Rahul Sheshanarayana

PhD Researcher, Systems Engineering ยท PEESE Lab ยท Cornell University

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I am a PhD researcher in the Systems Engineering program at Cornell University, a member of the PEESE Lab, advised by Prof. Fengqi You. My research sits at the intersection of machine learning and computational chemistry, with a focus on sustainable molecular design and PFAS remediation.

I develop generative models, scalable ML frameworks, and molecular simulation tools to address challenges in sustainability and materials science. Recent projects include a bond dissociation energy (BDE)-conditioned transformer for inverse radical design and knowledge distillation methods for molecular property prediction. I hold an MS in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University and a BTech in Polymer Science from IIT Roorkee (class rank 2).

My work has appeared in Advanced Science, Nature Communications, J. Chem. Inf. Model., and other leading journals, with multiple journal covers and an Editorโ€™s Pick. See my publications and projects for more.

news

May 18, 2026 ๐ŸŽ‰ Rahul passed his PhD qualifying exam [Q-exam]!
Sep 26, 2025 ๐ŸŽ‰ Paper published in J. Chem. Inf. Model. on curriculum learning for retrosynthesis - Supplementary Journal Cover! [Paper] [Cover]
Aug 01, 2025 ๐ŸŽ‰ Review paper on molecular representation learning published - Journal Inside Front Cover! [Paper] [Cover]
Apr 09, 2025 ๐ŸŽ‰ Paper on knowledge distillation for molecular property prediction published in Advanced Science - Journal Frontispiece! [Paper] [Frontispiece]
Jan 24, 2025 ๐ŸŽ‰ New preprint on ChemRxiv - data-driven COโ‚‚ hydrogenation reaction networks, under review at Nature Communications! [Preprint]