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Enver Cagri Izgu (Enver Çağrı İzgü)

Postdoc, Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital, USA

Research: Replication of genetic information, Systems chemistry of protocells

Advisor: Dr. Jack W. Szostak

Ph.D., University of Minnesota, USA

Research: Total synthesis of alkaloids, synthetic method development, NMR spectroscopy

Advisor: Dr. Thomas R. Hoye

B.Sc., Middle East Technical University (METU), Turkiye

Research: Asymmetric Catalysis

Advisor: Dr. Ozdemir Dogan

Honors and Awards

Assistant Professor, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University New Brunswick, USA

Full Member of Cancer Pharmacology Program, Cancer Institute of New Jersey

Faculty Member of Center for Lipid Research, Rutgers University, New Brunswick

Trailblazer Award, The National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering

Institutional Research Grant Early Investigator Award, American Cancer Society

Interstellar Initiative Awardee, The New York Academy of Sciences and Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development

Arthur Klorfein Scholarship, Marine Biological Laboratory

Charles and Johanna Busch Biomedical Grant Award, Rutgers University

Young Scientist Award (National Scholarship Program), The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkiye

Highest Distinction, Ranked #1 in Chemistry, METU

Tushar Aggarwal

Graduate Student (ta384@scarletmail.rutgers.edu)

M.Sc., IIT, Bombay

B.Sc., University of Delhi

Designer Functional Nucleic Acids

Polymerase Engineering

Redox Biochemistry

Tushar earned his Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from University of Delhi and Master’s degree from Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India. At IIT-Bombay, he was trained in chemical biology and acquired substantial theoretical knowledge in biopolymers and mechanisms of in vitro transcription and reverse transcription. Besides his multidisciplinary Ph.D. studies, Tushar serves in the CCB Graduate Student Organization board.

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Kern Hast

Graduate Student (krh116@scarletmail.rutgers.edu)

B.E., University of Florida

Designer Functional Nucleic Acids

Surface Functionalization and Biomaterials

DNA Computing

Kern obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Florida. He specialized in biomaterials, cell biology, and materials chemistry in his undergraduate research and then worked in industry as an engineer. Kern is a professional fencer, teaching fencing to youngsters. He fearlessly dives into complex problems in biotechnology and comes up with ideas to solve them. When the idea makes sense, he occasionally performs fencing moves.

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Melih Baci

Graduate Student (mb1941@scarletmail.rutgers.edu)

Surface Functionalization, Biomaterials

Microbiology

Functional Small Molecules

M.Sc., Texas A & M University

B.Sc., Bilkent University

Melih obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Bilkent University, Turkey. In his first year of undergrad, he successfully competed in the International Chemistry Olympiad in London. He then moved to Texas A&M University and earned his Master's degree by studying metal-organic frameworks for capture and degradation of organic pollutants.

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Liming Wang

Graduate Student (lw641@scarletmail.rutgers.edu)

Designer Aptamers, Ribozymes, and Biosensors

Artificial Cells

Functional Small Molecules

B.Sc., Peking University

Liming received his Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Peking University. During his undergraduate studies, he worked on allosteric inhibitor development and gained major skills in organic synthesis and in vitro enzyme kinetics.

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Marquel Joshua Dresel

Graduate Student (mjd458@scarletmail.rutgers.edu)

B.Sc., University of Minnesota

Functional Small Molecules

Biosensors

Mark Graduated with his B.Sc in chemistry from the University of Minnesota. There he worked towards the development of lanthanide-based anion sensors and phosphorescent probes. He is a long way from growing up on a cattle ranch competing in rodeos to using all the stir plates in the lab. He has only three fears: excel graphs, poor column resolution, the oxford comma and counting.  

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Zayna Bajwa

Undergraduate Student (zab25@scarletmail.rutgers.edu)

Artificial Cells

Molecular Biology and Microbiology

Cell Biology and Neuroscience

Rutgers University

Zayna is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry of Microbial Systems at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. She is interested in studying neurodegenerative diseases and the protein chemistry underlying them. She enjoys learning about evolutionary chemistry and genetics. In her free time, she enjoys reading and playing video games. She’s currently learning how to play the guitar.

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Caitlin Yeung

Undergraduate Student (cy285@scarletmail.rutgers.edu)

Protein Engineering and Enzyme Modification

Molecular Biology and Microbiology

Biochemistry of Microbial Systems

Rutgers University

Caitlin is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry of Microbial Systems at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. She has interests in infectious diseases, virology, and immunology and hopes to work in industry. She enjoys learning about new concepts and is determined to gain a new perspective on the applications of chemistry. She also draws portraits in her spare time. And friends describe her as being like a cat.

