POST-DOCS
DR AYAN DASGUPTA
Bicyclopentane Methodology
I have done my PhD at IIT Madras, India with a national scholarship, supervised by Prof. S. Sankararaman. I had an opportunity to work with Prof H. Hopf (TU-Braunschweig) as an "Indigo Exchange Fellow" and I did an internship at BASF Ludwigshafen in the "Crop Protection Section". My first postdoc with Prof. T. Gulder at the TU-Munich, Germany, focused on the stereoselective synthesis of heterocyclic compounds using Lewis acid and hypervalent iodine as the catalyst. Next, I moved to Cardiff University and explored the utility of borane-based catalysts in organic synthesis, jointly supervised by Dr. E. Richards and Prof. R. Melen. At present, I am working as a PDRA with Prof E. Anderson’s research group and focusing on the C‒H functionalisation of bicyclo pentane.
DR BHASKAR PAUL
Bicyclopentane Methodology
I am from a village of Midnapore, India. I completed my M.Sc. in 2013 from Vidyasagar University. Then, I moved to the IIT Kanpur for doctoral study under the supervision of Prof. Sabuj Kundu, where I worked on transition metal catalysed methylation chemistry using methanol. In 2019, I joined to the University of California at Riverside for postdoctoral studies under the direction of Nobel Laureate Prof. Richard R. Schrock. During this time, I was working on synthesis and development of several metathesis active catalyst and their chemistry on silica surface (in collaboration with Prof. Christophe Copéret, ETH Zurich). In Feb. 2022, I joined Prof. E. Anderson's group on a Marie Curie postdoctoral fellowship to work on the ‘Bicyclopentane Methodology’.
DR JISOOK PARK
Total synthesis
I am from Incheon in South Korea. I completed my PhD in 2020 at Seoul National University under the supervision of Prof. Chulbom Lee. After pursuing the PhD, I continued a post-doctoral course in the same group to finish the project. I worked on the total synthesis of Exiguamine B and various indoline alkaloids. To expand the research area, I have now joined the Ed Anderson group with a Marie-Curie Post-doc Fellowship, working on the total synthesis of a polyketide natural product.
DPHIL STUDENTS
JIEYAN LIM
5th Year (Total Synthesis)
I completed my BSc at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. After graduation, I spent a year at Solvay, then moved on to the Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences, A*STAR. Besides chemistry, I enjoy playing the violin, sewing, and spending time with friends.
RYAN MCNAMEE
4th Year (Bicyclopentane Methodology)
Originally from Tyrone, Northern Ireland, Ryan has completed his MSci degree in Medicinal Chemistry at Queen's University Belfast. In his final year in the Knipe group, Ryan worked on the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of spirocyclic oxindoles. In the year preceding his final year, he also undertook a one-year industrial placement at GlaxoSmithKline synthesising compounds for the potential treatment of respiratory diseases. His current interests primarily lie in the synthesis of strained rings, and aside from chemistry, he enjoys dancing and many outdoor activities.
ANA SOZANSCHI
4th Year (Antiparasitic Natural Products)
I was born and raised in Brasov, Romania, and completed my Medicinal Chemistry & Chemical Biology degree at University College Dublin (UCD), Dublin, Republic of Ireland. My final year project involved the synthesis of cyclopentenone prostaglandin analogues and their corresponding Cysteine adducts. Following their synthesis, novel compounds were investigated for their biological activity. I have also worked in Dr. E. McGarrigle’s Lab in the Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, UCD, for which I was awarded an Undergraduate Bursary by the Royal Society of Chemistry. The project I was working on involved probing the reactivity and stereoselectivity in organocatalytic glycosylations. Outside the lab I enjoy baking, ballroom dancing and hiking.
ZIXUAN TONG
4th Year (Yndiamides)
I was born and raised in Beijing, but I acquired my BSc in Chemistry from City University of Hong Kong. I worked on platinum-based anticancer drugs in Dr. Guangyu Zhu group for my undergraduate final year project. My project now in EAA group aims to explore the stereoselective reactivity of yndiamides. Aside from chemistry, I enjoy cooking and traveling. I am also a fan of traditional Chinese performances, especially crosstalk.
GUODUAN LIANG
3rd Year (Total Synthesis)
My name is Guoduan Liang who is from Fujian Province, China. I am an active and diligent person and very interested in total synthesis and transition metal catalysis. I obtained my Master degree in ShenYang Pharmaceutical University in China, studying on the synthesis of spiro[indoline-3,4’-piperidine] via silver-catalyzed tandem cyclizations of tryptamine-ynesulfonamides controlled by ligand under the supervision of Prof. Yongxiang Liu. Now I focus on the total synthesis in the EAA group. Outside the lab, I love sports and reading novels.
KUN HO (KENNY) PARK
3rd Year (Total Synthesis)
I was born in South Korea; however, I moved during childhood to the United States. I obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from University of California at Berkeley. Upon completion, I moved back to my home country for graduate work and also fulfill my military service. During my Masters study, under the guidance of Prof. David Yu-Kai Chen, I worked on the total synthesis of various morphinan family and haouamine A. In continuing my journey as a synthetic chemist, I’m currently involved in total synthesis of new class compounds in EAA group. Outside the lab, I enjoy working out and watching youtube videos.
