymmetric nickel catalysis |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=586 |issue=7828 |pages=242–247 |doi=10.1038/s41586-020-2701-2 |pmid=32846425 |pmc=8297713 |bibcode=2020Natur.586..242Y |issn=1476-4687}} and cyclic 1,2,3-trienes.{{Cite journal |last1=Kelleghan |first1=Andrew V. |last2=Bulger |first2=Ana S. |last3=Witkowski |first3=Dominick C. |last4=Garg |first4=Neil K. |date=June 2023 |title=Strain-promoted reactions of 1,2,3-cyclohexatriene and its derivatives |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06075-8 |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=618 |issue=7966 |pages=748–754 |doi=10.1038/s41586-023-06075-8 |pmid=37075803 |bibcode=2023Natur.618..748K |issn=1476-4687|pmc=10460091 }} In 2024, they developed practical synthetic chemistry of anti-Bredt olefins, addressing the 100-year old textbook rule known as Bredt's Rule.{{Cite journal |last=Conroy |first=Gemma |date=2024-11-01 |title=Chemists make 'impossible' molecules that break 100-year-old bonding rule |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-03538-4 |journal=Nature |language=en |doi=10.1038/d41586-024-03538-4|pmid=39487206 }}{{Cite web |date=2024-10-31 |title=Chemists break rule and overturn "one hundred years of conventional wisdom" |url=https://www.newsweek.com/chemistry-bredts-rule-olefins-alkenes-carbon-bonds-bridgehead-1978146 |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=Newsweek |language=en}}{{Cite journal |last1=McDermott |first1=Luca |last2=Walters |first2=Zach G. |last3=French |first3=Sarah A. |last4=Clark |first4=Allison M. |last5=Ding |first5=Jiaming |last6=Kelleghan |first6=Andrew V. |last7=Houk |first7=K. N. |last8=Garg |first8=Neil K. |date=November 2024 |title=A solution to the anti-Bredt olefin synthesis problem |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adq3519 |journal=Science |volume=386 |issue=6721 |pages=eadq3519 |doi=10.1126/science.adq3519|pmid=39480919 |bibcode=2024Sci...386q3519M }} The Garg laboratory has completed the total syntheses of many natural products, including welwitindolinones, akuammilines, tubingensin alkaloids, and lissodendoric acid A{{Cite journal |last1=Ippoliti |first1=Francesca M. |last2=Adamson |first2=Nathan J. |last3=Wonilowicz |first3=Laura G. |last4=Nasrallah |first4=Daniel J. |last5=Darzi |first5=Evan R. |last6=Donaldson |first6=Joyann S. |last7=Garg |first7=Neil K. |date=2023-01-20 |title=Total synthesis of lissodendoric acid A via stereospecific trapping of a strained cyclic allene |journal=Science |volume=379 |issue=6629 |pages=261–265 |doi=10.1126/science.ade0032 |pmc=10462259 |pmid=36656952|bibcode=2023Sci...379..261I }}.{{Cite web |title=Publications |url=https://garg.chem.ucla.edu/publications |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=Garg Lab |language=en-US}} In 2020, Garg co-Founded ElectraTect, Inc.{{cite web|title=ElectraTect|url=https://electratect.com/|access-date=December 19, 2022}}

Garg is also a prominent educator and has received many accolades for his classroom teaching, including the Cherry Award.{{Cite web |title=How did organic chemistry become so beloved at UCLA? Professor Neil Garg is glad you asked |url=https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/how-did-organic-chemistry-become-so-beloved-at-ucla |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=UCLA |language=en-us}} He has inspired a series of student-created music videos{{cite web|title=Garg Music Video Hall of Fame|url=http://www.chem.ucla.edu/dept/Faculty/garg/Garg_Group/MusicVideo.html|accessdate=January 23, 2017}} to encourage students to learn organic chemistry. He has led other projects, such as the Organic Coloring Book series,{{Cite web|title=The Organic Coloring Book|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NXL4SWP?binding=paperback&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tpbk/|access-date=2022-12-19|website=www.amazon.com}} The O-Chem (Re)-Activity Book,{{cite web|title= The O-Chem (Re)-Activity Book|url= https://garg.chem.ucla.edu/ochem-re-activity|access-date=December 19, 2022}} the Backside Attack smartphone app,{{cite web|title=Backside Attack|website = iTunes|url=https://apps.apple.com/us/app/backside-attack/id1278956096|access-date=February 9, 2018}} QR Chem,{{cite web|title=QR Chem|url=https://qrchem.net/|accessdate=August 9, 2018}} RS Chemistry,{{Cite web|title=R/S Chemistry|url=https://rschemistry.com/|access-date=2020-11-07|website=rschemistry.com}} Virtual Reality Chemistry,{{cite web|title=VRChem|url=https://vrchem.net/|access-date=December 19, 2022}} ChemMatch,{{cite web|title=ChemMatch|url=https://chemmatch.net/|access-date=December 19, 2022}}{{Cite web |title=UCLA researchers seek to inspire love for chemistry with educational website |url=https://dailybruin.com/2022/03/08/ucla-researchers-seek-to-inspire-love-for-chemistry-with-educational-website/ |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=Daily Bruin}} Biology And Chemistry Online Notes (BACON).{{cite web|title=Biology And Chemistry Online Notes|url=https://learnbacon.com/|accessdate=February 9, 2018}} and #MentorFirst.{{cite web|title=#MentorFirst|url=https://mentorfirst.org/|access-date=December 19, 2022}}{{cite journal|title= Advancing global chemical education through interactive teaching tools|date=May 11, 2022|doi= 10.1039/D2SC01881K|doi-access= free |last1=Ippoliti |first1=Francesca M. |last2=Chari |first2=Jason V. |last3=Garg |first3=Neil K. |journal=Chemical Science |volume=13 |issue=20 |pages=5790–5796 |pmid=35685782 |pmc=9132018 }} In 2023, Garg created a successful summer camp called Chem Kids to teach organic chemistry to children.{{Cite web |title=Organic chem for kids? UCLA program immerses youngsters in notoriously challenging subject |url=https://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/chem-camp-for-kids |access-date=2024-07-28 |website=UCLA |language=en-us}}