Former Graduate Students
Damilola Ademola-Green, M.S.
M.S. in Medicinal Chemistry, 2021. Capstone project: "Towards the Discovery of Covalent APOBEC3G Ligands"
Jared Anderson, Ph.D.
Patent Agent, Davis, Graham and Stubbs (Denver, CO)
Ph.D. in Chemistry, 2025. Thesis: “Development of Targeted Degraders and Allosteric Ligands of NF-κB Inducing Kinase (NIK): Synthesis, Biochemical, and Biophysical Evaluation Studies”
Tim Andrews, M.S.
Study Director - Team Lead, TÜV SÜD (New Brighton, MN)
M.S. in Medicinal Chemistry, 2013. Thesis: "Enhancing the Potency and Water Solubility of the Sesquiterpene Lactone Parthenolide" (pdf)
Anand Divakaran, Ph.D.
Scientist, Vicinitas Therapeutics (South San Francisco, CA)
Postdoctoral Researcher (Nomura lab), University of California - Berkeley
Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry, 2021. Thesis (co-advised with Prof. William Pomerantz): "Development and Cellular Evaluation of Selective N-terminal BET Bromodomain Inhibitors"
Michael Grillo, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist - Biochemistry and Biophysics, Jnana Therapeutics (Boston, MA)
Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry, 2023. Thesis: "Biochemical and Biophysical Assay Development for Screening and Characterization of Small Molecules and Synthesized Analogues Targeting Human Cytosine Deaminases”
Katherine Jones, Ph.D.
Scientist I - Biochemistry & Biophysics, Monte Rosa Therapeutics (Boston, MA)
Ph.D. in Chemistry, 2022. Thesis: "Development of Biophysical and Mass Spectrometry Assays for APOBEC3 Cytosine Deaminases: Discovery and Validation of Covalent and Non-covalent Ligands”
Samantha Kennelly, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar (Arkin lab), University of California - San Francisco
Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry, 2023. Thesis: "Synthesis and Characterization Studies of Nucleoside Analogues: Chemical Probes with Photochemically Controlled Properties and Phosphoramidate Pronucleotides as Antiviral Agents”
Maggie Olson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, Roosevelt University
Research Associate (Janda lab), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry, 2015. Thesis: "High-throughput Screening and Chemical Synthesis for the Discovery of APOBEC3 DNA Cytosine Deaminase Inhibitors" (pdf)
Kellan Passow, Ph.D.
Scientist II, Aligos Therapeutics (South San Francisco)
Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry, 2020. Thesis: "Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel Nucleoside Analogues: Development of Fluorescent, Bioorthogonal, and Antiviral Tool Compounds" (pdf)
Lauren Rault, M.S.
Scientist I, PPD/ThermoFisher (Madison, WI)
M.S. in Medicinal Chemistry, 2025. Capstone project: "Design, Synthesis, and Biological Activity of 2′-C-methylcytarabine”
Christopher (Chris) Richards, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist, Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Postdoctoral Researcher (Carette lab), Stanford University
Ph.D. in Pharmacology, 2018. Thesis (co-advised with Professor Reuben Harris): "HIV-1 Counteraction Mechanisms Versus APOBEC3-mediated Restriction" (pdf)
Nicholas (Nick) Struntz, Ph.D.
Investigator, Chemical Biology, GlaxoSmithKline (Collegeville, PA)
Postdoctoral Researcher (Koehler lab), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry, 2016. Thesis: "Synthesis of Photoresponsive Nucleosides and their Incorporation into Oligonucleotides: Targeting Androgen Receptor and NF-kappaB Transcription Factors" (pdf)
Jian Tang, Ph.D.
Scientist, Bristol-Myers Squibb (South San Francisco)
Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry, 2022. Thesis: "Targeting Transcription Factors in Neuroblastoma: Development of Aurora Kinase A/N-Myc Degraders and ID2 Chemical Probes"
Dan Wang, M.S.
Senior Decision Analyst Architect, Visa
M.S. in Medicinal Chemistry, 2013. Thesis: "Synthesis and Evaluation of Parthenolide Analogues: Chemical Probes and Therapeutic Agents" (pdf)
John Widen, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist, Tenvie Therapeutics (South San Francisco)
Postdoctoral Researcher (Bogyo lab), Stanford University
Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry, 2017. Thesis: "Design and Synthesis of Natural Product-Inspired, Cysteine Reactive Probes toward Inhibition of Transcription Factors and Target Identification Studies" (pdf)
Former Postdoctoral Researchers
Connie Anderson, Ph.D. (2021-23)
Process Chemistry Scientist, Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Girish Bisht, Ph.D. (2022-24)
Assistant Professor, Uttarakhand, India
Dennis Brown, Ph.D. (2010-11)
Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manchester College
Dibyendu Dana, Ph.D. (2014-15)
Senior Scientist, Vaxxinity (Florida)
Ruben Eckermann, Ph.D. (2016-17)
Synthetic Chemist, CPL Sachse, Berlin
Tianshun Hu, Ph.D. (2009-12)
CEO and Co-Founder, Saccharid Biotech, Inc.
Aaron Kempema, Ph.D. (2012-14)
Director, Kezar Life Sciences, Inc., South San Francisco, CA
Fred Meece, Ph.D. (2009-10)
Senior Research Scientist, Texas Heart Institute
Brian White, Ph.D. (2009-10)
Technical Director, H.B. Fuller
Former Undergraduate and Professional Student Researchers
Jordan Baur (2015-21)
Stephanie Breunig (2014-16)
Senior Thesis: "Synthesis of APOBEC3 Inhibitors Based on High-Throughput Screening Hits, and a New Method for the Formation of [1,2,4]-triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]-oxadiazoles"
Tenley Brown (2013-15)
Senior Thesis: "Synthesis and Biochemical Studies of Structurally Simplified Helenalin Analogues"
Minh Bui (2019)
Rachel Cohen (2019)
David Cullen (2015-18)
Jacob Edwards (2012-14)
Senior Thesis: "Development and Synthesis of Activity-based Probes of Inflammatory Pathways"
Torie Grover (2011-12)
Nina Hawkins (2021)
Bo Hu (2012-15)
Monika Ladavicius (2022-23)
Ezra Menon (2010-13)
Tommy Millunchick (2018-20)
Senior Thesis: “Synthesis of Photochemically Responsive Nucleosides for Incorporation into DNA”
Jessica Nickelson (2013-14)
Caitlin Jokipii Krueger (2015-17)
Senior Thesis: “Synthesis of Photochemically Responsive Nucleosides for Incorporation into DNA”
Deborah Rodriguez (2019-21)
Allie Santini (2021)
Sydney Schmidt (2016-18)
Eva Skellie (2012-14)
Hannah Skopec (2016-17)
Sam Syberg (2018-20)
Vinh (Tim) Tran (2010)
Tram Vo (2012-13)
Former Laboratory Technicians
Alex Ayoub (2016-17)
Ella Haefner (2020-22)
Joseph Hexum (2009-15)
Henry Schares (2016-19)
Emma Smith (2023-24)
Please send position updates to Professor Harki.