Team

Principal Investigator

Kent Griffith

B.S. Chemistry, Indiana University
Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Cambridge

k3griffith@ucsd.edu

Postdoctoral Researchers

Kevin Anderton

Ph.D. Chemistry, Harvard University
B.S. Chemistry, University of Florida

Joined the lab May 2024

kanderton@ucsd.edu

Synthesis and characterization of layered oxide cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Graduate Students

Ethan Alter

B.Asc. Nanotechnology Engineering, University of Waterloo
M.S. Chemistry, Dalhousie University
Current degree track: Ph.D. Chemistry, UC San Diego

Joined the lab January 2024

ealter@ucsd.edu

Battery cell development, degradation, analysis, characterization

Sarah Ko

B.S. Chemistry, UC Los Angeles
Current degree track: Ph.D. Chemistry, UC San Diego

Joined the lab August 2023

sako@ucsd.edu

Exploring reaction pathways and structural chemistry of complex oxides and heteroanionic materials with an emphasis on soft chemical techniques (molten fluxes, ion exchange, hydro(solvo)thermal) and NMR crystallography

Robert Krumland–Dunning

B.S. Physics, UC Santa Barbara
Current degree track: Ph.D. Materials Science & Engineering, UC San Diego

Joined the lab July 2024

rkrumlanddunning@ucsd.edu

NMR methodology for challenging nuclei and heterogeneous transport in emerging solid electrolytes for all-solid-state batteries

Steph Meikle (they/them)

B.S. Materials Science & Engineering, University of Florida
Current degree track: Ph.D. Materials Science & Engineering, UC San Diego

Joined the lab July 2024

smeikle@ucsd.edu

Exploratory heteroanionic electrode materials discovery

Elena Sjoblom

B.S. Chemistry, University of Utah
Current degree track: Ph.D. Chemistry, UC San Diego

Joined the lab December 2023

asjoblom@ucsd.edu

Structural studies of novel transition-metal oxides for anodes in lithium- and sodium-ion batteries; negative thermal expansion in refractory ceramics

Tianren Zhang

B.S. Chemical Engineering, UC San Diego
Current degree track: M.S. Chemical Engineering, UC San Diego

Joined the lab June 2023

tiz015@ucsd.edu

Computational solid-state NMR spectroscopy; synthesis and characterization of ion-conducting metal phosphates

Undergraduate Students

Kai Bredemann

Current degree track: B.S. Chemistry (Minor: Computer Science), UC San Diego

Joined the lab August 2024

kbredemann@ucsd.edu

Hydrothermal synthesis of hierarchically disordered phases for applications in electrochemical energy storage and catalysis

Alex Estrada

Current degree track: B.S. Neurobiology, UC San Diego

Joined the lab April 2025

ale006@ucsd.edu

Molten salt flux synthesis of high-energy rechargeable battery cathodes

Gage Fleck

Current degree track: B.S. Chemistry, UC San Diego

Joined the lab April 2025

gfleck@ucsd.edu

Polymorphism in high-temperature transition-metal oxide ceramics

Edrian Kabiling

Current degree track: B.S. Chemical Engineering, UC San Diego

Joined the lab July 2024

edkabiling@ucsd.edu

Synthesis and electrochemistry of lithium-rich transition metal oxides

Harry Shi

Current degree track: B.S. Pharmacological Chemistry, UC San Diego

Joined the lab April 2025

hwshi@ucsd.edu

Solid-state synthesis and ion exchange of complex metal oxides

Anthony Ta

Current degree track: B.S. Chemical Engineering, UC San Diego

Joined the lab February 2024

a3ta@ucsd.edu

Mechanistic studies of electrochemical reactions with isotopically labeled battery materials

Semra Turhan

Current degree track: B.S. Chemistry, UC San Diego

Joined the lab August 2024

sturhan@ucsd.edu

Solid-state synthesis of hierarchically disordered electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Visiting Scholars

Mirjam-Kim

M.Sci. Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Scotland

Joined the lab October 2024

mraabis@ucsd.edu

Currently, Mirjam-Kim is undertaking an industrial Ph.D. in chemistry in Estonia, focusing on the use of CO2-derived carbon materials in Na- and Li-ion batteries.

Her work at the Griffith Lab involves oxidation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to investigate the effects of functionalization on battery performance. Utilizing advanced characterization techniques, such as solid-state NMR, alongside the fabrication of coin cells, she aims to establish crucial structure–function relationships for CO2-derived CNTs in batteries.