Chérif F. Matta
Professor of Chemistry & Physics
PhD, HDR, FAAAS, FAAS, FCIC, FRSC (UK), FInstP, FRSB, FRSA
Office: Evaristus C208
Lab: Evaristus 140
Phone: +1 (902) 457-6142
Research website: http://www.cmatta.ca/
Research Interests:
Professor Chérif F. Matta is a theoretical and computational chemist whose research lies at the interface of physics,biochemistry, and astrochemistry. His work seeks to understand how the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics give rise to chemical structure, molecular function, and biological complexity.
His research group develops theoretical methods and computational approaches to investigate the nature of 
chemicalbonding and molecular reactivity, biological energy conversion, and the electronic structure of matter. Currentresearchspans quantum chemistry, theoretical biophysics, and astrochemistry, with particular interest in electron localization and delocalization behavior, electric-field 
effects in biophysics, and the molecular mechanisms of ATP synthase, the enzyme responsible for most cellular energy production.
Professor Matta’s work has contributed to the development of quantum crystallography and to the introduction of electron localization–delocalization matrices (LDMs),now used to explore chemical bonding, molecular properties, and reactivity.
His research aims to bridge fundamental theory with applications through collaborations across North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.
Please visit: http://www.cmatta.ca/
Education
2009 Habilitation to Direct Research (HDR) – Université de Lorraine (Formerly, Université Henri Poincaré) (France)
2004-2006 Izaak Walton Killam Postdoctoral Fellow – Dalhousie University (Canada)
2002-2004 Postdoctoral Fellow – University of Toronto (Canada)
2002 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) – McMaster University (Canada)
1994 Graduate Diploma in Health Services & Hospital Administration – Sadat Academy,
National Institute for Higher Management (Egypt)
1987 Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Hons.) – Alexandria University (Egypt)
Highlights and Distinctions
Professor Matta’s contributions have been recognized nationally and internationally through election as Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (FAAAS), the African Academy of Sciences (FAAS), the ChemicalInstitute of Canada (FCIC), the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), the Royal Society of Biology (FRSB), the Institute of Physics (FInstP), and the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA).
His honours and awards include the Mount Saint Vincent University Award for Excellence in Research, the Molecular Graphics and Molecular Simulation (MGMS) Society (UK) Silver Jubilee Prize, the Natural Sciences and EngineeringResearch Council of Canada (NSERC)–Acfas La preuve par l’image Prize, the John Charles Polanyi Prize in Chemistry, the Lady Davis Fellowship andVisitingProfessorship, the Izaak Walton Killam Fellowship, the Distinguished AlumniAward for the Sciences fromMcMaster University, and the Professional of Distinction designation from the Discovery Awards Nova Scotia. He was also awarded a Distinguished Visiting Professorship under Poland’s Excellence Initiative – Research University Program by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education. In 2024, he was an invited scientist for the fall semester at the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques (IHÉS) in France, one of the world’s leading centres for advanced theoretical and mathematical research.
Beyond these distinctions, Professor Matta has served on several national and international scientific advisory and adjudication bodies, including as Chair of the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) Multidisciplinary Adjudication CommitteeProgram and as Member of the Canada Excellence Research Chairs Program (CERC) Committee. He holds or has held honorary, adjunct, and long-term visiting academic appointments and/or sabbatical stays at dozens of universities in Canada and abroad including McMaster University, Université Laval, Saint Mary’s University, Université de Lorraine (formerly Université Henri Poincaré), Université Paris-Saclay, Zewail City of Science and Technology, University College London (UCL), Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, the City University of New York (CUNY), the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, La Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM), and has established through these and other academic stays an internationally collaborative research program spanning theoretical and computational chemistry, quantum biophysics, astrochemistry, and some philosophical aspects of chemistry.
Recent Publications – since (2023-2026) (full list available)
Books (2023-2026) 
- Matta, C.F., Huang, L. and Massa, L. (2023) Quantum Crystallography. Berlin: De Gruyter. 215 pp.
- Matta, C.F., Ayers, P.W. and Cook, R. (2024) Electron Localization–Delocalization Matrices. Lecture Notes in Chemistry, Vol. 112. Berlin: Springer. 239 pp.
Book Chapters (2023-2026)
Matta, C.F. (2024) ‘Sur la transdisciplinarité de la théorie des graphes et des réseaux’, in Vadean, M.T., Zaiane-Ghalia, S. and Scarpulla, M. (eds.) Transdisciplinarité et évolution des savoirs: une introduction. Ottawa: Université Saint-Paul.
Matta, C.F. (2023) ‘Electron localization–delocalization matrices (LDMs)’, in Boyd, R.J. and Yáñez, M. (eds.) Comprehensive Computational Chemistry, Vol. 2. Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 82–94.
