Dr Hessam Mehr
- Research Fellow (School of Chemistry)
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102Biography
Hessam Mehr is a Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow working at the interface of chemistry, robotics, and computing science.
Following completion of his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering (Sharif University of Technology, Tehran), he moved to Canada for a PhD in supramolecular chemistry with Prof. Mark MacLachlan (University of British Columbia, Vancouver), which he finished in 2017. He briefly left the academia to work on automated analysis of drug samples using NMR at Health Canada before coming to Glasgow to join the Cronin group as a post-doc in March 2018. He was involved in the development and validation of the XDL chemical programming language and exploration of its applications as universal code for chemical synthesis and autonomous discovery. Between February 2021 and April 2022, he oversaw the evolution of XDL from version 1.0 to 2.0, adding higher-level language constructs for expressing more complex chemical programs as well as an intuitive abstraction for executing multiple programs in parallel.
In May 2021, Dr Mehr was awarded a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship (starting May 2022) in support of his proposal for next generation chemical discovery engines.
Research interests
- Machine learning and Bayesian modelling in chemistry
- Autonomated chemical discovery in complex systems
- Probabilistic and logic techniques applied to discovery
- Programming languages for automated chemistry
- Novel reaction media (e.g. aerosols) for chemical discovery
- High-bandwidth analytical techniques
- Chemical imaging
- Soft and responsive materials
- New substrates for laboratory automation, e.g. acoustic trapping
Research groups
Publications
2025
Zhang, Luokun, Chen, Junyi and Mehr, Hessam M. 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102
(2025)
Rapid aerosol-phase synthesis of covalent organic framework coatings.
ChemRxiv,
(doi: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-tvnxb)
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102
(2025)
CtrlAer: programmable real-time execution of scientific experiments using a domain specific language for the Raspberry Pi Pico/Pico 2.
SoftwareX, 30,
102175.
(doi: 10.1016/j.softx.2025.102175)
Li, Zehua and M. Mehr, S. Hessam ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102
(2025)
Accelerated investigation of complex reaction cascades via digital aerosol chemistry coupled to online mass spectrometry.
ChemRxiv,
(doi: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-g4hcg)
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102
(2025)
Programmable real-time execution of scientific experiments using a domain specific language for the Raspberry Pi Pico.
TechRxiv,
(doi: 10.36227/techrxiv.173896967.76043093/v1)
Wosik, Jakub, Zhu, Chaoyi and Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102
(2025)
A framework for general-purpose chemical synthesis in the aerosol phase and its automated implementation in an open hardware platform.
ChemRxiv,
(doi: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-mkmn0)
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102
(2025)
Digital discovery and the new experimental frontier.
Digital Discovery, 4,
pp. 892-895.
(doi: 10.1039/D5DD00029G)
2024
Weiss, Gabriella M., Asche, Silke, McLain, Hannah, Chung, Angela H., Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Cronin, Leroy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8035-5757 and Graham, Heather V.
(2024)
Operational considerations for approximating molecular assembly by Fourier transform mass spectrometry.
Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences, 11,
1485483.
(doi: 10.3389/fspas.2024.1485483)
Šiaučiulis, Mindaugas, Knittl-Frank, Christian, Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Clarke, Emma and Cronin, Leroy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8035-5757
(2024)
Reaction blueprints and logical control flow for parallelized chiral synthesis in the Chemputer.
Nature Communications, 15(1),
10261.
(doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-54238-6)
(PMID:39592595)
(PMCID:PMC11599859)
Kahana, Amit, MacLeod, Alasdair, Mehr, Hessam ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Sharma, Abhishek ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5222-9611, Carrick, Emma, Jirasek, Michael, Walker, Sara and Cronin, Leroy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8035-5757
(2024)
Constructing the molecular tree of life using assembly theory and mass spectrometry.
arXiv,
(doi: 10.48550/arXiv.2408.09305)
Asche, Silke, Pow, Robert W., Mehr, Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Cooper, Geoffrey J. T. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2341-1737, Sharma, Abhishek ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5222-9611 and Cronin, Leroy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8035-5757
(2024)
Evidence of selection in mineral mediated polymerization reactions executed in a robotic Chemputer system.
ChemSystemsChem, 6(3),
e202400006.
(doi: 10.1002/syst.202400006)
Zhang, Luokun and Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102
(2024)
Micron-sized soft chemical reactors synthesized via the aerosol phase.
