LSU Welcomes Professor Rabi Musah as the Patrick F. Taylor Endowed Chair in Environmental Chemistry

The LSU Department of Chemistry welcomes Professor Rabi Musah as the Patrick F. Taylor Endowed Chair in Environmental Chemistry. Musah brings a wealth of knowledge and research expertise in environmental chemistry, plant defense mechanisms, forensic science, and STEM education. Her interdisciplinary research combines innovative mass spectrometry techniques with a commitment to solving real-world environmental, health, and forensic-related challenges.

Born in Chicago, Musah moved with her parents to Ghana, West Africa, where she developed an interest in plants for their medicinal properties and unique behaviors. She became fascinated by how plants were used to treat diseases and employed chemistry to defend themselves and interact with their environment.

Musah returned to the United States for her undergraduate studies at Prairie View A&M University, later earning her Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Arkansas in 1995. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at The Scripps Research Institute from 1994 to 1998 before joining the faculty at the State University of New York at Albany.

Her early childhood experiences in Ghana shaped Musah’s research focus. “I’m interested in the language that nature uses to communicate, which is small molecules,” Musah shared. Her work explores how these molecules are messengers, driving everything from plant defenses to environmental interactions. 

One area of interest includes chemical plant defense mechanisms and their applications to agricultural practices. Musah studies the chemical signals emitted by plants when attacked, such as the tear-inducing compounds in onions, and their potential for developing organic pesticides and herbicides for sustainable agricultural methods.

Another research focus is on the environmental consequences and atmospheric fate of sulfur containing biomolecules produced by terrestrial plants. These compounds are emitted into the atmosphere by many cash crops, which may impact the environment, the formation of greenhouse gases and other pollutants, and the formation of secondary organic aerosols.

Musah’s research also delves into forensic science, where she utilizes mass spectrometry to identify unique chemical signatures of psychoactive plants. The wide variety of psychoactive plant substances, many of which are unregulated, presents a growing challenge for forensic investigators in differentiating between harmless plant materials, like spices, and those used for abuse.

With funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, Musah has built and is expanding a database of psychoactive plants and their chemotaxonomic markers, against which the mass spectral profiles of unknown plant materials can be screened and compared, enabling forensic investigators to identify substances quickly.

Additionally, she is developing innovations that can be applied to challenges in forensic entomology, where insects help estimate the post-mortem interval (PMI), or the time that has passed since a person’s death. This information is critical in death investigations.

Musah is building a database of necrophagous insect profiles, which, when coupled to automated algorithms for evidence analysis, will enable rapid identification of insect species for PMI determination purposes. The research also develops toxicological analyses of insects to detect drugs or medications present in a person’s system at the time of death.

At LSU, Musah will extend her research by investigating the behavior of synthetic molecules and their interactions with the atmosphere, ecosystems, and human populations. Her work will promote environmental sustainability and public health, especially in Louisiana, and could help mitigate pollution and safeguard natural habitats.

“I’m thrilled to join the LSU community and look forward to contributing to the State’s environmental research efforts,” said Musah. “Louisiana’s unique climate, terrain, and biodiversity provide abundant opportunities to explore critical environmental issues, and I’m excited to collaborate with my colleagues to make meaningful advances.”

Musah will establish a research institute focused on environmental and atmospheric chemistry. The initiative will foster collaboration across Louisiana’s universities and research agencies, helping the State address its unique challenges. 

Musah also leads efforts in STEM education reform, having previously served as project director for the State University of New York at Albany’s Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Driving Change initiative and as director of the Center for Achievement, Retention, and Student Success. She secured several educational grants researching best practices in STEM instruction, demonstrating her commitment to expanding access to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.

Musah brings innovative interdisciplinary collaboration to LSU, where her research will drive advancements in environmental science, forensic science, and public health and inspire the next generation of scientists in Louisiana and beyond. For more information about Professor Rabi Musah and her research, visit her group webpage.