The Kim Group

Members

Current Members

Sung Kim
Assiociate Professor
sung.kim@howard.edu
Ph.D.: Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine (Molecular Biophysics/Biochemistry, The Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences)

Tosin Adeola (2024 Fall-present)

Bsc. Biochemistry - Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria.
Hometown: Ondo State, Nigeria

Research interests: Peptidoglycome of Bacteria: Investigating the structural analysis and chemical composition of peptidoglycan layers across bacteria species using advanced analytical techniques such as Solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Mass Spectrometry (MS). Also, exploring how modifications in peptidoglycan structure contribute to antibiotic resistance, particularly with regard to beta-lactam antibiotics and glycopeptides.

Sydnei Bullock (2025 Fall-present)
Howard University, Chemistry MS

Morgan Gabrielle (2025 summer-present)
Major: Biology
Minor: Chemistry, Psychology, and Political Science triple minor.

Research Interests: Crystallization of vancomycin and application of Molecular Dynamics Simulations (MDS) to investigate the stability of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) with varying cholesterol ratios, focusing on how these differences influence particle size and binding properties.

Past Members (Graduate Students and Postdocs)

Oluwatobi (Tobi) Aderotoye (2021 Fall - 2024 Fall)
Freshman Seminar Teaching Fellowship (Fall of 2023 & 2024)
MS in Chemistry (Howard University: April 26, 2024)
BS: Howard University (Majors: Chemistry and Political Science)
oluwatobi.aderotoye@bison.howard.edu

MS thesis titled "Exploring the Influence of Fatty Acids and Emulsifiers on the Physicochemical Properties of Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLN)"

Binayak Rimal (2016 - 2018)
Ph.D. Biomedical Science Program at Baylor University (9/2021)
M.S. Kantipur College of Medical Science, Nepal (Microbiology)
B.S. Tribhuvan University, Nepal (Microbiology)

Postdoc in the lab Dr. Gyanu Lamichihane (Johns Hopkins)

Patrick (Olatunde ) Olademehin (2016 - 2018)

Computational Chemist at Emerald Cloud Lab
Ph.D. Chemistry at Baylor University (2021)
MS: University of Jos (Physical Chemistry)
BS: University of Jos (Chemistry)

Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at St. Mary's University

Frank (Chengyin) Liu (2016 - 2019)

Ph.D Program at Georgetown Medical School
MS: Baylor University (Biochemistry)
BS: Baylor University (Chemistry)

James Chang (2012-2017)

Ph.D: Baylor University (Biochemistry)
MS: University of California, San Diego (Biochemistry)
BS: California Institute of Technology (Chemistry)

Postdoc in the lab of Dr. Anthony Maresso (BCM)

Kshetrimayum Jugeshwar Singh (2012-2013)

Postdoctoral Research Associate
Ph.D: Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (Physics)
Indian Institute of Science, Assistant Professor of Physics, Bangalore, India.

Nelson van der Velde (2013-2014)

Postdoctoral Research Associate
Ph.D: Baylor University (Chemistry, Advisor: Dr. Garner)
BSc: Universidad Central de Venezuela (Chemistry)
Buckman Laboratories (Houston, TX), chemicals for water treatment.

Yao Zhang

Graduate Student (Ph.D Biochemistry Program)
MS: Peking University (Biology)
BS: Peking University (Medicine)

Alireza Abdolvahabi (2012)

Graduate Student

Jing Wu (Advisor: Dr. Myeongwoo Lee)

Graduate Student (MS Biology program at Baylor University)

MPH at UT Arlington

Past Undergraduate Research Assistants

Kaylah Callender (2024 Summer-2025 Summer)
Dow-SURE Scholar (2024)
Howard University, Junior Major: Biology, Minor: Chemistry

Research: 1) The effects of cholesterol on the physicochemical properties of LNP. 2) FTIR characterization of H3K27me3 demethylase suppression on diapausing Culex pipiens (Publication).

Sophia Brooks (2023 Spring - 2025 Summer)
Dow-SURE Scholar (2024, 2023)
Howard University, Major:
sophia.brooks@bison.howard.edu

Research Interests: Determining the effects of emulsifiers on the stability of lipid nanoparticles and their physiochemical properties.

Kelaiah Carey (2024 Fall - 2025 Spring)

Cameron Paxton (2024 Fall)
Howard University, Major: Mathematics, Minor: Chemistry

Cameron Paxton is a first-year undergraduate student at Howard University, majoring in mathematics and minoring in chemistry, from Los Angeles, California. He is a member of the 8th cohort of Howard University’s Karsh STEM Scholars Program with research interests surrounding the intersection of mathematics and physics, and medical applications. He has a keen interest on researching the cellular responses to various environmental affects at the molecular level to improve clinical care.

Cheyenne Scott (2025)
Senior Biology Major from South Carolina.

Jahnay Cummings (2024 Summer Research)
Howard University, Senior Major: Biology

Edward Onochie (2023 Fall-present)
Dow-SURE Scholar (2024, 2023)
Howard University, Major:
edward.onochie@bison.howard.edu

Research Interests: Improving the stability of Solid Lipid Nanoparticles by exploring the tunable properties and different combinations of Ionic liquids.