ChemRxiv,
(doi: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2024-3zqw5-v2)
Jirasek, M. et al. (2024) Investigating and quantifying molecular complexity using assembly theory and spectroscopy. ACS Central Science, 10(5), pp. 1054-1064. (doi: 10.1021/acscentsci.4c00120) (PMID:38799656) (PMCID:PMC11117308)
Leonov, A. I. et al. (2024) An integrated self-optimizing programmable chemical synthesis and reaction engine. Nature Communications, 15, 1240. (doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-45444-3) (PMID:38336880) (PMCID:PMC10858227)
2023
Jiang, Hongli and Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102
(2023)
Detection of micron-sized chemical droplets using a commodity digital camera setup.
ChemRxiv,
(doi: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2023-swkp8)
M. Mehr, S. Hessam ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Caramelli, Dario and Cronin, Leroy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8035-5757
(2023)
Digitizing chemical discovery with a Bayesian explorer for interpreting reactivity data.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 120(17),
e2220045120.
(doi: 10.1073/pnas.2220045120)
(PMID:37068251)
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Tang, Aaron W. and Laing, Richard R.
(2023)
Automated qualitative and quantitative analysis of complex forensic drug samples using ¹H NMR.
Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry, 61(2),
pp. 95-105.
(doi: 10.1002/mrc.5265)
(PMID:35246867)
2022
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Caramelli, Dario and Cronin, Lee ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8035-5757
(2022)
Digitizing chemical discovery with a Bayesian explorer for interpreting reactivity data.
ChemRxiv,
(doi: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2022-t5qqx)
Rohrbach, S. et al. (2022) Digitization and validation of a chemical synthesis literature database in the ChemPU. Science, 377(6602), pp. 172-180. (doi: 10.1126/science.abo0058)
2021
Caramelli, Dario, Granda, Jaroslaw M., Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Cambie, Dario ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2722-5106, Henson, Alon B. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6028-439X and Cronin, Leroy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8035-5757
(2021)
Discovering new chemistry with an autonomous robotic platform driven by a reactivity-seeking neural network.
ACS Central Science, 7(11),
pp. 1821-1830.
(doi: 10.1021/acscentsci.1c00435)
Wilbraham, Liam ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4522-6380, Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102 and Cronin, Leroy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8035-5757
(2021)
Digitizing chemistry using the chemical processing unit: from synthesis to discovery.
Accounts of Chemical Research, 54(2),
pp. 253-262.
(doi: 10.1021/acs.accounts.0c00674)
(PMID:33370095)
2020
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Craven, Matthew, Leonov, Artem I., Keenan, Graham and Cronin, Leroy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8035-5757
(2020)
A universal system for digitization and automatic execution of the chemical synthesis literature.
Science, 370(6512),
pp. 101-108.
(doi: 10.1126/science.abc2986)
(PMID:33004517)
2017
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Oshima, Hiroya, Carta, Veronica, Patrick, Brian O., White, Nicholas G. and MacLachlan, Mark J.
(2017)
Tuning the tautomeric behavior of tris(salicylaldimines).
Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, 39,
8418.
(doi: 10.1039/c7ob02058a)
(PMID:28952647)
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Depmeier, Hannah, Fukuyama, Katsuya, Maghami, Mahboobeh and MacLachlan, Mark J.
(2017)
Formylation of phenols using formamidine acetate.
Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, 15(3),
581.
(doi: 10.1039/c6ob02727j)
(PMID:28000831)
2016
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Patrick, Brian O. and MacLachlan, Mark J.
(2016)
Stabilization of a strained heteroradialene by peripheral electron delocalization.
Organic Letters, 18(8),
pp. 1840-1843.
(doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.6b00577)
(PMID:27031736)
2015
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Fukuyama, Katsuya, Bishop, Stephanie, Lelj, Francesco and MacLachlan, Mark J.
(2015)
Deuteration of aromatic rings under very mild conditions through keto-enamine tautomeric amplification.
Journal of Organic Chemistry, 80(10),
pp. 5144-5150.
(doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.5b00539)
(PMID:25906051)
2013
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Giese, Michael, Qi, Hao, Shopsowitz, Kevin E., Hamad, Wadood Y. and MacLachlan, Mark J.
(2013)
Novel ppv/mesoporous organosilica composites: influence of the host chirality on a conjugated polymer guest.
Langmuir, 29,
pp. 12579-12584.
(doi: 10.1021/la4024597)
(PMID:24074378)
2012
Frischmann, Peter D., Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Patrick, Brian O., Lelj, Francesco and MacLachlan, Mark J.
