MEET THE TEAM
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KC Mei, PhD MRes BS Pharmacy
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Molecular Pharmaceutics
Experimental Therapeutics
Biological Chemistry -

Zitao Ma, MSc BS Pharmacy
PHD STUDENT
Molecular Pharmaceutics -

Kordell Welch
PHD STUDENT - ROTATION
Bioscience - Biological Chemistry -

Collin Clark
PHD STUDENT - ROTATION
Bioscience - Biological Chemistry -

Join Us | PhD Student Opening
PhD Student Opening Available for Fall 2025 × 1 and 2026 × 1 intakes via the Molecular Pharmaceutics & Bioscience - Biological Chemistry programs.
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STARS T32 Fellowships
Postdoc/PhD Student Fellowships Available via the Utah CTSI STARS T32 Training Program
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Max B. Sumicad
BS Biomed Eng 27
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Arielle Tsai, MSc BS Pharmacy
RESEARCH SPECIALIST
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OKI
Tech Support
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LER^2
Tech Support
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MILU
Tech Support
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May 2025
Biotage no more! Moe graduated as an ACS certified chemist with an honors thesis studying inorganic chemistry.
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May 2025
Maeko, Sunny, and the newly graduated MEI lab survivors, Katelyn, Sho, Taylor, Willis, and Moe
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Jan 2025
Busy working on primary cell isolation and immune analysis!
Maeko, Sherman, Vincnet, Reena, Zitao -
Dec 2024
End-of-year dinner after our last lab meeting of 2024
Zitao, Reena, Vincent, KC -

July 2024
We are celebrating our first NIH grant - and the successful completion of a new in vivo experiment.
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June 2024
Attending the annual Cell and Gene Therapy conference in Philidephilia
Ziitao, Yuanjun, Arian, Mei, Arielle, Yuli, Vincent
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May 2024
Jo, Sherman, Arian, Willis, Aarnav
Arianna, Sho
Sunny, Greshma,
Sri, Maeko, Vincent
Katelyn, Shannon, Evelyn
(Missing: Yuanjun, Shivani, Moe & Tylor)
*Nagasri, Greshma, Sunny, and Arianna are graduating from BU
** Katelyn is entering the PharmD program at Binghamton University -

June 2023
Willis (back), Nagasri Moe (blue coat), James, Katelyn, and Evelyn (front)
Alumni
University of Utah
SUNY Binghamton (2022 - 2025: Alumni# 32)
Postdocs
Reena Jatyan, PhD (2024-2025)⇨ Postdoc, Conroy Sun/Gaurav Sahay Lab, Oregon State University, College of Pharmacy , July 25 -
Pu-Sheng (Vincent) Wei, PhD (2023-2025) ⇨ Assistant Professor, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Aug 25 -
MSc Student
Nagasri (Sri) Thota | MS Pharm. Sci. 24 ⇨ Scientist II, Parexel/Merck, Philadelphia ⇨ Scientist, Alta Sciences, Seattle
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Class of 2027
Shivani Manimaran | BS Biochem 27
Amira Castillo | BS Biology 27
Mia Chen | BS Biochem 27
Class of 2026
Maeko Plotena | BS Biochem 26
Sherman Yen | BS Biochem 26
Joseph Galperin | BS Biochem 26
Damian Zhao | BS Biochem 26
Sophia Kladias | BS Biol. Chem. 26
Arian Rahman | BS Integrative Neuroscience 26
Class of 2025
Shotaro Odaka | BS Biochem 25 ⇨ RA, SUNY Binghamton (J. Fetse Lab)
Shannon Wodicka | BA Biology 25 ⇨ PharmD, SUNY Buffalo, 2029
Evelyn Chang | BS Integrative Neuroscience 25 ⇨ PhD Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, U Florida (F. Zhang Lab) 2030
Tyler Friedlander | BS Biochem 25 ⇨ PhD Med Chem & Mol. Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue, 2030
Moe Fakhri | BS Chemistry 25 (Hons, ACS certified) ⇨ Clinical Lab Tech., Syracuse NY
Willis Ng | BS Biochem ⇨ MD, Albany Medical College 2029
Yuanjun Wang | BS Biochem 25
Aarnav Gharse | BS Integrative Neuroscience 25 ⇨ MD, Rutgers NJMS 2029
Class of 2024
Arianna Anderson | BS Biology 24 ⇨ RA, Cold Spring Harbor Lab (C. Amor Lab)
Katelyn Woo | BA Biochem 25 ⇨ PharmD, SUNY Binghamton 2028
Sunjae (Sunny) Lee | BS Biochem 24 ⇨ RA, Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine (W. Béguelin/Melnick Lab)
Greshma John | BS Integrative Neuroscience 24 ⇨ Mount Sinai, NYC
Jeffery Purnomo | Fall 22, Spring 23, Fall 23 | ⇨ Production Associate · Enzo Biochem Inc, NY
Allen Ni | BCHM497 | Spring 23, Fall 23 | ⇨ Dental Assistant, NYC
PharmD
Kahaan Shah, PharmD 28
Mariya Khan, PharmD 26
Cierra Girardi, PharmD 26
Nikki Crowley, PharmD 26
Akeile Smith, PharmD 26
Summer Intern
James Johnson | ANTH595 | MS Biomed Anthropology 24 (via the Fleishman Center Internship Fund)
UCLA (2018 - 2020: Alumni# 3)
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Mercedeh Khazaieli | BS Biophys ⇨ MS, Duke ⇨ MD, CUSM
Michelle Chiang | BS MCDB ⇨ DDS, School of Dentistry, UCLA 2025
Branda Melano | BS MCDB ⇨ Ph.D., School of Pharmacy, UCSF (Sweed-Cordero Lab)