Last Group Photo Before Move to UNC, December 2024

From left to right, in order of appearance: Lizhe Chen, Erin Demek, Elysse Ornelas, Kiara Thompson, John Mack, Baby Sabrina, Dr. Jacob Weber, Dr. Netz Arroyo, Dr. Yuchan Yuan, Hannah Wilkins, and Dr. Yao Wu.
Graduate Students

John Mack
Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology Program
Email: jmack15 (at) jhmi (dot) edu
Super Power: Approximate knowledge of many trivia facts.
Project: Development of closed-loop control platforms for accelerated wound healing.

Kiara Thompson
Program in Molecular Biophysics
Email: kthom148 (at) jh (dot) edu
Super Power: Expert at untangling knots.
Project: Structural characterization of nucleic acid receptors via NMR spectroscopy.

Elysse Ornelas-Gatdula
Chemistry-Biology Interface
Email: eornela1 (at) jhu (dot) edu
Super Power: Balancing and remembering many schedules.
Project: Small molecule aptamer selections using RNA.

Raygan Murray
Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology
Email: rmurra33 (at) jhmi (dot) edu
Super Power: Designing charcuterie boards.
Project: Exploring molecular transport into dermal interstitial fluid.

Erin Demek
Chemistry-Biology Interface
Email: edemek1 (at) jh (dot) edu
Super Power: Becoming friends with every dog I meet.
Project: Multi-biomarker analysis of anti-inflammation.

Hannah Wilkins (Co-Mentored)
Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology
Email: hwilkin4 (at) jhmi (dot) edu
Super Power: Making sushi disappear at record rates.
Project: Antiretroviral metabolism, transport, and distribution mechanisms in the brain and at the blood brain barrier.
International Co-advised Graduate Students

Cristina Corona-Elizarrarás
Chemical Sciences PhD Program, Universidad de Guanajuato/Chimie ParisTech
Email: c.corona-elizarraras (at) chimieparistech (dot) psl (dot) eu
Super Power: Master puzzler.
Project: Development of a carbon-supported electrochemical aptamer-based sensor for thyroxine detection.
Research Technologist

Lizhe Chen
Master in Biomedical Engineering, JHU 2024
Email: lchen210 (at) jhmi (dot) edu
Super Power: Wizard of chinese cuisine.
Project: Automation of glucometer-based immunoassay readouts for high-throughput diagnostics.
Postdoctoral Fellows

Yao Wu
Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry
Email: wyao9 (at) jhu (dot) edu
Super Power: Baking cakes.
Project: Application of DNA-based electrochemical sensors to monitoring wound healing and chemotherapeutic-driven tumor shrinkage.

Yuchan (Lotus) Yuan
Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering
Email: yyuan64 (at) jhmi (dot) edu
Super Power: Making new friends in 3 minutes.
Project: Study of molecular transport across biological membranes in rodent preclinical models.

Jacob Weber
Ph.D. in Chemistry
Email: jweber40 (at) jh (dot) edu
Super Power: Playing the banjo.
Project: Development of novel redox reporters for aptamer-based sensors.
Faculty Collaborators

Prof. Philip Vieira, California State University Dominguez Hills
Ph.D. in Psychological and Brain Sciences
Email: pvieira (at) csudh (dot) edu
Super Power: Food fermentation.
Project: In-vivo deployment of DNA-based electrochemical sensors for the study of drug addiction and behavior.

Prof. Jonathan T. Sczepanski, Texas A&M
Ph.D. in Chemistry
Email: jon (dot) sczepanski (at) chem (dot) tamu (dot) edu
Super Power: Craft beer aficionado.
Project: Implementation of L-DNA into electrochemical sensor technologies.
Prof. Philip S. Lukeman, St. John’s University New York
Ph.D. in Chemistry
Email: lukemanp (at) stjohns (dot) edu
Super Power: Simulating self-sagacity by saying sesquipedalian synonyms of simple subjects.
Project: Fusing Electrochemistry with DNA origami for viral biosensing.

Prof. Joseph Wang, University of California San Diego
Ph.D. in Chemistry
Email: josephwang (at) ucsd (dot) edu
Super Power: Sensing anything, anytime and anywhere.
Project: Microneedle E-AB sensor arrays for wearable biomedical applications.

Prof. Bethany Gray, Johns Hopkins University
Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry
Email: bethany.gray (at) jhmi (dot) edu
Super Power: Thinking of new ways to organize things.
Project: Aptamer development for therapeutic and diagnostic applications.

Prof. Gregory Carr, Lieber Institute for Brain Development & Johns Hopkins University
Ph.D. in Neuroscience
Email: gcarr3 (at) jhu (dot) edu
Super Power: Being able to tell if a song is true “yacht rock” or just “soft rock” with 100% accuracy.
Project: Aptamer-based molecular monitoring in rodent brains.

Prof. David Jenkins, University of Tennessee Knoxville
Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry
Email: djenki15 (at) utk (dot) edu
Super Power: Blending frozen concoctions that help me hang on.
Project: NHC-supported aptamer monolayers for bio sensing applications.

Prof. Jon Camden, University of Notre Dame
Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry
Email: jon (do) camden (at) nd (dot) edu
Super Power: Church organist and quoting Kung Fu Panda.
Project: Spectroscopic characterization of NHC-functionalized surfaces.
Lab Alumni
Jordan Miller, Graduate Student in Pharmacology, 2023 – 2024 (Transitioned to Dr. Laura Ensign’s Group)
Vincent Clark, PhD in Chemical Biology, 2021–2024
Jayden Htwe, Eastern Technical High School, SARE Scholar, 2024
Syrus Miner, Undergraduate Student (Utah Tech), JHM BSI-SIP Scholar, 2024
Saron Yoseph, PREP Scholar, 2022–2024
Alexander Shaver, PhD in Pharmacology, 2019-2023
Miguel Aller Pellitero, Postdoctoral Scholar in Pharmacology, 2019 – 2022
Kenedi Lynch, Undergraduate Student (Louisiana State University), Amgen Scholar, 2022
Jase Jensen, Undergraduate Student (Dixie State University), JHM BSI-SIP Scholar, 2022
Jonathan Mahlum, M.Sc. Chemical Biology, 2022
Frederick Guzman, Undergraduate Student (University of California, Irvine), JHM BSI-SIP Scholar, 2021
Vanshika Gupta, Graduate Student (University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill), Amgen Scholar, 2021
Kelly Waters, Undergraduate Student (Loyola University, Maryland), Lab Assistant, 2021
Josean Alicea-Salas, Undergraduate Student (University of Puerto Rico, Aguadilla), Amgen Scholar, 2019
Shray Vats, West Windsor Plainsboro High School, Center for Talented Youth Summer Research Program, 2019
Group Picture Gallery








