POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS |
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Dr. Ankita Paul
PhD Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (Mumbai, India) MSc Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Dhanbad (Jharkhand, India) Ankita is from Kolkata (India) and obtained her master's from IIT (ISM) Dhanbad in 2017. For her Ph.D., she joined Prof. Suvarn S. Kulkarni’s group at IIT Bombay. Here, she was involved in synthesizing complex glycans (Proteus penneri 26, Proteus vulgaris TG155 and Vibrio cholerae O43) containing less-explored, rare sugars; additionally, she synthesized fluoro- analogues of rare sugars to study inhibition of glycan biosynthesis in H. Pylori. Post-graduation, she joined Prof. Hsieh-Wilson’s group at Caltech as postdoctoral fellow and is interested in designing synthetic routes to access libraries of heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate tetrasaccharides with diverse sulfation patterns. In her free time, Ankita loves to read, watch movies and cook. email: apaul17[at]caltech[dot]edu |
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Dr. Rajat Singh
PhD Chemistry, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (Potsdam, Germany) MSc Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) Rajat is originally from Uttar Pradesh (India) and obtained his master's degree from IITB in 2018. After receiving his master’s degree, he moved to Germany and joined Prof. Peter H. Seeberger's group, where he synthesized oligosaccharides for the development of carbohydrate-based vaccine candidates against Streptococcus suis Serotype 18 and Candida auris. Then, he moved to Pasadena and joined Prof. Hsieh-Wilson's group for his postdoc, where he is working on synthesizing chondroitin sulfate and heparan sulfate. In his free time, Rajat enjoys watching cricket matches. email: rsingh[at]caltech[dot]edu |
GRADUATE STUDENTS |
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Alex Sorum
Graduate Student, Chemistry BS Biology & Chemistry, Augsburg University Alex is originally from the suburbs of Minneapolis, MN and carried out his undergraduate studies at Augsburg University. After graduating in 2013, he moved to Frederick, MD and worked at the National Cancer Institute as a Post-Baccalaureate Fellow under Dr. Jordan Meier. While at the NCI, Alex worked on lysine acetyltransferases, exploring their metabolic regulation by endogenous metabolites and also developing a platform for high-throughput screening of chemical inhibitors. He then came to Caltech and joined the Hsieh-Wilson group where he is working on structure-functions studies of HS and the development of next-generation GAG mimetics. When not in lab, Alex can be found cooking, doing DIY projects and singing. email: asorum[at]caltech[dot]edu |
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Gracie Zhang
Graduate Student, Chemistry BA Chemistry, Washington University in St. Louis Gracie grew up in Louisville, KY and earned her BA in Chemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry at WashU. While there, she worked in the lab of Dr. Kevin Moeller to synthesize analogs of the natural product YM-254890, a selective Gαq inhibitor. She then came to sunny Pasadena to attend Caltech and joined the Hsieh-Wilson group. She is working to develop biologic tools to study glycosaminoglycans, and studying the role of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans in neuroinflammation and axon regeneration. When she isn't in lab, she can be found climbing big rocks, tending to her houseplants, attending concerts, and eating her way through LA. email: gzhang[at]caltech[dot]edu |
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Helena Awad
Graduate Student, Chemistry MA Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Wesleyan University BA Chemistry & Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Wesleyan University Helena is from Boston, MA. She conducted undergrad research in Dr. Manju Hingorani’s lab at Wesleyan University, where she investigated the impact of cancer-linked, single amino acid mutations on the ATPase and DNA binding activities of MutS, a protein in the DNA mismatch repair pathway. In the Hsieh-Wilson group, Helena is interested in exploring new routes and applications of chemoenzymatic labeling of glycans such as fucose and sialic acid, as well as mechanisms of O-GlcNAcylation. Outside of the lab, Helena spends her time rescuing bunnies from the streets of Los Angeles. email: hawad[at]caltech[dot]edu |
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John Chapman
Graduate Student, Chemistry BS Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles Originally from Auburn, AL, John graduated from UCLA in 2020. While there, he studied responsive perfluorocarbon nanoemulsions for "smart" drug delivery in Dr. Ellen Sletten's lab. Now in the Hsieh-Wilson lab at Caltech, he is studying glycosaminoglycan sulfotransferases and the roles heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate play in the nervous system. Outside of lab, he likes to grill, climb smaller rocks, and go on adventures around southern California. email: jochapman[at]caltech[dot]edu |
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Cassie Cancemi
Graduate Student, Chemistry BS Biochemistry, Tufts University Cassie is originally from Long Island, NY and graduated from Tufts University in 2021, where she earned her BS in Biochemistry. At Tufts, she worked with Dr. Joshua Kritzer designing and studying the structure and cell penetration of synthetic peptides. Cassie then came to Caltech and joined the Hsieh-Wilson group, where she is working on developing small molecule inhibitors of GAG sulfotransferases. In her free time, Cassie enjoys doing art projects and petting every dog that crosses her path. email: ccancemi[at]caltech[dot]edu |
