THE NOWICK RESEARCH GROUP
THE NOWICK RESEARCH GROUP
Fall 2021
Professor James S. Nowick
Research Advisor
-A.B., Columbia University (1985)
-Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1990)
-NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1989-1991)
Dr. Adam Kreutzer
Associate Project Scientist
-B.S., Biology, University of Utah (2006)
-M.S., Oncological Sciences, University of Utah (2008)
-Ph.D., Chemistry, University of California-Irvine (2017)
Adam Kreutzer is originally from Salt Lake City, Utah. Adam received both his B.S. and M.S. from the University of Utah and was fortunate to do research in many different molecular biology and biochemistry labs during this time. After working in a developmental biology lab for an additional four years after earning his M.S., Adam decided to change fields (kind of) and pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry. Adam joined professor Nowick’s group in 2012 and earned his Ph.D. in 2017. Adam’s Ph.D. research focused on elucidating the structures of oligomers formed by macrocyclic β-hairpin peptides derived from the Alzheimer’s disease-related β-amyloid peptide Aβ. Adam is currently working on characterizing polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies generated against Aβ oligomer mimics, with the goal of developing better biological probes and therapies for Alzheimer’s disease.
James Griffin
Graduate Student
-B.S., Chemical Biology, University of California-Berkeley (2018)
James Griffin was born in San Diego, California (the superior SoCal city) and grew up watching reruns of Bill Nye and Battlebots that his mom recorded for him on VHS. After being inspired to study molecular biology in high school, he completed his undergraduate degree in Chemical Biology at UC Berkeley. While there, he worked in the laboratory of Felix Fischer optimizing the synthesis of strained alkyne macrocycles for ring-opening alkyne metathesis polymerization of graphene nanoribbons. Deciding he needed a little more biology in his chemistry, James joined the Nowick lab in order to master new techniques related to peptide synthesis and to perform research with relevant applications to living systems. He enjoys discussing and explaining his many interests and hobbies, which include watching esports and playing Magic: The Gathering.
Sarah Ruttenberg
Graduate Student
-B.S., Chemistry, University of Miami (2019)
Sarah is from just outside our nation’s wonderful capital, Washington, D.C. She moved to Miami in 2015 to complete her undergraduate studies in Chemistry at the University of Miami where she did research with carbon dots before developing a passion for neuroscience and moving into a position studying spinal cord injury at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. She drove from Miami to Irvine in 2019 to pursue a PhD in chemistry at UCI and joined the Nowick lab to pursue her ultimate goal of combining chemistry and neuroscience to study neurodegenerative disorders. Sarah has fallen in love with California despite being an east coast girl, and spends her free time playing rugby and enjoying the SoCal weather. She looks forward to developing her skills as a chemist and independent researcher.
Chelsea Jones
Graduate Student
-B.S., Chemistry, Biological Emphasis, University of Utah (2018)
Chelsea was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. She attended the University of Utah (go Utes!) where she graduated in 2018 with a B.S. in Chemistry, Biological Emphasis. Here she began doing research in the Synthetic and Medicinal Chemistry Core and continued her research at the U after graduating. She worked on developing a first-in-class noninvasive therapeutic agent for the treatment of glaucoma. With a desire to continue her education and delve deeper into the world of chemical biology she came to UCI. Here, she joined the Nowick lab with hopes to broaden her skills in the lab with the goal to improve the quality of life for those around the world. In her free time, she loves to explore the outdoors, play board/card games, do puzzles or rewatch The Office.
Jason Zhu
Graduate Student
-B.S., Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern University (2021)
Jason was born in Seattle but lived in Shanghai for a few years. After turning 5, he moved back to Seattle, Washington, where he grew up before attending Northwestern University. He double majored in chemistry and chemical engineering. There, Jason worked in Professor John Rogers’ lab on developing thermal sensors for monitoring acute kidney transplant rejection. He also synthesized reference molecules for the organic teaching labs under the guidance of Professors Derek Nelson and Katie Gesmundo. Realizing that he wanted more biology and organic chemistry in his work, Jason enthusiastically joined the Nowick group to study the assembly of amyloid beta using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. He hopes on utilizing the skills cultivated through the Ph.D. to contribute to the understanding of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. Outside the lab, Jason enjoys exploring new food places, playing video games, and scuba diving.
