POST-DOCS
DR AYAN DASGUPTA
Small Rings 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
Small Rings 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.
DR PEILIN TIAN
Total Synthesis
I was born and raised in Shaanxi, China, and completed my PhD in 2023 at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology under the supervision of Prof. Rongbiao Tong, where I worked on the total syntheses of polyketides and steroids. In addition, I am interested in green chemistry and have successfully developed a new mild, safe, and green oxidative Suzuki coupling in water using hydrogen peroxide as the terminal oxidant. I have now joined Prof. E. Anderson's group as a PDRA focusing on thiophene S,S-dioxides.
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.
GUODUAN LIANG
4th 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
4th 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
4th Year (Antiparasitic Natural Products)
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 hiking and rowing.
PAVLE KRAVJANAC
4th 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
3rd 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
3rd 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
2nd Year (Small Rings 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.
JULIA RAGUS
1st Year
I grew up in Warsaw, the capital city of Poland. My journey with the Anderson group started during the final year of my MChem degree (part II), where I was exploring the synthesis and reactivity of carbazole ynamine ynamides. In 2022, I graduated with First Class honours in Chemistry from the University of Oxford, and shortly after, I rejoined the University of Oxford as an SBM CDT DPhil student. In January 2023, I began working in the Gouverneur group on novel carbonyl protecting groups as a part of the SBM CDT DPhil course. In May 2023, I started my second rotation project in the Willis group, working on novel routes to sulfonamides. After gaining experience from those two rotations, I decided to come back to the Anderson research group, where my DPhil project is focused on novel naphthalene bioisosteres. In my free time, I enjoy working out at the gym, cooking and playing logic games.
PART II / MASTERS STUDENTS
OPHELIA HORNSEY
Part II (Total Synthesis)
I am from the beautiful hilly Peak District in the north of England and I am currently a fourth year Chemistry student at Pembroke College. For my part II project I am working on the synthesis of a brominated analogue of a promising polyketide antibiotic: Enacyloxin-IIa. Developing elegant sustainable solutions to multi drug resistant bacteria is an exciting synthetic challenge and I look forward to applying the strategy towards the related compound Vibroxin. Outside the lab I enjoy playing my violin, cycling, hiking and swimming.
JOSHUA GREIG
Part II (Small Rings Methodology)
I grew up in a small village in Buckinghamshire, quite close to Oxford and I am now into my final year of study at Brasenose College. My project is focussing on functionalisation of BC-Heps, a bioisostere for meta benzenes. Developing this would provide an exciting application to BC-Heps beyond their current application, and would open the door to further research in this area in future. Outside of the lab, I spend a lot of my time rowing, but I also love a pint with friends.
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.