Anderson, J.S.M., Mortera-Carbonell, A.d.-J. and Matta, C.F. (2023) ‘Non-nuclear maxima in the molecular electron density’, in Anderson, J.S.M., Cortés-Guzmán, F. and Rodríguez, J.I. (eds.) Advances in Quantum Chemical Topology Beyond QTAIM. Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 375–388.
Massa, L., Castanedo, L.A.M., Fahimi, P. and Matta, C.F. (2023) ‘Applications of in silico quantum chemical calculations to large systems: The kernel energy method’, in Thomas, M.E., Thomas, J., Thomas, S. and Kornweitz, H. (eds.) In-silico Approaches to Macromolecular Chemistry. Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 199–215.
Massa, L., Fahimi, P., Castanedo, L.A.M. and Matta, C.F. (2023) ‘In silico approaches and challenges for quantum chemical calculations on macromolecules’, in Thomas, M.E., Thomas, J., Thomas, S. and Kornweitz, H. (eds.) In-silico Approaches to Macromolecular Chemistry. Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 185–197.
Editorials, Commentaries and Guest-Edited Collections (2023-2026)
Matta, C.F. (2026) ‘Editorial: Electron Localization and Delocalization: From Fundamentals to Applications’, Structural Chemistry, in press (https://doi.org/10.1007/s11224-026-02777-7).
Matta, C.F. (2026) ‘Editorial: Revisiting Mitochondrial Temperature: Steady-State Heat Transfer or Non-Steady-State Dynamics?’, Acta Physiologica, 242, e70252.
Matta, C.F. (2025) ‘Invited Scientific Commentary: Pushing Crystallography’s Frontiers through Quantum Mechanics’, Acta Crystallographica B, 81, 161–163.
Refereed Journal Articles and Reviews (2023–2026)
Majaess, D., Morera-Boado, C., Harriott, T.A., Rahi, Q., Seuret, H., Massa, L. and Matta, C.F. (2026) ‘Benchmarking Astrochemistry Paradigms: Relative Absence of C₆H₅CN⁺ in the Diffuse ISM’, Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica, accepted, in press.
Matta, C.F. and Massa, L. (2026) ‘Quantum Crystallography: X-ray Orbitals are Kohn–Sham Orbitals’, International Journal of Quantum Chemistry, accepted, in production.
Vidales-Hurtado, M.A., Matta, C.F., Sánchez-Rosas, M.A. and Rodriguez, J.I. (2026) ‘Titanium Butoxide Sol-Gel Structures are Stabilized through Water and Alcohol via Weak Interactions: A DFT-QTAIM Study’, Journal of Molecular Modeling, 32, Article 93.
Fatima, G., Mohamed, H., Saida, B., Said, M., Hanifi, M., Mohamed, B. and Matta, C.F. (2026) ‘First-Principles Study of ABSe₃ (A = Li, Na) Perselenoborates: A Promising Family of Nonlinear Optical Materials’, Chemical Physics, 600, 112886.
Matar, I.K., Zaki, M.E.A., Muhammad, Z.A., Awwad, D.A., Al-Hussain, S.A., Matta, C.F. and Kassab, R.M. (2026) ‘Coumarin-Augmented Thiazole Hybrids as Dual Anticancer and Antibacterial Agents’, Chemical Biology & Drug Design, 107, e70261.
Koohsaria, P., Shadman, M., Davoodi, J., Ahadi, Z. and Matta, C.F. (2026) ‘Elevated Melting of Hydrogen-Disordered Ice Confined by MoS₂ Nanotubes: A Molecular Dynamics Study of Dual Confinement Geometries’, Surface Science, 765, 122876.
Harriott, T.A., Morera-Boado, C., Seuret, H., Massa, L. and Matta, C.F. (2025) ‘Mary Lea Heger and the Century-Old DIBs Mystery that Still Puzzles Astronomers’, Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, 119, 219–223.
Majaess, D., Harriott, T.A., Morera-Boado, C., Seuret, H., Massa, L. and Matta, C.F. (2025) ‘The Critical 9365 Å Diffuse Interstellar Band and C₆₀⁺ Association’, Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 9, Article 248.
Matar, I.K. and Matta, C.F. (2025) ‘Origin-Dependence of Dipole Moments of Charged Proteins: Theoretical Foundations and Implications, Revisited’, Journal of Computational Chemistry, 46, e70207.
Gaser, O.A. et al. (2025) ‘Alteration of Metabolic Activity Regulates Mitochondrial Temperature in Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma’, Scientific Reports, 15, 41155.
