Alumni

Graduates of the program earn a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences, with a major in medicinal chemistry. Recent graduates have secured postdoctoral fellowships and landed faculty positions at major research universities, and they have acquired positions in government agencies, pharma and at biotech companies.

Graduates: Saikat Kumar Poddar, Chen Zhou, Jessica Mamallapalli, and Zachary Rabinowitz (Summer 2024)

Drs. Chengguo Xing and Jessica Mamallapalli (2024)

Drs. Lina Cui and SAIKAT KUMAR PODDAR (2024)

Drs. Lina Cui and ZACHARY RABINOWITZ (2024)

Drs. Chenglong Li and Chen Zhou (2024)

Graduates Garret Rubin and Lobna Elsadek with Drs. Zheng, Ding and Luesch (2023)

Drs. Lobna Elsadek and Hendrik Luesch (2023)

Drs. Garret Rubin and Yousong Ding (2023)

David Brumley, Daniel Schultz, Manyun Chen and Dake Liu with Drs. Ding and cui, 2022

Qi Hu with Dr. Rob Huigens, 2022

Kelton Schleyer with Dr. Cui, 2021

DR. Mccurdy with Hebaalla Agha, 2021

Yi Zhang with Dr. Luesch, 2019

Chip Norwood, Katherine Cisneros and Xiao Liang with Dr. Huigens, 2019

Guangde Jiang with Dr. Luesch, 2019

Nicholas Paciaroni with Dr. Huigens, 2018

Danmeng Luo with Dr. Luesch, 2018

Yasmeen Abouelhassan with Dr. Huigens, 2018

Weijing Cai with Dr. Luesch, 2017

Fatma Al-Awadhi with Dr. Luesch, 2017

Marci Smeltz with Dr. James, 2017

Guo Zhong with Dr. James, 2016

Erin Jackson with Dr. James, 2015

Lilibeth Salvador, Rana Montaser and Krishnakanth Kondabolu with Drs. Luesch & Booth, 2013

2024 Graduates

Jessica Mamallapalli

• Dissertation: Research on Kava: Its Diversity and Preclinical and Clinical Translations of Its Anti-stress Activity
• Advisor: Chengguo Xing, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation: Clinical Lecturer, UF College of Pharmacy

Saikat Kumar Poddar

• Dissertation:
• Advisor: Guangrong Zheng, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation:

Zachary Rabinowitz

• Dissertation: Development of Novel Probes to Detect the Activity of Carbohydrate-Processing Enzymes
• Advisor: Lina Cui, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation: NIH T32 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dr. Weissleder lab, Center for Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital

Chen Zhou

• Dissertation:
• Advisor: Chenglong Li, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation:

2023 Graduates

Lobna Elsadek

• Dissertation: Unlocking Nature’s Specialized Metabolites: Discovery, Synthesis, Target Identification and Mechanisms of Action of New Bioactive Agents from Marine Cyanobacteria
• Advisor: Hendrik Luesch, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation: Postdoctoral Associate | Harvard Medical School

Garret Rubin

• Dissertation: Investigations Into Novel Graspetide Function and Enzymology
• Advisor: Yousong Ding, Ph.D.

Mallory Burns

• Dissertation: Design and Synthesis of Novel Sigma-1 Receptor Ligands for the Treatment of Chronic Pain
• Advisor: Chris McCurdy, Ph.D.

Ke Liu

• Dissertation: Investigations of Small Molecules that Induce Iron Starvation in Bacterial Biofilms
• Advisor: Robert Huigens, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation: Postdoctoral Associate | St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

2022 Graduates

David Brumley

• Dissertation: Synthesis of Anaenamides A-D and Strategic Analogues to Probe the Structure-Activity Relationship of a New Class of Natural Products from Marine Cyanobacteria”
• Advisor: Hendrik Luesch, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation: Postdoctoral Associate | Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, Georgia

Qi Hu

• Dissertation: Carcinogenesis of Tobacco-Specific Carcinogen 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-Pyridyl)-1-Butanone (NNK) and Chemoprevention Effect of Kava
• Advisor: Chengguo Xing, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation: Research Scientist | Gilead Sciences| Oceanside, California

Manyun Chen

• Dissertation: “Genomics-guided Discovery and Characterization of Natural Biosynthetic Machineries: a Study Focused on Novel Anti-UV Agents”
• Advisor: Yousong Ding, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation: Postdoctoral Associate | University of Florida | Gainesville, Florida