Jackson Brunicardi
Graduate Student
-B.S.P.S, Medicinal and Biological Chemistry, University of Toledo (2021)
Jackson was born in Houston, Texas but spent most of his formative years in beautiful, sunny Laguna Beach, California. The genesis of Jackson’s passion for translational chemical research began in high school as he worked to develop cost-efficient, electrochemical, bacterial sensors to aid third-world countries in identifying sources of sanitary water. His desire to develop translational therapies would later manifest as he completed his degree in medicinal and biological chemistry at the University of Toledo, Ohio. While there, he developed as a medicinal chemist - synthesizing a plethora of novel photo-affinity labeling (PAL) probes to investigate the proteomics and pharmacokinetics associated with schedule I drug targets in the Schiefer Lab. Now at UCI, Jackson hopes to further foster his passion for chemical research and education under the direction of Dr. James Nowick - with aim to investigate the multifaceted molecular basis of amyloidosis and explore potential therapies to its associated disease states. In his free time, Jackson enjoys skim-boarding at local beaches, exploring new spots to eat with friends, and meditating.
Sophie Lee Padilla
Graduate Student
-B.S., Biology and Chemistry, University of Saint Joseph (2022)
Sophie was born and raised in the sunny island of the Philippines. In 2019, she decided to pack her bags and move half way across the world to the East Coast. There she completed her undergraduate degree and received her B.S. in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Saint Joseph. During her time there, she got involved with research that looked at viral detection using IR spectroscopy. This project sparked her passion for interdisciplinary research in both biology and chemistry. She decided to continue pursuing this passion at the Nowick lab at UCI. Here she hopes to broaden her laboratory skills and discover innovative ways to overcome antibiotic resistance. During her free time, Sophie has been exploring and enjoying SoCal and all it offers with family and friends.
Rathanon Thippaphachote
Graduate Student
-B.S., Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2022)
Rath was born in Bangkok, Thailand where he grew up and developed his interest in chemistry for 18 years. He came to the USA for the first time to attend PG year in Maine. Then, he attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he graduated in 2022 with a B.S. in chemistry and a minor in environmental science. At Madison, he conducted research in solid-phase peptide synthesis of the α-Helical coiled coil under the supervision of Prof. Samuel Gellman. Carrying his interest in chemical biology especially peptide-related, Rath joined UCI and the Nowick Lab. He is excited to learn and explore new skills in order to contribute something meaningful to the community, especially Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. In his free time, Rath enjoys photography, exploring new places, and playing soccer.
Grant Lai
Undergraduate Research Assistant
-Chemistry Undergraduate, University of California-Irvine (2025)
Grant grew up in the quintessential suburban city: Irvine, California. He is currently an assistant in the Nowick lab under the direction of Chelsea Jones. Although Grant currently saturates his time with chemistry and biology, for a long time, he did not have a particular interest nor investment in school; seeing it merely as an activity to check off. However, in the advent of the COVD-19 pandemic, he began to appreciate the insights from his high school chemistry class. Even though he is not certain about his future career, he is certain about inculcating himself with a conceptual and fundamental understanding of chemistry during his time at UCI. Thus, Grant is excited and grateful to have an experimental opportunity to research chemical biology. Aside from his academic pursuits, Grant enjoys continuing his childhood hobby of creating pottery; naturally with an understanding of chemistry.
Elvina Vu
Undergraduate Research Assistant
-Chemistry, University of California-Irvine (2024)
Elvina was born in San Jose, California. She studied at De Anza College before transferring to UC Irvine to pursue a B.S. in chemistry. She began working in the Nowick lab as an undergraduate research assistant in the spring of 2023 under the guidance of Sarah Ruttenberg. Under Sarah’s mentorship, Elvina is learning about peptide synthesis/analysis to develop her skills in a research setting, and will hopefully be able to expand her knowledge of amyloid diseases and stem cell research as a whole. She is grateful and excited for the opportunity to work with the Nowick group to gain hands-on research experience in the field of chemical biology! Elvina’s future goals possibly include pursuing a Master’s or Ph.D in chemistry to pursue her passion in chemical research. In her free time, she loves going out with friends, eating, watching shows, and playing the piano when she gets the chance!
