Members

Current Members

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

Oluwatobi (Tobi) Aderotoye  (2021-present)
Freshman Seminar Teaching Fellowship (Fall of 2023)
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)

Sophia Brooks (2023 Spring-present)
Dow-SURE  Scholar (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.

Kaylah Callender (2024 Summer-present)
Howard University,  Junior Major: Biology, Minor: Chemistry


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




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


Edward Onochie (2023 Fall-present)
Dow-SURE  Scholar (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. 

Njideka (Gigi) Maduakor (2023 Fall-present)
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)

Kaylee Mckinney (2024 Spring-present)
Major: Chemical Engineering,
Hometown: Virginia


Tryston McCaskill (2024 Spring-present)
Howard University,  Major: Chemical Engineering

Hometown: Houston TX

Research Interests:

Fatima Saccoh (2024 Spring-present)
Howard University,  Major: Chemical Engineering, Minor: Math


Past Members (Graduates and Postdocs)

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)

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

Raiyan Rashid  (2021-2024)
Dow-SURE  Scholar (2023)
BS (Major in Chemistry and Biology), Howard University  (2024)
COAS Honors Program in Chemistry
raiyan.rashid@bison.howard.edu
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) 

 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.

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.

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

Research Interests:

Lipidome of insects and bacteria

Solid-state NMR characterization of SLN

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:

Research Interests:

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:

Research Interests:

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

Angeline Nguyen  (2012-2014)

Honors Thesis entitled “Carbon Metabolism in Lipid-Producing Nitrogen-Starved Chlamydomonas reinhardtii” 

University of Houston College of Optometry (Fall 2014)

Kareen Shaw  (2012-2013) 


Lai Jiang  (2012)

BSc: Baylor University (2012)
UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas 

Jehanzeb Khan  (2011-2013)


Linda Ou (2012)

Undergraduate Research Assistant (Summer 2012)

BSc: Baylor University 

Tarin Ahemed (2012)

Undergraduate Research Assistant (Summer 2012)

BSc: Baylor University 

Department of Chemistry/ Howard University/ Chemistry Building (CHB)/ 525 College Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20059