Dr Zahra Zahir

former PhD student

Boskovic and Goerigk groups

School of Chemistry & Melbourne Centre for Theoretical and Computational Chemistry

The University of Melbourne, VIC 3010

Australia

E-mail: fathima AT student.unimelb.edu.au

 

Biography

06/2018 – 05/2024      PhD Student, School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Australia

07/2017 – 12/2017    Researcher and Teaching Assistant, Department of Chemistry, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

11/2016 – 07/2017    Researcher, in the inorganic group of Prof. C.V. Hettiarachchi and Dr. I.R. Perera, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

01/2016 – 11/2016    Teaching Assistant, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

12/2014 – 02/2015    Researcher (Industrial Training), Haycarb Research and Training Laboratory, Hayleys PLC, Sri Lanka

07/2011 – 11/2015    Bachelor of Science (Honours) Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

Awards and Achievements

2022                          Best poster award at ACMM2022, Bhopal, India

2022                          Best talk, RACI VIC Inorganic Chemistry Postgraduate Symposium, Melbourne, Australia

2022                          Best HDR student talk, Melbourne Meeting for Molecular Modellers 2022, Melbourne, Australia

2021                          Best poster award at ACMM2020, Fukuoka, Japan

2018                          Melbourne Research Scholarship, The University of Melbourne, Australia

2017                          Recipient of PhD scholarship, University of Kansas, USA (Declined)

2015                          University award for academic excellence, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

2014/2015                 Prof. H.W. Dias Scholarship for the best performance in Inorganic Chemistry, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

2012/2013                 Chemistry Graduate Studentship for the best performance in Chemistry; ALUMNI Association of University of Peradeniya (AAUP).

2008                          High Distinction (HD) award in Australian National Chemistry Quiz; Royal Australian Chemical Institute.

Professional Memberships and Academic Service

2021 – Present          Student Ambassador for Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI)

2020 – Present          Member of Melbourne University Chemical Society (MUCS)

2018 – Present          Student member of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (MRACI)

2016 – Present          Full life member of University of Peradeniya Science Alumni Association (UPSAA), Sri Lanka

2014 – 2016             Member of the Chemical Society (CHEMSOC) University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

 

Publications

3.  F. Z. M. Zahir, M. Hay, J. T. Janetzki, R. W. Gable, L. Goerigk, C. Boskovic, “Predicting Valence Tautomerism in Diverse Cobalt-Dioxolene Complexes: Elucidation of the Role of Ligands and Solvent”, Chemical Science 2024, 15, 5694-5710. DOI: 10.1039/D3SC04493A (open access)

2. J. T. Janetzki, F. Z. M. Zahir, R. W. Gable, W. Phonsri, K. S. Murray, L. Goerigk, C. Boskovic, “A Convenient DFT-Based Strategy for Predicting Transition Temperatures of Valence Tautomeric Molecular Switches”, Inorganic Chemistry 2021, 60, 14475-14487. DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c02273

1. A. Bandara, Z. Zahra, S. Gamage, A. Kumara, I. R. Perera, “Hybrid Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with Graphene—A Convenient Method to Seal Liquid State Devices”, Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy 2018, 10, 043504. DOI: 10.1063/1.5037150.

Presentations

13. 12/2022 – Poster             “Robust DFT-based strategies for predicting valence tautomeric complexes”, 2nd Asian conference for molecular magmetism (ACMM2022), Bhopal, India

12. 11/2022 – Talk             “Robust DFT-based strategies for predicting valence tautomeric complexes”, RACI VIC Inorganic Chemistry postgraduate symposium, Melbourne, Australia

11. 11/2022 – Poster             “Robust DFT-based strategies for predicting valence tautomeric complexes”, Melbourne Meeting for Molecular Modellers, Melbourne, Australia

10. 11/2022 – Talk             “Robust DFT-based strategies for predicting valence tautomeric complexes”, Melbourne Meeting for Molecular Modellers, Melbourne, Australia

11. 09/2022 – Invited Plenary Talk             “Robust DFT-based strategies for predicting valence tautomeric complexes” 2022 Graduate Research Conference, School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Australia

10. 07/2022 – Talk             “Robust DFT-based strategies for predicting valence tautomeric complexes” RACI National Congress 2022, Brisbane, Australia

9. 08/2021 – Flash Talk   “A DFT benchmark for predicting valence tautomerism” 2B-Switch, Bordeaux- France, and Bayreuth-Germany.

8. 08/2021 – Poster          “A DFT benchmark for predicting valence tautomerism” 2B-Switch, Bordeaux- France, and Bayreuth-Germany.

7. 07/2021 – Talk             “A simple DFT approach for predicting transition temperatures in valence tautomeric complexes” IC21, (RACI), Australia

6. 07/2021 – Poster         “A simple computational approach for predicting transition temperatures in valence tautomeric molecular switches” CHEM2020, Australia.

5. 03/2021 – Poster        “Effect of ancillary ligand on valence tautomerism in cobalt dioxolenes: Computational and experimental study” 1st Asian conference for molecular magmetism (ACMM-2020), Fukuoka, Japan

4. 11/2018 – Poster       “Density Functional Theory: Predicting Valence Tautomerism in Cobalt-dioxolene complexes”, 2018 RACI Victorian Inorganic Symposium, Melbourne, Australia

3. 11/2016 – Talk            “Through hole copper plating on printed circuit board activated with a conducting layer of polyaniline”, i-PURSE – 2016 (Peradeniya University International Research Sessions), Sri Lanka

2. 05/2015 – Talk            “Biochemical roles of nitric oxide”, Final year Seminar; Department of Chemistry, University of Peradeniya.

1. 03/2015 – Talk            “Method development to quantify adsorbed iodine on activated carbon” Industrial training research presentation; Department of Chemistry, University of Peradeniya.