Graduate Students
Adam Kreutzer
Amy Sue Grant (Waldman)
Chelsea Marie Parrocha (Chelsea)
Chris Dicksion
Chris Gothard
Chun-Ching Huang
EJ Pone
Eric Smith
Evelyn Khamou
Gretchen Guaglianone
Hyunjun Yang
Jared Kuemmerle
Jeffrey Stocker
Jim Tsai
Johnny Pham
Jose Zavaleta
Kate McKnelly
Kevin Chen
Kevin Hsinwen Chen
Kim Le
Laura Pena
Linda Waldman (Schechinger)
Maj Krumberger
Mandy Zheng
Mason Pairish
Matt Klun
Matt Koutroulis
Michael Chung
Michael Morris
Mick Soth
Nick Truex
Omid Khakshoor
Paramjit Arora
Patrick Salveson
Pin-Nan Cheng
Ryan Spencer
Sang Woo Kang
Sergiy Levin
Sheng Zhang
Stan Yoo
Tuan Samdin
Tuan Tran
William Howitz
Xingyue Li
Ye Sun
Yilin Wang
Undergraduate Student Researchers
Aaron Lin
Alberto Smith Olivas
Ana-Teresa Mendoza
Andrew Mason Cunningham
Andrew Lam
Andrew Lucas Sabol
Anne-Marie Carole Leiby
Ariana Motavalli
Arthur Vladimirovich Pishenko
Arya Baghkhanian
Betty Nguyen
Candace Hart
Chuong Bui
Cindy Saliba
Denise Bui
Derek Du Bois
Dylan Simpson
Eduardo Martinez
Edward Wang
Emily Eileen Beard
Grace Huizar
Hanan Wali
Hannah Jusuf
Hao Li
Jaime Frias
Jeff Huon
Jennifer Heemstra (Cary)
Jennifer Love
Jennifer Thulien Nguyen
Jenny S. Chen
Khalil Bassam
Katelyn Haduong
Kelsey Corro
Kevin (Hao Tham Ho) Mee
Kevin Huang
Leo Takaoka
Long Phan
Matt Watkins
Melody Malek
Michelle Noel Diab
Mike Guttman
Mike Valenzuela
Mohammad Hossein Hashemian
Mohamed Laayouni
Muna Abdi
Ngoc Vo (Nicole)
Ngoctran Tran
Noel A. Powell
Ornella Nelson
Rachel Bauer
Robert Bernstein
Roxanne Massoumi
Samer Saleh
Sami Mahrus
Sepehr Haerian
Shareen Naomi Ashby
Stephanie Tran
Stephanie Le
Stephanie Eliette Rios
Steve Marchenko
Thang Nguyen
Thomas Cao
Timothy Matthew Bierlein
Tram Nguyen
Valerie Brunell (Antonovich)
Victoria Sahrai
Will Cabanela
Xuan Han (Tiga)
Yucheng Jiang
Postdoctoral Scholars
Balraju Vadla
Bill Kemnitzer
Byungwoo Yoo
Darren Holmes
Glenn Noronha
Hong Woo Kim
In Quen Lee
Jeremy Woods
Ji Yang
Jian Liu
Justin Brower
Kalyani Maitra
Kim Lavoie (Stigers)
Mark Wilson
Michał Wierzbicki
Nooshin Hashemzadeh
Santanu Maitra
Shabana Insaf
Steve Holmgren
Suchitra Datta
Tania Khasanova
Wade Russu
Visiting Scholars
Alexander Kvitsinski (Sasha)
Alexander Thuy-Boun
Atia-tul-Wahab
Azzurra Stefanucci
Elena Castellanos Santiago
Elena Junquera González
Guido Lutterbach
Jonathan Lin
Katie Ferrick
Michael Ferracane
Max Lumetzberger
Mia Russo
Nosheen Akber (Rao)
Pin-Nan Cheng
Saleha Khan
Sebastian Clementson
Shafiullah Khan
Silvi Lybbert
Takayuki Nakamuro