Graduate Student Profiles

Office Location: Mudd 432

Area of Specialization: Organometallics

My research involves making nickel complexes that can perform reductive elimination reactions to form fluorinated molecules that have potential applications in medicinal chemistry.

Office Location: Mudd 423

Area of Specialization: Organometallics

I'm interested in developing methods and reagents for fluorination and/or fluoroalkylation of organic molecules. I'm also currently working on ways to recycle some C2 refrigerants mainly by dehydrofluorination using neutral organic superbases.

Office Location: Mudd 657

Area of Specialization: Bioanalytical/Biochemistry

My research focuses on studying the effect of cholesterol in protein-ganglioside
interactions in lipid rafts, which are important in Alzheimer's disease and Multiple
sclerosis. I use various membrane models such as supported lipid bilayers and giant
unilamellar vesicles (GUVs), and techniques like fluorescence microscopy and quartz
crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D).

Office Location: Mudd 657

Area of Specialization: Bioanalytical Chemistry

My research is focused on the biophysical properties of lipid bilayer membranes and molecular interactions that occur at biological surfaces. Specifically, I use techniques like optical microscopy, spectroscopy, and QCM-D to examine how oxidized lipids involved in cardiovascular disease alter membrane structure, and how these lipids are recognized by innate immune cells.

Office location: Mudd 447

Area of Specialization: Organic chemistry, mechanochemistry

I am a 2nd-year student in Dr. Junpeng Wang's lab. My research is focused on
molecules that generate fluorescence and benzyne when subjected to mechanical force
and their incorporation into polymer systems of polyurethane and poly(ethylene glycol).

Office Location: Mudd 578

Area of Specialization: Surface & materials chemistry, inorganic chemistry

I am a current graduate student in the Ferguson Group. My research focuses on the
stepwise synthesis of multilayered thin films composed of organic polyelectrolytes and
charged sheets of silicate clays. I am currently investigating the use of these films as
scaffolding to grow materials via sol-gel and electrochemical methods.

Office Location: Whitaker 343

Area of Specialization: Biomaterials

My work bridges biomaterials science and regenerative medicine, with a focus on designing responsive scaffold systems that actively engage with cellular processes. My research explores peptide-polymer conjugates to engineer dynamic biomaterials that degrade in response to cell-secreted proteases, enabling tissue-specific remodeling. I also develop platforms for the controlled delivery of angiogenic peptides, coupling therapeutic release with cell-mediated activity to enhance vascularization.

Office Location: Mudd 643

Area of Specialization: Biochemistry

As a member of the Laverty Lab, we use biochemical and molecular biology
approaches to study DNA repair pathways. My research focuses on defining the domain
requirements of DNA polymerase theta in its roles in double-strand break repair and
gap filling. Additionally, I investigate how polymerase theta contributes to maintaining
genomic stability in human cells through the development of cell based assays.

Office location: Mudd 447

Area of Specialization: Polymer Chemistry and Mechanochemistry.

I am a project assistant in the Junpeng Wang research group. My research focuses on
the intersection of polymer synthesis and polymer mechanochemistry, specifically
developing scalable strategies for the degradation and upcycling of commodity plastics
and investigating the force distribution among polymers in solid state
mechanochemistry.

Office Location: Mudd 738

Area of Specialization: Bioanalytical Chemistry

My research focuses on the development of LC-MS methodologies for the analysis and
characterization of oligonucleotides. These biomolecules are currently used in a variety
of industries and play a vital role in the development of DNA based therapeutics. In my
free time I enjoy staying active and being outside.