Abstract
This lecture will first describe the advent of organocatalysis in my laboratory. As part of this overview, we will highlight why organic catalysts have become widely explored in modern synthetic chemistry. We will next discuss how organocatalysis created a bridge to the development of a new field of research in my laboratory: visible-light photoredox catalysis involving copper. In this context, we will explore why a healthy balance of reaction discovery and mechanistic understanding has been important to the development of photocatalysis, which is now being widely adopted in both industrial and academic settings. Finally, we will examine an exciting recent application of photoredox catalysis in my group; namely, the high-resolution µMap technology, which provides a powerful means to probe biological pathways at the subcellular level.