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Hakan Guven

Undergraduate Student (hg373@scarletmail.rutgers.edu)

Membrane Chemistry

Functional Small Molecules

Chemistry

Rutgers University

Hakan is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry with an emphasis on chemical biology at the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences. He is interested in synthetic organic chemistry and is fascinated with the interplay of biochemistry and physiology. During his senior year at Upper St. Clair High School, he was a finalist at the ACS 2021 US National Chemistry Olympiad. Outside of the lab, Hakan plays and teaches piano. He enjoys solving intricate puzzles and playing chess. His favorite season is winter, when he can go snowboarding with his friends.

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Haia Mohsen

Undergraduate Student (haia@berkeley.edu)

Designer Functional Nucleic Acids

Functional Small Molecules

Molecular and Cellular Biology

University of California, Berkeley

Haia is a visiting undergraduate student from UC Berkeley, where she is currently studying Molecular and Cellular Biology with a concentration in Neurobiology. She hopes to conduct research in the future on the underlying causes and potential treatments of neurodegenerative diseases. In her free time, she enjoys reading books, writing, and visiting museums and art exhibits.

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Aditya Sivakumar

Undergraduate Student (as3467@scarletmail.rutgers.edu)

Designer Functional Nucleic Acids

Functional Small Molecules

Chemistry

Rutgers University

Aditya is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry with a focus on chemical biology in the School of Arts and Sciences. He is interested in synthetic organic chemistry and desires to learn more about its application to biologically relevant systems. In his free time Aditya enjoys cycling and baking.

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Naiya Bharvard

High School Student (nbharvad25@lawrenceville.org)

Designer Functional Nucleic Acids

Molecular Reporters

STEM

The Lawrenceville School

Naiya is a high school student currently attending The Lawrenceville School, a private boarding school located in Lawrenceville, NJ. She is an ACS Project SEED fellow, working on the chemistry of fluorogenic aptamer systems. She hopes to pursue premed during her undergraduate years and in turn attend medical school. In her free time, she loves to dance, watch movies, and spend time with her family.

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Mahazabin Akther 

High School Student (mahazabinaa@gmail.com)

Designer Functional Nucleic Acids

Molecular Reporters

STEM

Piscataway High School

Mahazabin is a rising senior currently attending Piscataway High School, located in Piscataway, NJ, where she is a member of the engineering academy. She is an ACS Project SEED student, learning about fluorogenic aptamer systems. She hopes to major in chemical engineering during college and pursue graduate studies. During her free time, she enjoys crocheting, reading, and solving puzzles.

Alumni

Postdoctoral Fellows

Zhaojun (John) Jia

(2019–2021)

Ph.D., Peking University

Rhia Stone

(2020–2022)

Ph.D., The University of Queensland

Huseyin Erguven

(2020–2022)

Ph.D., McGill University

Graduate Students

Ruchi Yadav

(2018–2019)

M.Sc., IIT, Bombay

Bryan Gutierrez

(2017–2023)

B.Sc., Pacific Lutheran University

Undergraduate Students

Thaybeth I. Malavé Méndez

(RISE Fellow, Summer 2018)

B.Sc., Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras

Dylan Schroeder

(2017–2019)

B.Sc., Environmental & Biological Sciences, Rutgers

Jiayu Zhang

(2017–2019)

B.Sc., Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Rutgers

Kyle White

(2018–2019)

B.Sc., Environmental & Biological Sciences, Rutgers

Emmanuel F. Rivera Iglesias

(RISE Fellow, Summer 2019)

B.Sc., Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras

Bhavya Shah

(2017–2019)

B.Sc., Environmental & Biological Sciences, Rutgers

George Guanga 

(2019–2020)

B.Sc., Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers

Camden De Sanctis

(2021)

B.Sc., Biological Sciences

Rutgers

Sammy Hansali

(2022)

B.Sc., Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Rutgers

Jonathan Hong

(2019–2021)

B.Sc., Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers

Tian You

(2018–2019)

B.Sc., Chemistry

Jilin University, China

David Dejoz

(2022–2023)

B.Sc., Chemistry

University of Valencia

High School Students

Anton Krotenok

(Summer 2018)

Woodbridge Academy for Allied Health and Biomedical Sciences

ACS Project SEED

Muhammad Sharaf

(Summer 2019)

Edison High School

ACS Project SEED

Mei Kim

(Summer 2022)

Edison High School

ACS Project SEED

Aisha Mansoor

(Summer 2019)

Franklin High School

ACS Project SEED

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