University of Toronto
Stephan Research Group
About Doug
Doug
Doug Stephan
Phone:
416-946-3294
Cell:
647-339-3568
Email: dstephan@chem.utoronto.ca

Education
  • NATO Postdoctoral Fellow 1980-1982 (Harvard, R.H. Holm)
  • Ph.D 1980 (University of Western Ontario), NSERC Scholar
  • B.Sc. 1976 (McMaster University)

Professional Positions

University of Toronto

University Professor 2018-present
Professor 
2008-2018

University of Windsor
University Professor 2002-2007
Department Head 2003-2006
Professor 1992-2002
Associate Professor 1985-1992
Assistant Professor 1982-1985



Doug Stephan, born in Hamilton ON, graduated with his BSc at McMaster (1976) and PhD at UWO (1980). After a NATO PDF at Harvard, he began his independent career at the University of Windsor (1982). He was promoted to Associate Professor (1985), full Professor(1992) and named a NSERC Industrial Research Chair (2001), University Professor (2002) and Canada Research Chair (2005). In 2008 he moved to the University of Toronto as a Professor and Canada Research Chair, In 2018, he was appointed University Professor. In 2020, he established an additional satellite laboratory at Ningbo University as a Zhedong Scholar Chair Professor. He was an Associated Editor for Chemical Society Reviews for 6 years, the Chair of the editorial board and is now Chair of the editorial board of Chemical Communications.

Doug Stephan, born in Hamilton ON, graduated with his BSc at McMaster (1976) and PhD at UWO (1980). After a NATO PDF at Harvard, he began his independent career at the University of Windsor (1982). He was promoted to Associate Professor (1985), full Professor(1992) and named a NSERC Industrial Research Chair (2001), University Professor (2002) and Canada Research Chair (2005). In 2008 he moved to the University of Toronto as a Professor and Canada Research Chair, In 2018, he was appointed University Professor. In 2020, he established an additional satellite laboratory at Ningbo University as a Zhedong Scholar Chair Professor. He was an Associated Editor for Chemical Society Reviews for 6 years, the Chair of the editorial board and is now Chair of the editorial board of Chemical Communications

A world-leading researcher in inorganic chemistry/catalysis, he is best known as the founder of the field of “frustrated Lewis pair” (FLP) chemistry. He has received a number of National and International awards, including Humboldt and Killam Fellowships. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society (London), a Corresponding Member of North-Rhein-Westfaelia Academy of the Sciences and Arts (Germany) and was a Distinguished Adjunct Professor at King Abdulaziz University, and an Einstein Visiting Fellow at TU Berlin. More recently, he was the recipient of the 2019 J. C. Polanyi Award from NSERC of Canada, a 2020 Guggenheim Fellowship the 2021 Killam Prize in Science and the 2022 F.A Cotton Award from the American Chemical Society. In 2023, he wqs named the John C. Polanyi Chair in Chemistry at the University of Toronto.

International Awards
2022  F.A. Cotton Award in Synthetic inorganic chemistry (ACS, USA).
2021 Centenary Prize (RSC, UK)
2020-2023 Zhendong Scholar Chair Professor, Ningbo University
2020 Guggenheim Fellowship
2014-2019 Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher (top 1% of all scientists)

2016-2019 Einstein Visiting Fellow, TU Berlin.
2015 World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds 
2015 Distinguished Adjunct Professor, King Abulaziz University
2014 Applied Catalysis Award (Royal Society of Chemistry, UK)
2014 Corresponding Member of North-Rhein- Westfaelia Academy of the Sciences and Arts (Germany)
2013 Honorary Member of the Israeli Chemical Society
2013 Fellow of The Royal Society (London)
2012 Ludwig Mond Award (RSC, UK)
2011 Humboldt Foundation Research Award Re-invitation (Forschungpreis)
2010 Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (U K)
2006 International Research Guest Professor, WW-Universitaet Muenster
2004 Ciapetta Lectureship Award (North American Catalysis Society)
2002-2003 Humboldt Foundation Research Award (Forschungpreis)
1995 DAAD Visiting Scientist, Muenster, Germany (declined)
1995 NSERC/DFG Visiting Scientist, WW-Universitaet Muenster.
National Awards
2023 John C. Polanyi  Chair in Chemistry (Endowed Chair).
2021 Killam Prize in Natural Science
2019 E.W.R. Steacie Award (Chemical Institute of Canada)
2019 J. C. Polanyi Award (NSERC of Canada)
2014 Canadian Green Chemistry and Engineering Award
2014  CIC Medal (Chemical Institute of Canada) 
2013 Henry Marshall Tory Medal (Royal Society of Canada)
2009-2011 Killam Research Fellowship

2005 LeSueur Memorial Award (Society for Chemical Industry)
2005
  Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada

2003
Synergy Award (with NOVA Chemicals from NSERC of Canada)

2003
Senior Award for Scholarship & Research (University of Windsor)

2001
 Alcan Award (Canadian Society for Chemistry)