Research & credentials

Dr. K. Alvin Ronlán

Founder, R&D Director. Three decades of phenolic chemistry, now applied to the skin.

Education

Four degrees,
three countries.

  • 1964

    B.Sc. · mathematics, physics, chemistry

    University of Copenhagen and the Danish Institute of Technology.

  • 1965

    M.Sc. · physics and chemistry

    University of Uppsala, Sweden.

  • 1967

    Ph.D.

    Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.

  • 1974

    Doctor of Science

    University of Lund, Sweden.

Career

From the academy
to the laboratory.

Six decades of teaching, research and applied chemistry. Highlights below.

1964 – 65

Teaching assistant, University of Uppsala

Early teaching post during the M.Sc. years.

1965 – 67

Research associate, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm

The Ph.D. years in Stockholm.

1967 – 72

Associate Professor, University of Lund

Begins work on phenol chemistry and anodic oxidation that later underpins Transderma's formulation.

1972 – 76

Assistant Professor, University of Lund

1975 – 87

Professor, University of Lund

Promoted to Professor of Bio-Organic Chemistry, leading the research group on phenolic antioxidants and cation radicals.

1981 – 83

Prefekt, Chemistry Department, University of Lund

Head of the chemistry department at Lund.

1977 – present

Director of R&D, Alron Chemical Co AB

Ongoing · founded the laboratory in 1977 for surface chemistry, surface physics and combustion catalysis. The same year, also founded Alron Japan, Inc. in Tokyo.

1982 – 83

Visiting Professor, University of California, Santa Cruz

Applying early artificial intelligence to chemical and biochemical problems.

1999

Cofounder and R&D Director, ProBios Laboratories, Inc.

With Graziella Gallelli Ronlan. Florida-based research and development.

1968 – 72

Consultant, Erco Pharmaceuticals

Coauthor of patents on contrast agents and blood-pressure-reducing drugs.

1972

East Africa expedition

Organized and led a four-month expedition through Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda collecting medicinal plants.

Selected publications

Phenols, antioxidants,
cation radicals.

Ten peer-reviewed papers that trace the chemistry underlying Transderma's formulations. The full bibliography of 31 papers is in the CV download.

  1. Phenol Dehydrogenation. Intramolecular Oxidative Coupling of Dihydropiceatannol. Acta Chem. Scand., 23, 249 (1969). With Holger Erdtman.
  2. The Structure of Mezerein, A Major Toxic Principle of Daphne Mezerum L. Tetrahedron Letters, 1970, 4261. With Börje Wickberg.
  3. Coupling of Phenols via an Anodically Generated Ion. Chem. Commun., 1971, 1643.
  4. Anodic Oxidation of Phenolic Compounds. Part II. Products and Mechanisms of the Anodic Oxidation of Hindered Phenols. J. Chem. Soc., C, 1971, 3241. With V.D. Parker.
  5. Kinetics and Mechanisms of the Reaction of Organic Cation Radicals and Dications. J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 96, 5108 (1974). With V.D. Parker and U. Svanholm.
  6. Anodic Oxidation of Phenolic Compounds. Part V. Anodic Methoxylation of Phenols. J. Chem. Soc. Perk I, 1978, 696.
  7. Anodic Coupling of Simple Aryl Ethers. Tetrahedron Letters, 1972, 2272.
  8. The Direct Observation of Intermediates During the Oxidative Cyclization of Phenol Ethers. Acta Chem. Scand., 1974.
  9. Electrosynthesis of Medium and Large Sized Rings by Oxidative Cyclization. J. Org. Chem., 39, 1014 (1974).
  10. The Relative Ease of Oxidation of Phenols and Phenol Ethers. Acta Chem. Scand., 1976.
  11. Systematic Derivation of Chemical Procedures for Transforming Surplus Hazardous Chemicals to Useful Products. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 1984.

Full bibliography of 31 peer-reviewed papers available in the PDF download.

Patents

Seven patents,
one central to the skin.

The basis of Transderma

US Pat. 20080118449 · Cosmetic Formulations of Piceatannol and Retinoids and Methods of Use Thereof

This patent is the chemical basis of Transderma. Piceatannol is the active in Serum R; retinoids (retinyl palmitate) are the active in Serum A. The patent describes how these two molecules work together on the skin.

Shop Serum R Shop Serum A
  • US Pat. 6,500,465 · Disinfecting and sporocidal composition · decontaminating buildings.
  • US Pat. 5,540,767 · Tire balancing composition and method.
  • US Pat. 5,431,726 · Balancing composition.
  • US Pat. 4,867,792 · Tire balancing composition.
  • European Patent EP1196299 · Tyre balancing compositions.
  • European Patent EP0281252 · Tyre balancing composition and method.
The applied chemistry

The patent lives
in the bottle.

Two of Transderma's five serums come directly from Dr. Ronlán's cosmetic patent. Start there, or try the whole system in the Discovery Kit.

Serum R · Piceatannol Serum A · Retinoid Discovery Kit · all five

Prefer the original document?

Download the full CV (PDF) →