(2012)
Role of entropy and autosolvation in dimerization and complexation of C60 by Zn7 metallocavitands.
Inorganic Chemistry, 51(6),
pp. 3443-3453.
(doi: 10.1021/ic202049t)
(PMID:22375512)
Articles
Zhang, Luokun, Chen, Junyi and Mehr, Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102
(2025)
Rapid aerosol-phase synthesis of covalent organic framework coatings.
ChemRxiv,
(doi: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-tvnxb)
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102
(2025)
CtrlAer: programmable real-time execution of scientific experiments using a domain specific language for the Raspberry Pi Pico/Pico 2.
SoftwareX, 30,
102175.
(doi: 10.1016/j.softx.2025.102175)
Li, Zehua and M. Mehr, S. Hessam ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102
(2025)
Accelerated investigation of complex reaction cascades via digital aerosol chemistry coupled to online mass spectrometry.
ChemRxiv,
(doi: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-g4hcg)
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102
(2025)
Programmable real-time execution of scientific experiments using a domain specific language for the Raspberry Pi Pico.
TechRxiv,
(doi: 10.36227/techrxiv.173896967.76043093/v1)
Wosik, Jakub, Zhu, Chaoyi and Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102
(2025)
A framework for general-purpose chemical synthesis in the aerosol phase and its automated implementation in an open hardware platform.
ChemRxiv,
(doi: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-mkmn0)
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102
(2025)
Digital discovery and the new experimental frontier.
Digital Discovery, 4,
pp. 892-895.
(doi: 10.1039/D5DD00029G)
Weiss, Gabriella M., Asche, Silke, McLain, Hannah, Chung, Angela H., Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Cronin, Leroy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8035-5757 and Graham, Heather V.
(2024)
Operational considerations for approximating molecular assembly by Fourier transform mass spectrometry.
Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences, 11,
1485483.
(doi: 10.3389/fspas.2024.1485483)
Šiaučiulis, Mindaugas, Knittl-Frank, Christian, Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Clarke, Emma and Cronin, Leroy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8035-5757
(2024)
Reaction blueprints and logical control flow for parallelized chiral synthesis in the Chemputer.
Nature Communications, 15(1),
10261.
(doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-54238-6)
(PMID:39592595)
(PMCID:PMC11599859)
Kahana, Amit, MacLeod, Alasdair, Mehr, Hessam ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Sharma, Abhishek ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5222-9611, Carrick, Emma, Jirasek, Michael, Walker, Sara and Cronin, Leroy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8035-5757
(2024)
Constructing the molecular tree of life using assembly theory and mass spectrometry.
arXiv,
(doi: 10.48550/arXiv.2408.09305)
Asche, Silke, Pow, Robert W., Mehr, Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Cooper, Geoffrey J. T. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2341-1737, Sharma, Abhishek ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5222-9611 and Cronin, Leroy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8035-5757
(2024)
Evidence of selection in mineral mediated polymerization reactions executed in a robotic Chemputer system.
ChemSystemsChem, 6(3),
e202400006.
(doi: 10.1002/syst.202400006)
Zhang, Luokun and Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102
(2024)
Micron-sized soft chemical reactors synthesized via the aerosol phase.
ChemRxiv,
(doi: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2024-3zqw5-v2)
Jirasek, M. et al. (2024) Investigating and quantifying molecular complexity using assembly theory and spectroscopy. ACS Central Science, 10(5), pp. 1054-1064. (doi: 10.1021/acscentsci.4c00120) (PMID:38799656) (PMCID:PMC11117308)
Leonov, A. I. et al. (2024) An integrated self-optimizing programmable chemical synthesis and reaction engine. Nature Communications, 15, 1240. (doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-45444-3) (PMID:38336880) (PMCID:PMC10858227)
Jiang, Hongli and Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102
(2023)
Detection of micron-sized chemical droplets using a commodity digital camera setup.
ChemRxiv,
(doi: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2023-swkp8)
M. Mehr, S. Hessam ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Caramelli, Dario and Cronin, Leroy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8035-5757
(2023)
Digitizing chemical discovery with a Bayesian explorer for interpreting reactivity data.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 120(17),
e2220045120.
(doi: 10.1073/pnas.2220045120)
(PMID:37068251)
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Tang, Aaron W. and Laing, Richard R.
(2023)
Automated qualitative and quantitative analysis of complex forensic drug samples using ¹H NMR.
Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry, 61(2),
pp. 95-105.
