THE NOWICK RESEARCH GROUP
THE NOWICK RESEARCH GROUP
Winter 2025
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 Researcher
-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.
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.
Jovanna Ivonne Carrera Plancarte
Graduate Student
-B.S., Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of California-Irvine (2023)
Jovanna was born and raised in Compton, California before moving inland to Riverside, California at the age of 7. She showed great interest in math and science from a young age, so she decided to pursue a Chemical Engineering degree at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). As her studies progressed, her interest moved towards chemical biology, health sciences, and pharmaceutical development research. She added a double major in Chemistry and began conducting research in Professor Brian Paegel’s laboratory, where she worked on developing reaction conditions for the synthesis of DNA-encoded libraries in magnetic hydrogel particles. After realizing her immense passion for research, she decided to pursue a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences at UCI in Professor James Nowick’s laboratory, where she is investigating immunotherapies for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and characterizing the structures of neurotoxic Amyloid-Beta oligomers found in AD brains. Her career aspirations are to become a researcher in a biomedical or pharmaceutical company and continue to investigate novel therapeutics for the treatment of AD. When she is not in lab, Jovanna likes to spend time with her family, explore outdoors, and soak up some sun at our local Orange County beaches.
Carolina Gatewood
Graduate Student
-B.S., Chemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology (2024)
Carolina was born and raised in Fayetteville, Georgia and later moved to Atlanta for undergrad where she received her B.S. in Chemistry from Georgia Institute of Technology. During her time there she worked in Professor M.G. Finn’s lab with a focus on peptide-based motifs for immunology doing peptide synthesis for SARS-CoV-2 and Mumps related proteins as well as work with PP7 virus-like particles. This work sparked her interest in immunology along with a desire to pursue interdisciplinary research in biology and chemistry. She’s now continuing to pursue these interests at UCI in the Nowick lab where she plans to investigate the Tau protein and potential immunotherapies for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease. Outside of the lab, Carolina enjoys crocheting and other crafts, baking, and exploring SoCal.
Harry Ung
Graduate Student
-B.S., Chemistry, Emory University (2024)
Harry was born and raised on the vibrant streets of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. His passion for chemistry began in high school, inspiring him to pursue undergraduate studies at Emory University, where he earned a B.S. in Chemistry. During his time at Emory, he conducted research in organometallic catalysis under the guidance of Professor Simon Blakey. Eager to further expand his expertise beyond methodology research, Harry joined the Nowick Group at the University of California, Irvine, where he is exploring peptide-based antibiotic synthesis. His research aims to contribute to the development of novel therapeutics targeting antibiotic resistance and other diseases. Beyond the lab, Harry enjoys visiting local beaches, exploring hidden outdoor gems with his film camera, and spending time at cafés with friends.
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.
Jeramiah Small
Undergraduate Research Assistant
-Chemistry Undergraduate, University of California-Irvine (2027)
Jeramiah was born in Chula Vista, California, and has moved between California, Tennessee, and Washington throughout his lifetime. After aspiring to be an engineer or biologist for the longest time, Jeramiah discovered a passion for chemistry during his Organic Chemistry course at Olympic College. Looking to delve into the intersection of chemical biology and microbiology, he joined the Nowick group in the fall of 2023 under the guidance of Jackson Brunicardi. Jeramiah aims to acquire skills in organic and peptide synthesis, bacterial biology, and spectroscopic/analytical techniques. Outside of school, Jeramiah enjoys playing video games and watching shows.
Ben Bauman
Undergraduate Research Assistant
-Chemistry Undergraduate, University of California-Irvine (2027)
Ben grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a blue collar suburb about an hour north of the Philly
metro area. He is currently an assistant in the Nowick lab under the mentorship of Sophie
Padilla. One may say it was destiny for Ben to pursue an education in chemistry following the
footsteps of his father, but Ben discovered his own passion for it from his inspiring high school
chemistry and biomedical science teachers. He became particularly interested in chemical
biology after learning more about the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and applying them in
various high school laboratory experiments. Ben was fortunate enough to have exposure to
working with valuable laboratory instrumentation and familiarizing himself with important
techniques before even coming to UCI. He culminated this work in high school with a capstone
project in his biomedical science class to research and create an original innovative design of a
magnetic nanoparticle to combat glioblastoma multiforme, furthering his passion for chemical
biology related research. Ben will strive to build upon this foundational knowledge as he
embarks on his organic chemistry classes and support the efforts of Sophie’s research aspirations.
Outside of school, Ben enjoys playing and watching football, cheering on the Dallas Cowboys,
as well as binging new shows!
Jonas Caver
Undergraduate Research Assistant
-Chemistry Undergraduate, University of California-Irvine (2028)
Jonas was born in the northern half of the state in the Bay Area and lived there for 15 years prior to moving to Denver, Colorado where he finished high school and now lives. There, his (vastly overqualified) high school chemistry teacher instilled a passion for chemistry in him and desire to, fundamentally, understand how things work. After spending a little too much time on Wikipedia reading various moas, Jonas decided to pursue something in the fields of medicine/chemistry/biology. Ultimately, this led him to joining the Nowick group in the Winter quarter of 2025 under the guidance of Jovanna Ivonne Carrera Plancarte. When he's not doing school-related activities, Jonas enjoys photography, hiking, watching and playing basketball (Go Nuggets!), reading, and dabbles in classical music
Graduate Students
Adam Kreutzer
Amy Sue Grant (Waldman)
Chelsea Jones
Chelsea Marie Parrocha (Chelsea)
Chris Dicksion
Chris Gothard
Chun-Ching Huang
EJ Pone
Eric Smith
Evelyn Khamou
Gretchen Guaglianone
Hyunjun Yang
James Griffin
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
Rathanon Tippaphachote
Ryan Spencer
Sang Woo Kang
Sarah Ruttenberg
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 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
Elvina Vu
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
Sabrina Richter
Samer Saleh
Sami Mahrus
Sean Sadaqatmal
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)
Velia Cunningham
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