Lab Members
POST-DOCS
Dr. Anupama Das
Anupama received her PhD in Carbohydrate chemistry from the Indian Institute of Science, India, under the supervision of Professor Narayanaswamy Jayaraman in 2021. During the graduate program, she worked on the development of novel glycosylation methods for allyl glycosides and its application in glycan synthesis.
In 2022, she joined Professor Alexei V. Demchenko’s group as a postdoctoral researcher.
Dr. Gustavo Kashiwagi
I am a nikkei nisei born in Argentina. I received my Chemistry and PhD degree from Universidad de Buenos Aires under the supervision of Dr. Carola Gallo Rodríguez at Centro de Investigaciones en Hidratos de Carbono (CIHIDECAR).
During my PhD, I worked on strategies for the chemical synthesis of oligosaccharides found in Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease. After that, I moved with a postdoctoral fellowship from National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET) to work on the chemical ecology of Chagas disease vector: Triatoma infestans, under the supervision of Dr. Gabriel Manrique and Dr. Paola González-Audino. The objective of this research was centered on the control of vectors using formulations with behavioral modifiers.
Thereafter, still thinking on how to perform better strategies to obtain complex oligosaccharides, in 2021 I joined Dr. Demchenko´s group as postdoctoral researcher.
Dr. Yogesh Sutar
Yogesh received his Ph.D. degree from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune under the supervision of Prof. Srinivas Hotha. He joined IISER Pune in Jan 2016 and worked as a glycochemist. His research was supported by CSIR. His research was particularly related to “Solid-phase Oligosaccharide Synthesis”. During his Ph.D. program, he worked on the development of various linkers and the synthesis of glycosidic linkages using gold/silver catalysts. Before joining Ph.D., he worked as a lecturer for PG students for two years (2014-2015) at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar College, Mahad, where he earned his bachelor’s and post-graduation degrees.
In 2023, he joined Professor Alexi V. Demchenko’s group as a postdoctoral researcher.
STUDENTS
Kevin Burke
I’m Kevin, and I am from Florissant Missouri. I went to high school At Duchesne Highschool in St. Charles, where I graduated in 2020. At SLU I’m getting a B.S in Chemistry and minoring in biology, with hopes to attend medical school after graduation.
He joined the lab in 2023.
Alessandra D’Amico
Alessandra D’Amico received her Master’s Degree in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Technology from University of Catania, Italy.
She joined the Demchenko lab in July 2022
Ashley Dent
Ashley Dent was born and raised in St. Charles, Missouri. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from University of Missouri St. Louis.
She joined the Demchenko lab in January of 2021.
Cece Fitz
Cece Fitz is an undergraduate working to get her degree in Chemical Biology and Pharmacology. She is also on the Saint Louis University Volleyball team. She hopes to go to pharmacy school and work in a hospital.
She joined the Demchenko lab in the Spring of 2023.
Nicholas Forsythe
Nick Forsythe finished his BS in Chemistry, Emphasis in Biochemistry, from University of Missouri – St. Louis in 2021 and promptly joined the laboratory of Professor Alexei Demchenko.
Research focuses on drug design and glycan synthesis.
Daniel Hoard
Daniel Hoard graduated from the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) with a BS in Chemistry in 2020. He began his Ph.D program at the same university in Fall 2020 under Dr. Alexei Demchenko.
Transferred to St. Louis University (SLU) in 2021 with Dr. Demchenko to complete his program. His research focuses on carbohydrate synthesis techniques and hopes to branch into automated synthesis.
Leah Liu
Sofia Malkun
My name is Sofia Melkun and I was born in Argentina but moved to the United States when I was 5 years old in 2006. I received my high school diploma from St. Joseph’s Academy in St Louis in 2019. During high school, the human body has never ceased to astound me with its diverse mechanisms working together to maintain our life. It is for this reason that I decided to pursue a BA in Biology at Saint Louis University.
After graduation, my goal is to attend medical school. Also, my plan is not only to attend graduate school to become a physician, but also to prepare for a career in research and teaching in medicine.
Emma Mize
Mariya Novakova
Mariya Iliyanova Novakova. Born on October 9, 1980 in Ruse, Bulgaria. Moved to Sliven, Bulgaria when I was 1 year old. Graduated from Foreign Languages Academy in June 1998. Moved to Saint Louis in May 2020. Graduated from University of Missouri – Saint Louis in December 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and biotechnology with a minor in chemistry.
Became a member of Glycoworld (and was very happy to do so) in June 2021.
Faranak Pooladian
Faranak Pooladian was born in Shiraz, Iran. She got her Bachelor’s degree in Applied Chemistry and her first Master’s degree in Physical Chemistry in Iran. She graduated from her second Master’s in Applied Chemistry at Southeast Missouri State University in 2021. She started a PhD Program at the Saint Louis University in 2021, where she joined the laboratory of Professor Alexei Demchenko.
Her research focuses on developing new reactions for carbohydrate synthesis.
Melanie Shadrick
Melanie Shadrick graduated from Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville with a BS in Biological Sciences in 2015 and a MS in Chemistry in 2018. She began a PhD Program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2018, where she joined the laboratory of Professor Alexei Demchenko.
Her research focuses on expanding HPLC automation to the synthesis of human milk oligosaccharides and other glycans to synthesis.
Shirley Syed
Shirley Syed is an undergraduate student at Saint Louis University. She grew up in Decatur, Illinois and now lives in Edwardsville, Illinois. She is majoring in Biochemistry (BS) and minoring in Women’s and Gender Studies on the pre-medicine track.
She joined Dr. Alexei Demchenko’s group in Spring 2022.
Chau Ta
Chau Ta finds instrumental analysis very captivating. The combination of various scientific theories give rise to chemical analysis instruments, such as NMR or IR spectroscopy. Once the characteristics of a compound has been identified, their optimum attribute plays an important role in many essential fields, namely everyday life or emergency medicine.
Rouzi Warrad
Joey Wise
Higher Purpose. Greater Good
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