HANNAH ASIKI
3rd Year (Antiparasitic Natural Products)
I am originally from Arua, a small town in northern Uganda. I completed my MChem at the University of Oxford on the synthesis of biaryl ether anti-parasitic natural products under the supervision of Prof. Ed Anderson. I am now on the Chemistry in Cells programme and have returned to the group under the co-supervision of Dr. Richard Wheeler, to investigate the mechanism of action of these compounds in trypanosomatids. I have previously worked for Prof. Barry Potter synthesising novel difluorinated anti-cancer compounds, and spent a year working at the Institute of Cancer Research in London. Outside of the lab I enjoy going on walks, painting and rowing.
PAVLE KRAVJANAC
3rd Year (Total Synthesis)
I come from Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. During my undergraduate studies in Chemistry at the University of Belgrade, I worked on a total synthesis of an alkaloid under the supervision of professors F. Bihelovic and Z. Ferjancic. Currently, I am doing a DPhil in the Prof. E. Anderson group, where I am also working on a total synthesis, but this time my target is switched to terpenoids. Outside the lab, I enjoy delicious food from my college and listening to music.
YASMINE BIDDICK
2nd Year (Antiparasitic Natural Products )
I am from the seaside town of Perranporth in sunny Cornwall. I completed my Master's Degree at the University of Birmingham and undertook two projects under the supervision of Dr. Liam Cox. One smaller project involved the optimisation of the Petasis reaction to improve the synthesis of amino-pyrazole urea compounds, for biological testing against visceral Leishmaniasis, in contribution to the Open Synthesis Network's Drug for Neglected Diseases Initiative. The second project entailed the assembly and manipulation of a spirocyclic scaffold, and compound library enumeration for drug discovery. In my spare time I enjoy cooking, arguing about the correct way to dress a scone, attempting to finish reading Leo Tolstoy's 'War and Peace', and going to the pub.
PRIYANSH GUJARATI
2nd Year (Total Synthesis)
I come from Surat, India and I completed my undergraduate studies at Towson University, USA. While at Towson I worked on Super-Resolution Imagining of Soft Matter under the supervision of Dr. Tran-Ba and total synthesis alkaloid natural products under the supervision of Dr. Keith Reber. Currently, I am doing my DPhil in Prof. E. Anderson's Group on total synthesis of polyketide natural products. Outside the lab I enjoy taking part in traditional Indian dance festivals (garba) and kite flying.
REBECCA REVIE
1st Year (Bicyclopentane Methodology)
I am from a town called Ely, near Cambridge and I completed my MSci degree at the University of Cambridge. For my fourth year research project, I worked on peptide drug conjugates under the supervision of Prof. David Spring. I am currently doing my DPhil in Prof. E. Anderson’s group, focusing on bicycloheptane methodology. Outside the lab, I enjoy climbing and playing the flute.
ADRIÁN LÓPEZ FRANCÉS
Visiting Student (Bicyclopentane Methodology)
I was born in Arnedo, a charming small town in the wine region of La Rioja (Spain). I graduated in Pharmacy in 2019 at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and then I joined the research group “Organic Synthesis in Medicinal Chemistry” (OSMC) at the Faculty of Pharmacy of UPV/EHU in Vitoria-Gasteiz. There, I am carrying out my PhD on the multicomponent preparation of γ-lactam derivatives, their synthetic applications and the evaluation of their anticancer properties, under the guidance of Drs. Javier Vicario and Jesús M. de los Santos. Besides chemistry, outside of the lab, I enjoy hanging out with friends, hiking or watching a good series and especially food tasting.
PART II / MASTERS STUDENTS
TIANYI (TIM) YANG
Part II (Yndiamides)
I grew up in Wuhan, but my family moved to Guangzhou 10 years ago. I am currently in my fourth year studying MChem Chemistry at Jesus College. During the summer, I worked in the group of Prof.Campopiano at University of Edinburgh on S. aurantiacus and E. coli sphingolipids biosynthesis. This year my project focuses on the activation of yndiamides using tetrazolopyridine. Outside the lab I enjoy jazz, puzzles (especially jigsaw puzzles) and football.
VALENTIN VESILNOV
Part II (Bicyclopentane Methodology)
Originally from Sofia, Bulgaria, I am currently in my fourth year at LMH. During the summer, I did a research project in the Ed Anderson group on further functionalization of bicyclo[3.1.1]heptanes (BCHeps). For my Part II, I shall be working on the synthesis and functionality of bicyclo[2.1.0]pentanes (Housanes). In my free time I enjoy running, swimming, long walks and trying out new vegan recipes.
PINLU HUANG
Part II (Total Synthesis)
I was born and raised in Eastern China, in a small but beautiful city near Shanghai, and am currently a fourth year chemist at Jesus College. Prior to my Part II project, I had a 3-month research experience at Tsinghua Univerisity, working on hypervalent iodine catalysis in organic synthesis. My Part II project is focused on the methodology of biaryl synthesis using thiophene dioxide and indole. In my spare time, I enjoy travelling, photography and archery.
ALEXANDER MAKAVEEV
Part II (Computation)
I come from Sofia, Bulgaria, and am currently doing my part II project co-supervised by Prof Ed Anderson and Prof Fernanda Duarte. I have previously worked on the synthesis of dispersion energy donors (JLU, Germany) and the computational modelling of enantioselective organocatalysts (EPFL, Switzerland). My current work is an investigation into the mechanistic details of a family of Diels-Alder cycloadditions, and the factors that affect them. Outside of chemistry, I enjoy going to the gym and to the pub
GROUP MASCOT
FLOYD
Floyd arrived with us in late October 2014 from the Amazon. He astutely supervises the group in all things chemistry, whilst adding a dash of pink to the office area. In his free time Floyd enjoys wading in the Isis and sunning himself on the beach with beers.