Stefan Bienz

Stefan Bienz was born 17. 1. 1958 in Lucerne, Switzerland, where he grew up and completed high school in 1977. He immediately started his studies at University of Zurich, which he completed in 1983 with a Diploma Thesis in Synthetic Organic Chemistry.

He received his PhD from University of Zurich in 1987 as a coworker of Manfred Hesse with investigations on the synthesis of natural products through ring enlargement reactions. After two years of postdoctoral research on stereospecific transformations in the laboratories of Albert I. Meyers at Colorado State University (USA), he returned to University of Zurich in 1990 for pursuing his independent research. In 1995, Stefan Bienz received the Venia legendi for Organic Chemistry at University of Zurich and in 2002 he got promoted to Titularprofessor.

Over the past three decades his research interests have expanded over a wide array of topics, always with organic chemistry as centrepiece of his program. The development of synthetic methods to access chiral-at-Silicon building blocks and their application as chiral auxiliaries, the stereoselective syntheses of small carbo- and heterocyclic systems and their utilization in the total synthesis of natural products, the solid-phase synthesis of polyamine derivatives and its combination with analytical tools to characterize the highly complex mixtures populating spider venoms are some of the themes his group has successfully pursued.
In addition to his contributions to research, Stefan has played a key role in establishing a top-notch experimental training program for our undergraduate students. As coordinator of the GPC and of the former OCP I and OCP II courses, Stefan’s legacy will be characterized by a strive for excellence, rigour and ethical behaviour, always with the interest of the students at heart. In addition, Stefan has been instrumental to coordinate a highly engaged team of laboratory technicians ensuring that the teaching needs of the practical courses were always fulfilled at its best. Beyond these contributions, Stefan has also been a devoted teacher, providing excellent training in spectroscopic methods to several generations of UZH chemistry students. In this context, a project very close to his heart was the re-edition of the book “Spektroskopische Methoden in der organischen Chemie” (S. Bienz, L. Bigler, T. Fox, H. Meier) considered by most “a classic” in the field.

Stefan Bienz retired in April 2021.