Group Members

Professor Ohyun Kwon

B.S. 1987–1991, Seoul National University
M.S. 1991–1993, Seoul National University
Ph.D. 1995–1998, Columbia University
Postdoctoral Fellow, 1998-2001, Harvard University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Assistant Professor, 2001–2008, UCLA
Associate Professor, 2008–2013, UCLA
Full Professor, 2013–present, UCLA
2003 Amgen Young Investigator’s Award
2004 Faculty Career Development Award, UCLA
2005 Thieme Journal Award, Synthesis and Synlett
2005 Faculty Career Development Award, UCLA
2008 Glenn T. Seaborg Award
2008 Abbott Lecture, University of Notre Dame
2018 Boehringer Ingelheim Green Chemistry Award
2018 UC CAI Technology Development Award
2019 Novartis Chemistry Lectureship Award
2019 Plenary Lecture, 33th RACI Synthesis Symposia
2020 Herbert Newby McCoy Award
2023 Organic Reactions Lecture, University of Alberta
2024 Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award
2024 Plenary Lecture, 19th Brazilian Meeting on Organic Synthesis (BMOS)



Jingqiang Han
Post-doc
B.S. Shandong University
M.S. Lanzhou University
Ph.D Nankai University
jqhan90@g.ucla.edu

Yun-Zhao Wang
Post-doc
B.S. East China University of Science and Technology 2018
Ph.D. Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, CAS 2023
wangyunzhao123@g.ucla.edu


Tom Bunnell
Fifth year
B.A. College of the Holy Cross 2020
tbunnell@g.ucla.edu


Jacob Kim
Fifth year
B.S. Carnegie Mellon University 2020
jacobk285@chem.ucla.edu

Brady Dehnert
Fourth year
B.S. University of Oklahoma 2021
bdehnert@g.ucla.edu


Jeremy Dworkin
Fourth year
B.S. University of California, Berkeley 2021
jeremydworkin@g.ucla.edu

Elizabeth Croll

Third year
B.A. Macalester College 2020
eacroll@g.ucla.edu

Elizabeth Foker
Second year
B.S. Lafayette College 2023
elizabethfoker@g.ucla.edu


Cameron Jones
Second year
B.S. Rice University 2023
camscott12@chem.ucla.edu

Michelle Chen
Undergraduate
B.S. Expected 2025
mchen11@g.ucla.edu

Bedelia Law
Undergraduate
B.S. Expected 2026
bedelialaw419@g.ucla.edu


Clifford Leung
Rotation Student
B.S. University of California, San Diego 2020
M.S. University of San Francisco 2024
clleung@chem.ucla.edu

Ethan Prout
Rotation Student
B.S. Williams College 2024
esprout@g.ucla.edu

Jason Tuermer-Lee
Rotation Student
B.S. University of California, San Diego 2024
jxtl@g.ucla.edu


Jett Vuong
Rotation Student
B.S. University of California, Irvine 2023
jettv1@g.ucla.edu

Former Group Members

Maxim Ptacek
Undergraduate
B.S. Expected 2026


Tony Moreno
B.S. University of California, Davis 2018
Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles 2024


Lorena Yu Liao
B.S. University of California, San Diego 2022


Aris Rubio
B.S. University of California, Irvine 2022


Dr. Harekrishna Sahoo
Ph.D. Indian Institute of Technology Madras 2018


Ruoxi Wang
B.S. University of California, Berkeley 2018
Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles 2023


Dr. Justin Bae
Ph.D. Hanyang University 2020


Dr. Sujit Mahato
Ph.D. Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati


Youwei Yin
B.S. Xiamen University 2024


Bassel Lawand
B.S. University of California, Los Angeles Expected 2025


Aditya Desai
B.S. University of California, Los Angeles Expected 2025


Dr. Michal Šimek
B.S. Charles University 2012
Ph.D. Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences, CR 2022
Current Position: Post-doc, IOCB AS CR


Matthew Xie
B.S. University of California, Los Angeles 2022


Dr. Mohamed Hekal
B.S. Ain shams University 2007
Ph.D. Ain shams University 2014
Current Position: Associate Professor, Ain shams University


Dr. Zhiqi He
B.S. China Agricultural University 2007
Ph.D. Peking University 2016
Current Position: Post-doc, University of Wisconsin, Madison


