Our group members come from a wide array of backgrounds, including chemistry, biology, engineering, and materials science!
Milan Mrksich
Henry Wade Rogers Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Professor of Chemistry
Professor of Cell & Developmental Biology
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | B.S. Chemistry (Steven C. Zimmerman)
California Institute of Technology | Ph.D. Organic Chemistry (Peter B. Dervan)
Harvard University | American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellow (George Whitesides)
Research Staff
Eric Berns
Research Associate Professor, Lecturer
Northwestern University | Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering (Samuel I. Stupp)
H Foundation Post-doctoral Fellow/Research Assistant Professor Award
Research: Megamolecules as Antibody-Like Therapeutics and Diagnostics; SAMDI
Eric is using the megamolecule platform to develop imaging agents and therapeutics that selectively target cancer cells or beta amyloid aggregates for Alzheimer’s Disease.
POSTDOCTORAL
Justin Modica
Research Associate
The University of Chicago | Ph.D. BioOrganic Chemistry (Milan Mrksich)
Research: Modular Synthesis of Next-Gen Biologics
Rahul Kumar Salaria
Research Associate
UGC Centre for Advanced Studies, GNDU, Amritsar, India | Ph.D. Organic Chemistry
Rammana Fellowship
UGC UPE Fellowship
Research: Megamolecules
Postdoctoral Researchers
Sraeyes Sridhar
Postdoctoral Researcher Since 2024
Northwestern University | Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering
Research: Megamolecules
Graduate Students
Alexandra Barajas
Chemistry Ph.D. Student Since 2020
University of California, Santa Barbara | B.S. Chemistry and Biochemistry
MARC U STAR Scholarship
Research: Megamolecules
Eliana Davis
MD/BME Ph.D. Student since 2024
Northwestern University | B.S. Biomedical Engineering
Research: Megamolecules
Deborah Kovalczuk
Chemistry Ph.D. Student Since 2024
Trinity International University | B.S. Chemistry
NAIA Scholar Athlete
Research: Megamolecules
Timmy Mansfield
Chemistry Ph.D. Student Since 2024
Rice University | B.S. Chemistry
Research: Megamolecules
Grace McLaughlin
Chemistry Ph.D. Student Since 2023
University of Massachusetts Lowell | M.S. Chemistry
Research: Megamolecules
Sichen Mu
Chemistry Master’s Student Since 2024
Beijing University of Chemical Technology; State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry | B.S. Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
Research: Megamolecules
Bethel Shekour
Chemistry Ph.D. Student Since 2019
Williams College | B.A. Chemistry
Chemistry of Life Processes Trainee
Research: Megamolecule Assembly
Bethel is developing new chemical methods for connecting Megamolecule building blocks. Additionally, she is exploring the use of Megamolecules for targeted drug delivery.
Grace Watkins
Chemistry Ph.D. Student Since 2023
University of Northwestern - St. Paul | B.S. in Biochemistry, B.S. in Biology
Chemistry of Life Processes Trainee
Research: Megamolecules
Undergraduate Students
Karl Barnickol
Undergraduate Student Since 2024
Northwestern University | Chemical and Biological Engineering
McCormick Summer Research Award
Research: Megamolecules
Ryan Dougherty
Undergraduate Student Since 2023
Northwestern University | Interdisciplinary Science Program
Weinberg Summer Research Award
Research: Megamolecules