Dake Liu

• Dissertation: “Characterization of Enzymes for Drug Metabolism and Natural Product Biosynthesis”
• Advisor: Yousong Ding, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation: Postdoctoral Associate | University of Florida | Gainesville, Florida

Daniel Schultz

• Dissertation: “Structure-Based Drug Design of Novel Protein Interaction and GGT1 Inhibitors”
• Advisor: Chenglong Li, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation: Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Vanderbilt University in Prof. Craig W. Lindsley’s Lab

Morgan Crowley

• Dissertation: “Synthesis and Pharmacological Evaluation of Compounds Inspired by Indole Alkaloids Isolated from Mitragyna Speciosa for Opioid Use Disorder”
• Advisor: Chris McCurdy, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation: Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Vanderbilt University in Prof. Craig W. Lindsley’s Lab

2021 Graduates

Kelton Schleyer

• Dissertation: Developing an Imaging Toolkit for Heparanase Enzymatic Activity
• Advisor: Lina Cui, Ph.D
• First position post graduation: NIH T32 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dr. Weissleder lab, Center for Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital

Xiaozhi Yang

• Dissertation: Design, Synthesis and Evaluation of PRMT5 Inhibitors
• Advisor: Chenglong Li, Ph.D
• First position post graduation: Postdoctoral Associate | University of Florida | Gainesville, Florida

Hebaalla Agha

• Dissertation: Targeting Chronic Pain Through the Design of Sigma-1 Receptor Antagonists with Insights on Structure Activity and Structure Metabolism Relationship
• Advisor: Christopher McCurdy, Ph.D
• First position post graduation: Postdoctoral Associate | T. Willson’s lab, The University of North Carolina | Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Jeremy Coleman

• Dissertation: Design and Synthesis of Didehydro-Cortistatin A Analogs as Novel Tat Inhibitors for the Potential Treatment of the Potential Treatment of HIV
• Advisor: Jane Aldrich, Ph.D
• First position post graduation: Postdoctoral Associate | C. Lindsley’s lab, Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Tennessee

Kareem Galal

• Dissertation: Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Optimized Analogues of Benzyl Piperidine Based Neuropeptide FF Receptor Ligands
• Advisor: Christopher McCurdy, Ph.D
• First position post graduation: Postdoctoral Associate | T. Willson’s lab, The University of North Carolina | Chapel Hill, North Carolina

2020 Graduates

Hongfen Yang

• Dissertation: Synthesis and Discovery of Halogenated Phenazines as Anitbacterial and Biofilm-Eradicating Agents
• Advisor: Robert W. Huigens III, Ph.D.
• First position post graduation: Postdoctoral Associate | University of Florida | Gainesville, Florida
• Current position: Postdoctoral Associate | S. Martin’s lab, UT-Austin | Austin, Texas

Robyn Pescatore

• Dissertation: Macrocyclic Tetrapeptides as Potential Prostate Cancer Therapeutics
• Advisor: Jane Aldrich, Ph.D.
• First / Current position post graduation: Scientist | Bioagilytix | RTP, North Carolina

Peilan Zhang

• Dissertation: Characterization of Functional Proteins for Drug Research
• Advisor: Yousong Ding, Ph.D.
• First / Current position post graduation: Scientist | SalubrisBio | Gaithersburg, Maryland

Wei Zhou (Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)

• Dissertation: Biochemical, Biophysical, Structural and Cellular Studies of Protein-Ligand Interaction: Insights on Early Drug Discovery Targeting PRMT5 and TEAD2
• Advisor: Chenglong Li, Ph.D.
• First position post graduation: Scientist | Hansoh Bio | Rockville, Maryland

2019 Graduates

Katherine Cisneros

• Dissertation: Interactions of Methoxy-Bromodiphenyl Ethers and Their Metabolites with Human Biotransformation Enzymes
• Advisor: Margaret James, Ph.D.
• First / Current position post-graduation: Project Management Associate | Biorasi | Miami, FL

Guangde Jiang

• Dissertation: Discovery and Production of Bioactive Microbial Natural Products and their Analogs
• Advisor: Yousong Ding, Ph.D.
• First / Current position post-graduation: Postdoctoral Associate | University of Illinois Urbana Champaign | Champaign, IL