Tyler Booker (2024 Summer)
NIH URISE recipient (2024)
Howard University, Senior
Major: Clinical Laboratory Sciences
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

Njideka (Gigi) Maduakor (2023 Fall-2024)
Howard University, Major: Biology
njideka.maduakor@bison.howard.edu

Research Interests: Carbon flux analysis of C. pipiense
BIOL-390 Independent Investigation titled "FTIR Analysis of Lipid Composition" (December, 2023)

Raiyan Rashid (2021-2024)
Dow-SURE Scholar (2023)
BS (Major in Chemistry and Biology), Howard University (2024)
COAS Honors Program in Chemistry
linkedin.com/in/raiyan-rashid/
Research Interests: Development of lipid nanoparticles as a vehicle for antibacterial against emerging multi-drug resistant pathogens. Senior Honors Thesis entitled “Impact of Fatty Acyl Chain Length on Physicochemical Properties of Solid Lipid Nanoparticles” (April 2024). Currently attending Purdue University (Fall 2024), Ph.D. program in Biomedical Sciences.

Jesenia Wofford (2023 Spring-2024)
Dow-SURE Scholar (2023)
BS (Major in Chemistry), Howard University (2024)
Jesenia.wofford@bison.howard.edu

Research Interests: Dermatological applications of solid lipid nanoparticles.
Graduated from Howard University

Kaleah Williams (2023 Fall)
Howard University, Major: Biology
kaleah.williams@bison.howard.edu

Research Interests: Translation and clinical neuroscience and cellular and molecular neuroscience.

Jayden Bryant (2022 Fall-2023 Summer)
Howard University, Major: Biology
jayden.bryant@bison.howard.edu

Research Interests: Lipid composition analysis of diapausing Culex pipiens.

Chloe Post (2022 Fall-2023)
Dow-SURE Scholar (2022)
Howard University, COAS Honors Chemistry Major; Math and Biology Minor.
chloe.post@bison.howard.edu

Research Interests: Nuclear Chemistry and Geothermal Energy.
Attending Arizona State University

Alani Miller (2021)
Howard University, Senior, Major: Human Development, Minor: Biology and Chemistry, Alani.miller@bison.howard.edu

Nuha Mohammed (2021-2022)
Howard University, Major:
nuha.mohammed@bison.howard.edu

Research Interests:
Systems Biology, Data Science

Currently enrolled in Howard University College of Medicine

Lydia Jiles (2023 Spring-2023 Summer)
Howard University, Major:

Shanell Cunningham (2023 Spring-2023 Summer)
Howard University, COAS Honors Chemistry, and Spanish major; Biology minor.
Shanell.cunningham@bison.howard.edu

Research Interests: Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceuticals

Christopher Willingham (2023 Spring-2023 Fall)
Howard University, Major:

Michael Denson (2023 Spring-2023 Fall)
Howard University, Senior, Health Science Major, Chemistry Minor, Predental.

Future Research Interests: oral cancer research and breast cancer research

Donald Streater (2019 - 2020)

Howard University (Biology Major)

donald.streater at bison.howard.edu
"Understanding the carbon utilization in Culex pipiens during overwintering as a survival strategy"

Jalyn Dickens (2019 - 2020)

Howard University (Biology Major & Chemistry Minor)
jalyn.dickens at bison.howard.edu
"A review of glycopeptide antibiotics"

Cary Robinson (2019 - 2020)

Howard University (Junior, Biology Major & Chemistry Minor)
From New Jersey with research interests in biochemistry and Neuroscience.
Personal interests include reading, football and sudoku.
cary.robinson at bison.howard.edu
"Principal component analysis overview and relation to biochemistry"

Jessicah Ebiringa (2019 - 2021)

Undergraduate Student (Howard University)

Robert Africa (2017 – 2018)

Tara Hurley (2016 – 2018)

Aanchal Thadani (2015 – 2018)

Thanh Nguyen (2016 – 2018)

Honors Thesis entitled "Molecular changes in Staphylococcus aureus fem (factors essential for methicillin resistance) mutants, analyzed via Mass Spectrometry "

Ashley Wallace (2014-2016)

The University Scholar

Honors Thesis entitled “Characterization of Cell Wall Peptidoglycan in Enterococcus faecalis Biofilm Using Stable Isotope Labeling by Amino Acids in Cell Culture”

UTSW Medical School

Lauryn Coffman (2014 – 2017)

Biochemistry Major

Alex Guinn (2014-2016)

Vancomycin-resistant S. aureus

UTSW Medical School

Erin Foster (2013-2015)

The University Scholar

Honors Thesis entitled “The Effects of Vancomycin on the Structure of Cell Wall Peptidoglycan of vanB-type Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecalis by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry”

Baylor College of Medicine

Rebecca Ramirez (2014-2016)

Vancomycin-resistant S. aureus

Jeremy Sieker (2015 – 2017)

The University Scholar Program

MSTP at UCSD

Elizabeth Hughes (Luper) (2012-2014)

Honors Thesis entitled “The Effects of D-Amino Acids on Staphylococcus aureus SA113 Biofilm Formation”
University of Texas Southwestern (Fall 2014), Sebastian Winter Lab