Matar, I.K., Fahimi, P. and Matta, C.F. (2025) ‘Rotational Dynamics of ATP Synthase: Mechanical Constraints and Energy Dissipative Channels’, Pure and Applied Chemistry, 97, 1277–1290.
Seuret, H., Sullivan, A., Morera-Boado, C., Harriott, T.A., Majaess, D., Massa, L. and Matta, C.F. (2025) ‘Vetting Molecular Candidates Linked to the First Diffuse Interstellar Bands Discovered (5780 and 5797 Å)’, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 27, 12666–12674.
Majaess, D., Seuret, H., Sullivan, A., Harriott, T.A., Morera-Boado, C., Massa, L. and Matta, C.F. (2025) ‘Potential Vibrational Modes Tied to Diffuse Interstellar Bands’, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 539, 3489–3492.
Majaess, D., Harriott, T.A., Seuret, H., Morera-Boado, C., Massa, L. and Matta, C.F. (2025) ‘Strengthening the Link Between Fullerenes and a Subset of Diffuse Interstellar Bands’, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 538, 2392–2395.
Azzouz, L., Rérat, M. and Matta, C.F. (2025) ‘Electronic and Magnetic Properties of Diluted Magnetic Semiconducting NaY₁₋ₓCeₓSe₂ Alloys’, Structural Chemistry, accepted, in press.
Fahimi, P., Trump, W., Matta, C.F. and Baneh, A.A. (2025) ‘Travelling Salesman’s Paths within n × n (n = 3, 4, 5) Magic Squares’, Journal of Combinatorial Mathematics and Combinatorial Computing, 125, 79–91.
Fahimi, P., Castanedo, L.A.M., Vernier, P.T. and Matta, C.F. (2025) ‘Electrical Homeostasis of the Inner Mitochondrial Membrane Potential’, Physical Biology, 22, 026001.
Massa, L. and Matta, C.F. (2025) ‘The Total Energy from X-Ray Electron Density?’, Journal of Molecular Modeling, 31, 76.
Fatima, G., Maabed, S., Mebarki, H., Halit, M., Matta, C.F. and Ahmed, L.B.K. (2025) ‘Unveiling the Thermoelectric Potential of Perthioborate MBS₃ (M = Rb, Cs) Compounds: Insights from DFT Calculations’, European Physical Journal B, 98, 50.
Koch, D., Pavanello, M., Shao, X., Ihara, M., Ayers, P.W., Matta, C.F. et al. (2024) ‘The Analysis of Electron Densities: From Basics to Emergent Applications’, Chemical Reviews, 124, 12661–12737.
Matar, I.K., Dong, Z. and Matta, C.F. (2024) ‘Exploring the Chemical Space of Mycobacterial Oxidative Phosphorylation Inhibitors Using Molecular Modelling’, ChemMedChem, 19, e202400303.
Hooft, G. et al. (including Matta, C.F.) (2024) ‘The Sounds of Science – A Symphony for Many Instruments and Voices – Part II’, Physica Scripta, 99, 052501.
Castanedo, L.A.M. and Matta, C.F. (2024) ‘Prebiotic N-(2-aminoethyl)-glycine (AEG)-Assisted Synthesis of Proto-RNA?’, Journal of Molecular Evolution, 92, 449–466.
Xing, H., Sullivan, A., Seuret, H., Morera-Boado, C., Harriott, T.A., Majaess, D., Massa, L. and Matta, C.F. (2024) ‘Extinction Along Sightlines Sampled by the APO Catalog of DIBs’, Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 8, 90.
Matta, C.F. (2024) ‘Letter to the Editor: Quantum Chemistry in Latin Languages: A Model to Generalize?’, Chemical & Engineering News, 102(2), p. 4.
Naghdian, N., Ahadi, Z., Davoodi, J., Matta, C.F. and Shadman, M. (2024) ‘Electrodialysis Desalination: Borophene Membrane for Ion Separation Using Non-equilibrium Molecular Dynamics’, Journal of Molecular Liquids, 396, 123945.
Azzouz, L., Rérat, M. and Matta, C.F. (2023) ‘Tuning Novel NaLaS₂(1−x)(Se or Te)₂x Alloys as Light-Absorbing Materials by Dopant-Induced Crystallographic Phase and Electronic Structure Transitions’, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 127, 17532–17544.
Fahimi, P., Matta, C.F. and Okie, J.G. (2023) ‘Are Size and Mitochondrial Power of Cells Inter-Determined?’, Journal of Theoretical Biology, 572, 111565.
Taheri, S., Ahadi, Z., Matta, C.F., Ghanbarzadeh, S. and Lakmehsari, M.S. (2023) ‘The Effects of the Nature of the Sterol on the Properties and Stability of Niosome Bilayer Vesicles’, Journal of Molecular Liquids, 369, 120811.