Clifford Russell Bowers
Professor
Research Focus
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy utilizes radio waves to elucidate the atomic-scale structure and dynamics of molecules and materials. Despite its broad applications in chemistry, medicine, and industry, NMR suffers from low sensitivity due to weak nuclear magnetic interactions. Hyperpolarization from parahydrogen addresses this limitation. Parahydrogen-based hyperpolarization is rapidly gaining traction in the arena of chemically selective biomedical magnetic resonance imaging. Current interests in the Bowers lab include understanding the mechanisms of heterogeneous catalysis using parahydrogen spin labelling and the development of a flow chemistry process for continuous production of hyperpolarized metabolites in aqueous solution.
Education and Training
1993–1994: Postdoc, Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley (lab of Alexander Pines)
1991–1992: Postdoc, Physics, University of Stuttgart, Germany (lab of Michael Mehring)
1985–1990: PhD in Chemistry, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
1981–1985: BA in Chemistry, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME
Selected Awards
National Academy of Medicine Healthy Longevity Catalyst Awardee (2023)
Term Professor, University of Florida (2018–2021)
Netherlands NWO Visiting Scientist Travel Award (2012)
NSF CAREER AWARD (1996)
NATO-NSF Postdoctoral Fellow (1991–1992)
Selected Activities
Faculty Affiliate of the National High Magnetic Field Lab (1994–present)
Member of the Institute for Cooperative Upcycling of Polymers (iCOUP), Engineering Frontiers Research Center, Department of Energy (2024–present)
Member of the Center for Catalysis, Center for Condensed Matter Sciences, Center for Chemical Physics, and Cancer Center at the University of Florida
Steering Committee, Bologna International Conference on Magnetic Resonance in Porous Media (MRPM), Ampere Society, 2016–2020
Selected Publications
Pravdivtsev, A. N., Tickner, B. J., Glöggler, S., Hövener, J. B., Buntkowsky, G., Duckett, S. B., Bowers, C. R., & Zhivonitko, V. v. Unconventional Parahydrogen-Induced Hyperpolarization Effects in Chemistry and Catalysis: From Photoreactions to Enzymes. ACS Catalysis, 2025, 15, 6386–6409. https://doi.org/10.1021/ACSCATAL.4C07870
Ferrer, M. J.; Kuker, E. L.; Semenova, E.; Gangano, A. J.; Lapak, M. P.; Grenning, A. J.; Dong, V. M.; Bowers, C. R. Adiabatic Passage through Level Anticrossings in Systems of Chemically Inequivalent Protons Incorporating Parahydrogen: Theory, Experiment, and Prospective Applications. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 20847–20853. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.2c09000
Zhao, E. W., Maligal-Ganesh, R., Du, Y., Zhao, T. Y., Collins, J., Ma, T., Zhou, L., Goh, T. W., Huang, W., & Bowers, C. R. Surface-Mediated Hyperpolarization of Liquid Water from Parahydrogen. Chem, 2018, 4, 1387–1403. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2018.03.004