(doi: 10.1002/mrc.5265)
(PMID:35246867)
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Caramelli, Dario and Cronin, Lee ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8035-5757
(2022)
Digitizing chemical discovery with a Bayesian explorer for interpreting reactivity data.
ChemRxiv,
(doi: 10.26434/chemrxiv-2022-t5qqx)
Rohrbach, S. et al. (2022) Digitization and validation of a chemical synthesis literature database in the ChemPU. Science, 377(6602), pp. 172-180. (doi: 10.1126/science.abo0058)
Caramelli, Dario, Granda, Jaroslaw M., Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Cambie, Dario ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2722-5106, Henson, Alon B. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6028-439X and Cronin, Leroy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8035-5757
(2021)
Discovering new chemistry with an autonomous robotic platform driven by a reactivity-seeking neural network.
ACS Central Science, 7(11),
pp. 1821-1830.
(doi: 10.1021/acscentsci.1c00435)
Wilbraham, Liam ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4522-6380, Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102 and Cronin, Leroy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8035-5757
(2021)
Digitizing chemistry using the chemical processing unit: from synthesis to discovery.
Accounts of Chemical Research, 54(2),
pp. 253-262.
(doi: 10.1021/acs.accounts.0c00674)
(PMID:33370095)
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Craven, Matthew, Leonov, Artem I., Keenan, Graham and Cronin, Leroy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8035-5757
(2020)
A universal system for digitization and automatic execution of the chemical synthesis literature.
Science, 370(6512),
pp. 101-108.
(doi: 10.1126/science.abc2986)
(PMID:33004517)
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Oshima, Hiroya, Carta, Veronica, Patrick, Brian O., White, Nicholas G. and MacLachlan, Mark J.
(2017)
Tuning the tautomeric behavior of tris(salicylaldimines).
Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, 39,
8418.
(doi: 10.1039/c7ob02058a)
(PMID:28952647)
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Depmeier, Hannah, Fukuyama, Katsuya, Maghami, Mahboobeh and MacLachlan, Mark J.
(2017)
Formylation of phenols using formamidine acetate.
Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, 15(3),
581.
(doi: 10.1039/c6ob02727j)
(PMID:28000831)
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Patrick, Brian O. and MacLachlan, Mark J.
(2016)
Stabilization of a strained heteroradialene by peripheral electron delocalization.
Organic Letters, 18(8),
pp. 1840-1843.
(doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.6b00577)
(PMID:27031736)
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Fukuyama, Katsuya, Bishop, Stephanie, Lelj, Francesco and MacLachlan, Mark J.
(2015)
Deuteration of aromatic rings under very mild conditions through keto-enamine tautomeric amplification.
Journal of Organic Chemistry, 80(10),
pp. 5144-5150.
(doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.5b00539)
(PMID:25906051)
Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Giese, Michael, Qi, Hao, Shopsowitz, Kevin E., Hamad, Wadood Y. and MacLachlan, Mark J.
(2013)
Novel ppv/mesoporous organosilica composites: influence of the host chirality on a conjugated polymer guest.
Langmuir, 29,
pp. 12579-12584.
(doi: 10.1021/la4024597)
(PMID:24074378)
Frischmann, Peter D., Mehr, S. Hessam M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7710-3102, Patrick, Brian O., Lelj, Francesco and MacLachlan, Mark J.
(2012)
Role of entropy and autosolvation in dimerization and complexation of C60 by Zn7 metallocavitands.
Inorganic Chemistry, 51(6),
pp. 3443-3453.
(doi: 10.1021/ic202049t)
(PMID:22375512)
Grants
Royal Society of Chemistry Research Enablement Grant (2023–24)
Lord Kelvin / Adam Smith Leadership Fellowship (2022–25)
Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship (2022–25): Investigating the dark reactions present in chemical space
ScotCHEM Early Career Award (2020–21)
Hack the ARC: The Hacker's ARK
Supervision
- Morris, Nicholas
Chemputation: Reasoning about autonomous chemical synthesis
Teaching
- Science Fundamentals Y1 (2022–23, 2023–24)
- Inorganic Chemistry Y3
- Chemical Studies
Professional activities & recognition
Research fellowships
- 2022 - 2025: Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellowship
Research datasets
Additional information
I am always happy to recruit motivated students who would like to engage in interdisciplinary research. Interested students with a background in chemistry, physics, or computer science are encouraged to enquire about PhD and other opportunities via email. My personal website (https://mehr-research.science) has more information about ongoing projects and areas of interest.
