Dr. Monika Raj is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Auburn University. She obtained her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. She then pursued post-doctoral studies at the University of Pennsylvania and New York University. In the fall of 2014, she joined the faculty of Chemistry & Biochemistry at Seton Hall University at New Jersey before moving to the Auburn University in August 2017.

Dr. Raj works in the field of chemical biology, which involves the development of organic chemistry tools for solving the problems in the field of biology and medicine. This includes the development of new chemical reactions including catalysts for the synthesis of chemical sensors, proteins, peptides and bioconjugates. Her laboratory has also made important contributions for the development of methods for the activation of amide bonds for late-stage diversification of peptides and proteins. Recently, Dr. Raj has focused on the development of a novel bioconjugation technique for the detection of monomethyl lysine containing posttranslational modifications (PTMs) to understand the role of these PTMs in various cellular processes and diseased states. This work was recognized in 2018 by NSF CAREER award.