Group Alumni

Harki Lab 2023
Harki group february 2021
Harki Group 2020
group photo
Harki Group 2010

Former Graduate Students

dami ademola-green

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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”
 

Chris Richards

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)

nick

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

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

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

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

Connie Anderson, Ph.D. (2021-23)
Process Chemistry Scientist, Vertex Pharmaceuticals

 

Girish Bisht

Girish Bisht, Ph.D. (2022-24)
Assistant Professor, Uttarakhand, India

 

dennis brown

Dennis Brown, Ph.D. (2010-11)
Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manchester College

 

dana

Dibyendu Dana, Ph.D. (2014-15)
Senior Scientist, Vaxxinity (Florida)

 

Ruben Eckermann

Ruben Eckermann, Ph.D. (2016-17)
Synthetic Chemist, CPL Sachse, Berlin

 

tian

Tianshun Hu, Ph.D. (2009-12)
CEO and Co-Founder, Saccharid Biotech, Inc.

 

aaron

Aaron Kempema, Ph.D. (2012-14)
Director, Kezar Life Sciences, Inc., South San Francisco, CA

 

fred meece

Fred Meece, Ph.D. (2009-10)
Senior Research Scientist, Texas Heart Institute

 

brian

Brian White, Ph.D. (2009-10)
Technical Director, H.B. Fuller

Former Undergraduate and Professional Student Researchers

jordan baur

Jordan Baur (2015-21)


 

Stephanie Breunig

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

Tenley Brown (2013-15)
Senior Thesis: "Synthesis and Biochemical Studies of Structurally Simplified Helenalin Analogues"

 

minh bui

Minh Bui (2019)


 

rachel cohen

Rachel Cohen (2019)


 

david cullen

David Cullen (2015-18)


 

Jacob Edwards

Jacob Edwards (2012-14)
Senior Thesis: "Development and Synthesis of Activity-based Probes of Inflammatory Pathways"
 
 

Torie

Torie Grover (2011-12)
 

 

nina hawkins

Nina Hawkins (2021)


 

Bo Hu

Bo Hu (2012-15)


 

Monika Ladavicius

Monika Ladavicius (2022-23)
 

 

Ezra

Ezra Menon (2010-13)
 

 

tommy millunchick

Tommy Millunchick (2018-20)
Senior Thesis: “Synthesis of Photochemically Responsive Nucleosides for Incorporation into DNA”
 
 

Jessica Nelson

Jessica Nickelson (2013-14)
 

 

caitlin puro

Caitlin Jokipii Krueger (2015-17)
Senior Thesis: “Synthesis of Photochemically Responsive Nucleosides for Incorporation into DNA”

 

deborah rodriguez

Deborah Rodriguez (2019-21)


 

allie santini

Allie Santini (2021)
 

 

sydney schmidt

Sydney Schmidt (2016-18)
 

 

Eva Skellie

Eva Skellie (2012-14)
 

 

hannah skopec

Hannah Skopec (2016-17)


 

sam syberg

Sam Syberg (2018-20)
 

 

Tim Tran

Vinh (Tim) Tran (2010)


 

Tram Vo

Tram Vo (2012-13)
 

Former Laboratory Technicians

alex ayoub

Alex Ayoub (2016-17)


 

Ella Haefner

Ella Haefner (2020-22)


 

Joe Hexum

Joseph Hexum (2009-15)


 

Henry Shares

Henry Schares (2016-19)


 

Emma Smith

Emma Smith (2023-24) 


 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

Please send position updates to Professor Harki.