Kathleen Cheasty
B.S. Radboud University 2020
M.S. Radboud University 2023
Ph.D. Wageningen University Expected 2027


Eric Lin
B.S. University of California, Los Angeles 2023


Giang Nguyen
2022 Undergraduate Researcher


Dr. Qiuyuan Tan
Ph.D. Chongqing University
Current Position: Post-doc, Brandeis University


Tiffany La
B.S.. University of California, Los Angeles 2023
Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles Expected 2029


Dr. Changmin Xie
B.S. Central China Normal University 2011
Ph.D. Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry 2017
Current Position: Post-doc, Brandeis University


Dr. Manisha Swain
B.S. Banaras Hindu University 2007
Ph.D. CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology 2016


Dr. Venkatesh Telugu
Ph.D. CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology
Current Position: Post-doc, University of Central Florida


Jason Quintana
B.S. University of California, Los Angeles 2017


AJ Hacker
B.S. Cal Poly SLO 2018


Maximilian McCallum
B.S. University of Denver 2019


Emma Bradley
B.S.. University of California, Los Angeles 2023
Current Position: Data Analyst, Rand Technology


Violet Chen
B.S. National Taiwan University 2015
Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles 2021
Current Position: Senior Scientist, Insilico Medicine Taiwan


Jason Wu
B.S.. University of California, Los Angeles 2021
Ph.D. Cornell University Expected 2026


Alex (Shixuan) Cao
2019-2020 Visiting Scholar, Nankai University


Dr. Xian-Rong Song
2019-2020 Visiting professor,
Ph.D. Lanzhou University 2015


Andy Smaligo
B.S. Millersville University 2015
Ph.D University of California, Los Angeles 2020
Current Position: Senior Scientist, Amgen


Bryan Yang
B.S. University of California, Los Angeles 2020
D.D.S. University of California, San Francisco 2024


Hassan Alsetri
2019-2020 Undergraduate Researcher, UCLA


Gusein Sadykhov
2019 Visiting Scholar


Dr. Aslam Shaikh
B.S. Arts Commerce and Science College Satral 2010
Ph.D. CSIR National Chemical Laboratory 2018
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar


Dr. Jiannan Zhao
B.S. Sichuan University 2010
Ph.D. Sichuan University 2015
Current Position: Professor, Dalian University of Technology


Yuting Hu
B.S. Nankai University 2018
Ph.D University of California, Santa Barbara 2023
Current Position: Process Chemist, PharmaBlock


Lingchao Cai
Ph.D University of California, Los Angeles 2017
Current Position: Professor, Nanjing Forestry University


Kui Zhang
Ph.D University of California, Los Angeles 2017
Current Position: Professor, Nanjing Forestry University


Craig Lee
B.S. University of California, San Diego 2011
Ph.D University of California, Los Angeles 2017
Current Position: Principal Scientist, Genentech


Nathan Dupper
B.S. Northwest Nazarene University 2011
Ph.D University of California, Los Angeles 2017
Current Position: Scientist II, Circle Pharma


Kelsey Williams
B.S. University of California, Los Angeles 2018
Current Position: Fusion Academy


Guan Wang
B.S. University of California, Los Angeles 2018


Nikkie Singh
B.S. University of California, Los Angeles 2018
MBA The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania 2024
Current Position: Therapeutic Area Manager, Genentech


Yi Chiao (Joseph) Fan
B.A. University of California, Davis 2008
Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles 2015
Current Position: Senior Scientist, Hexagon Bio


Brian Blank
B.S. San Francisco State University 2008
Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles 2014
Current Position: Principal Scientest, ORIC Pharmaceuticals


Judy Szeto
B.S. San Francisco State University 2008
Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles 2014
Current Position: Principal Scientest, R2M Pharma


San Khong
B.S. University of California, Los Angeles 2007
Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles 2013


Gregg Barcan
B.A. Rutgers 2006
Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles 2012
Current Position: Associate Director, GSK


Ian Andrews
B.S. University of California, San Diego 2005
Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles 2012
Current Position: Senior Manager, GSK


Gardner Creech
B.S. University of Virginia 2005
Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles 2011
Current Position: Production Manage, Moersleutel Craft Brewery


Yang Su Tran
Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles 2010


Chris Henry
B.S. College of William and Mary 2003
Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles 2009
Current Position: Process Chemist, CMC



Reymundo Antonio Villa
Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles 2008
Current Position: Associate Director, Mirati Therapeutics

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