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Jamie Takashima
Graduate Student, Chemistry BS Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Arizona Jamie grew up in Mountain View, CA and earned their BS in Chemistry and BS in Biochemistry at the University of Arizona. During their undergraduate research, they studied the interactome of the chemotactic receptor cAR1 in the lab of Prof. Pascale Charest. In the Hsieh-Wilson group, they are interested in studying the role of the O-GlcNAc modification in modulating protein dynamics at both the systems and protein levels. In their free time, Jamie enjoys biking, playing board games, and being bullied by their cat. email: jtakashi[at]caltech[dot]edu |
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Hailan Yu
Graduate Student, Chemistry BA Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Franklin & Marshall College Hailan is from Beijing, China. She graduated from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 2022 with a major in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a minor in Psychology. While at Franklin & Marshall, she worked on synthesizing an antimicrobial natural product holomycin and its derivatives with Dr. Sarah Tasker and comparing the thermotolerance of recombinant coral and algal cytosolic malate dehydrogenase with Dr. Peter Fields. Here in the Hsieh-Wilson lab, Hailan works on synthesizing heparan sulfate and understanding the relationship between heparan sulfate structure and protein binding. Outside of the lab, she enjoys singing, jogging, reading, and making loose leaf tea. email: hailanyu[at]caltech[dot]edu |
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Maia Helterbrand
Graduate Student, Chemistry BS Chemistry, Rice University Maia grew up in the Bay Area and graduated from Rice University in 2022, where she earned her BS in Chemistry. At Rice, she worked with Dr. Jeffrey Hartgerink designing and synthesizing collagen mimetic peptides to target different collagen receptors. Maia then came to Caltech and joined the Hsieh-Wilson group where she is interested in studying how differential expression of adaptor proteins can impact O-GlcNAcylation. Outside of lab, Maia loves playing board and card games, exploring different coffee shops, drinking tea, and having TV show and movie marathons with friends. email: mhelterb[at]caltech[dot]edu |
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Andrew Schilling
Graduate Student, Chemistry BS Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology Andrew is from Monticello, GA and graduated from Georgia Tech with a BS in Biochemistry in 2023. While there he worked under Dr. Nicholas Hud, synthesizing prebiotically plausible biomolecules and studying their supramolecular assemblies so as to nonenzymatically promote oligomerization. In the Hsieh-Wilson lab, Andrew is interested in developing tools to understand HS–protein interactions and their subsequent biological consequences. Outside, Andrew can be found hiking, playing the piano, or exploring Pasadena. email: aschilli[at]caltech[dot]edu |
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Sophia Gonzalez
Graduate Student, Chemistry BS Chemistry, Emory University Sophia is from Seattle, WA and graduated from Emory University with a BS in chemistry. While at Emory, she worked with Dr. Christine Dunham investigating the structural and molecular basis of bacterial persistence by type II toxin-antitoxin modules, gene pairs that encode for toxin proteins which function as ribonucleases. In the Hsieh-Wilson lab, Sophia is interested in studying the role of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans in the formation of perineuronal nets and their consequent effects on regeneration and neuroplasticity. Outside of the lab she enjoys pickup soccer and hammocking with her dog. email: smgonzal[at]caltech[dot]edu |
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Stefan Hansel
Graduate Student, Chemistry BS Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Tufts University Stefan grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts, and graduated from Tufts University in 2023, majoring in Biochemistry and Biotechnology with a minor in German. At Tufts, he worked on synthesizing selectively deuterated methylglyoxal with Dr. Rebecca Scheck, gaining insight into the complex chemical mechanism of glycation. In the Hsieh-Wilson lab, Stefan is working on synthesizing heparan sulfate oligosaccharides to probe the binding preferences of different heparan sulfate interactors. When not in lab, Stefan helps lead the Volleyball Club at Caltech, and relaxes by playing video games while petting his cat. email: shansel[at]caltech[dot]edu |
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Annette Luymes
Administrative Coordinator Annette is originally from Provo, UT where she spent most of her childhood before moving to Taipei, Taiwan. She returned to Provo and graduated with a BA from Brigham Young University. She has lived in Pasadena for the past 30+ years and raised a family all while working in various administrative support positions in the community. She joined the Hsieh-Wilson lab as the Administrative Coordinator in 2017. When not in the office she can be found in the kitchen trying a new recipe, reading a great book, or traveling the world with her husband. Her dog, Dixie, is the unofficial lab mascot. |
