Gunes Ekin Atilla Gokcumen (Ekin Atilla), J. Solo Assistant Professor of Chemistry

• B.S. Chemistry, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey (2003)
• Ph.D. Chemistry University of Pennsylvania (2008) Advisor: Eric Meggers
• Postdoctoral Researcher, Harvard Medical School/Dana Farber Cancer Institute (2009-2013) Advisor: Ulrike Eggert

ekinatil@buffalo.edu

CURRENT MEMBERS

Darleny Lizardo (Medicinal Chemistry Ph.D. candidate), joined November 2013

  B.S. Chemistry, Trinity College

Research interests: The goal of my research is to identify novel roles of lipids during senescence in mammalian cells via a lipidomics- and chemical biology-based approach. I am particularly interested in understanding how lipids may affect cell morphology and ultimately lead to cessation of cell division.

darlenyl@buffalo.edu

 

Eryn Matich (Chemistry Ph.D. candidate), joined November 2013

B.A. Chemistry, Alfred University

Research interests: My research aim is to understand to effect of various growth treatments and conditions on the amount and type of different metabolites produced by various organisms such as microalgae and bacteria. I am especially interested in how microalgae growth and lipid production is affected by varying the concentrations of different macro nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen in the media during growth.

erynmati@buffalo.edu

 

Laura Parisi (Chemistry Ph.D. candidate), joined November 2014

B.S Chemistry, Rochester Institute of Technology

Research interests: My research focuses on studying the roles of lipids during necroptosis, a form of programmed necrotic cell death. I am currently investigating the roles very long chain fatty acids and ceramides, two classes of lipids which accumulate during necroptosis, using a variety of techniques including mass spectrometry, fluorescence imaging, gene editing/silencing and small molecule-based approaches.

lrparisi@buffalo.edu

 

Nita Chavez (Chemistry Ph.D. candidate; joint graduate student with the Aga group, Department of Chemistry, UB), joined November 2014

B.S Chemistry, The College of Wooster

Research interests: My research focuses on understanding the impact of engineering nanomaterials on biological systems and the environment. Currently, I analyze metabolomic changes in Arabidopsis thaliana post-exposure to CuO nanoparticles via high mass resolution mass spectrometry as well as total metal concentration analysis via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

nitagabr@buffalo.edu

 

Nasi Li (Chemistry Ph.D. candidate), joined November 2014

      B.S. Pharmaceutical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology

        M.S. Pharmaceutical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology

Research interests: My research is on the functional characterization of lipids during apoptosis. I am particularly interested in how lipid droplet and its lipid components, such as triacylglycerols, are involved in this process.

nasili@buffalo.edu

 

Lauren Morrow (Medicinal Chemistry Ph.D candidate), joined November 2015

B.S. Chemistry, State University of New York at Geneseo

Research interests: My main research focus is to study the effects of an anti-lipogenic compound  on the proliferation of breast and colorectal cancer cells.  I am particularly interested in understanding if there are connections between the changes it induces on cellular lipids and its anti-proliferative behavior.

lmorrow@buffalo.edu

 

Alec Millner (Graduate student in Medicinal Chemistry Ph.D program), joined November 2017

B.S. Chemistry and Applied Biological Sciences, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

         alecmill@buffalo.edu

 

Alyssa Aldrich (Graduate student in Chemistry M.S program), joined November 2017

B.S. Biochemistry, State University of New York at Oswego

Research interests: My main research focus is the function lipids play in apoptosis, especially how lipid droplets are involved.

araldric@buffalo.edu

 

Laura Brunelle (Graduate student in Chemistry Ph.D program), joined November 2017

B.S. Biochemistry, Niagara University

laurabru@buffalo.edu

 

 

FORMER MEMBERS

Emily Chou (undergraduate researcher, Chemistry; will join Purdue University, Health Physics Graduate Program in Fall 2018)

Dorcas Nsumbu (undergraduate researcher, Chemistry)

Luke Izydorczak (undergraduate researcher, Medicinal Chemistry BS/MS)

Isin Tuna Sakallioglu (Graduated, May 2017)

Ming Zeng (currently associate scientist in Wuxi Apptec)

Jun Hui Yeoh (currently in UB Chemistry Graduate Program)

Ying San Leung, McNair Scholar, (Graduated 2016)

Virginia Del Solar Fernandez (currently postdoctoral researcher in the Neelamegham lab in Chemical and Biological Engineering Department at UB)

Mike Olyer (REU student, 2015)

Jerod Hurst

Kasey Morrow (REU student, 2014)

Chris Brais  (currently in UB Chemistry Graduate Program)