Mohammad Rezaei (Department of Chemistry)

• Dissertation: Computational Investigation of Protein-Ligand Molecular Recognition
• Advisor: Chenglong Li, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation: Pfizer Inc., Boston

Yasmeen Abouelhassan

• Dissertation: Discovery and Mechanistic Investigations of Novel Bacterial Biofilm-Eradicating Agents.
• Advisor: Robert Huigens, III, Ph.D.
• First / Current position: Lawrence & Memorial Hospital; Fellow, Center for Anti-infection Research and Development

Danmeng Luo

• Dissertation: Discovery, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Bioactive Secondary Metabolites from Marine Cyanobacteria
• Advisor: Hendrik Luesch, Ph.D.
• First / Current position post-graduation: Postdoctoral Associate | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | New York City, NY

Akash Kumar Basak (Department of Chemistry)

• Dissertation: Synthetic Efforts to Develop Novel Antibacterial Agents that Eradicate Persistent Biofilms
• Advisor: Robert Huigens, III, Ph.D.

2016 Graduates

Khanh Ha (Department of Chemistry)

• Dissertation: Development of Methodologies for Coupling and Cyclization of Peptides and Synthesis of Polyketide Fragments for Modified Peptides
• Advisor: Hendrik Luesch, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation: Postdoctoral Associate | Harvard Medical School

Guo Zhong

2013 Graduates

Lilibeth Salvador

• Dissertation: Drug Discovery from Marine Cyanobacteria Symploca spp. and Phormidium spp.: Novel Structures and Bioactivities of Secondary Metabolites
• Advisor: Hendrik Luesch, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation: Assistant Professor, Marine Science Institute | University of the Philippines – Diliman
• Current position: Professor/ Deputy Director, Marine Science Institute | University of the Philippines – Diliman

Rana Montaser

• Dissertation: Structural Characterization, Biological Evaluation and Synthesis of Novel Secondary Metabolites from Guamanian Marine Cyanobacteria Lyngbya spp.
• Advisor: Hendrik Luesch, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation: Postdoctoral Associate (NIH F32 Fellow) | University of Chicago
• Current position: Senior Research Associate | Northwestern University

2012 Graduates

Rui Wang

• Dissertation: Discovery and Characterization of Small Molecule Activators of the Antioxidant Response Element
• Advisor: Hendrik Luesch, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation: Quality Systems Specialist | Nanotherapeutics, Inc. | Alachua, FL
• Current position: Associate Director, Project Management | Gilead Sciences, Inc.

Sriram Ambadapadi

• Dissertation: Modulation of Steroid Sulfonation by Small Molecules That Interact with Sulfotransferases and Sulfatases
• Advisor: Margaret O. James, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation: Postdoctoral Associate | University of Florida
• Current position: Medical Science Liaison (Oncology) | Bayer

2011 Graduates

Sean Travers

• Dissertation: Characterization of the Molecular Determinants for Class A G Protein-Coupled Receptor Ligand Binding and Function: Drug Discovery Targeting the Histamine H1 Receptor
• Advisor: Raymond Booth, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation: Sales Associate | Rlgaku Raman Technologies
• Current position: Sales Associate | Anatom Technologies | Baldwin, MD

Kristen Merritt

• Dissertation: Cloning and Characterization of Cytosolic Sulfotranferases from Channel Catfish Liver
• Advisor: Margaret O. James, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation: Senior Biological Scientist | Florida Biologix | Alachua, FL
• Current position: Senior Biological Scientist | Florida Biologix

Wenjun Li

• Dissertation: Glutathione Transferase Z1-Catalyzed Biotransformation of Dichloroacetate – Roles of Mitochondrion, Subject Age, GSTZ1 Haplotype and Chloride Interaction
• Advisor: Margaret O. James, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation: Postdoctoral Fellow | University of Geneva
• Current position: Head of Business Development, Greater China & Singapore | Boehringer Ingelheim

2010 Graduate

Jason Kwan

• Dissertation: Discovery and Biological Evaluation of Secondary Metabolites from Marine Cyanobacteria
• Advisor: Hendrik Luesch, Ph.D.
• First position post-graduation: Postdoctoral Associate, College of Pharmacy | University of Utah
• Current position: Associate Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences | University of Wisconsin-Madison