Sarah Luesse (nee Cortright)

Postdoctoral Scientist, 2006, The Ohio State University, OH
Ph.D. Chemistry, 2004, Indiana University, IN
B.S. Chemistry, 1999, Hope College, MI

Sarah Cortright hails from Holland, MI, and completed her B.S. degree in Chemistry magna cum laude in 1999 at Hope College. Her undergraduate research was in the area of asymmetric catalysis, working with Joanne Stewart. Sarah joined the Johnston group in its first year at Indiana University, and received her Ph.D. in organic chemistry in August 2004. Her graduate work was principally in the area of asymmetric catalysis where she was responsible for the design, synthesis, and implementation of the first axially chiral b-diketimines known as the IAN amines. Sarah completed a study of the stereochemical aspects of their coordination to group IV metals, and began our investigation into their reactivity. While at IU, she was the recipient of a GAANN fellowship (1999, 2001) and the 2001 Bernard Berk Award in Organic Chemistry. Sarah moved to The Ohio State University in 2005, where she worked on the synthesis of new azinomycin congeners with Robert Coleman. In 2006, Sarah began at Promiliad (Athens, OH) as a Senior Scientist, and a position as Lecturer in Chemistry at Washington University (St. Louis) in 2008. In 2011, she accepted a tenure track position as Assistant Professor and is currently Associate Professor of Chemistry at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2002, 41, 345.
Heterocycles 2004, 62, 223.
Organometallics 2004, 23, 2238.
Organometallics 2004, 23, 5885.
Org. Lett. 2008, 10, 2445.

Michael Plotkin

M.S. Chemistry, 2001, Indiana University, IN
B.S. Chemistry, 1999, Penn State University, PA

Michael, a Pennsylvania native, received his undergraduate degree in chemistry from The Pennsylvania State University in 1999. In that year, he began graduate studies at Indiana University, and joined the Johnston group shortly thereafter. Michael was the first to effect free radical-mediated aryl amination in group, and was a prominent contributor to its early methodological development. He completed his Masters degree in Chemistry in 2001 and joined Pfizer Global Research & Development in Groton, CT as a research associate. In 2009, Michael accepted a position at Merck (NJ).
Org. Lett. 2001, 3, 1009.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 163.

Amie Mandat (nee Williams)

Postdoctoral Scientist, 2007, Scripps Research Institute, FL
Ph.D. Chemistry, 2004, Indiana University, IN
B.A. Chemistry, 1999, DePauw University, IN

Amie Williams was born and raised in Indiana, where she also completed her B.A. Chemistry degree at DePauw University in 1999. Her undergraduate research was guided by Jeffrey Hansen. Amie joined the Johnston group in 1999, and she received her doctoral degree in 2004. Amie began and contributed to a variety of areas, including free radical-mediated vinyl amination and the Bronsted acid-catalyzed aza-Darzens reaction. Amie began studies toward the total synthesis of mitomycin C. Her accomplishments were recognized by Paget and GAANN fellowships (1999-2001), and the departmental Procter & Gamble Fellowship (2003-04). In 2004, she began a postdoctoral position with Bill Roush at the Scripps Research Institute of Florida where she worked in the area of macrolide total synthesis. In 2007 she began a position as Senior Scientist in medicinal chemistry at GlaxoSmithKline in North Carolina, and returned in 2008 to Florida to become the Lower Southeast Regional Manager in Global Chemicals for Thermo Fisher Scientific. In 2019 Amie accepted the position of Sales Account Manager, Pharmaceutical Ingredients, Univar Solutions.
Org. Lett. 2001, 3, 3695.
Org. Lett. 2002, 4, 4197.
Tetrahedron 2003, 59, 8877.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 1612.
Org. Lett. 2006, 8, 6047.
Chem. Commun. 2011, 47, 3975.

Rajesh Viswanathan

Postdoctoral Scientist, 2008, University of Utah, UT
Ph.D. Chemistry, 2005, Indiana University, IN
M.S. Chemistry, 1999, IIT Kanpur, India

Rajesh is a native of India. He completed his M.S. degree in Chemistry at IIT, Kanpur, working with Prof. Javed Iqbal. He entered the graduate program at IU in 1999, and joined the Johnston group in its first year. Rajesh was an early contributor to the development of free radical-mediated aryl amination, and it was through his development of an enantioselective construction of the indoline a-amino acids that he discovered the azacyclopentenylcarbinyl radical isomerization (ACCRI). In the final stages of his dissertation work, he applied the amination reaction in an approach to (+)-ambiguine G. In recognition of his accomplishments, Rajesh was awarded the Bernard Berk Award (2002) and a Lubrizol Fellowship (2003). After receipt of the Ph.D. degree in Chemistry, he joined Dale Poulter in 2005 at the University of Utah as a postdoctoral associate to pursue studies in the area of natural product biosynthesis. Rajesh began his independent career as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Case Western Reserve University in 2008, and he moved to IISER-Tirupati as an Associate Professor of Chemistry & Biology, Associate Dean of Academics.
Org. Lett. 2001, 3, 1009.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 163.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 7266.
Synthesis 2005, 2, 330.
Org. Lett. 2007, 9, 5027.
J. Org. Chem. 2008, 73, 3040.

Ben Nugent

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2005, Indiana University, IN
B.S. Chemistry and Math, 1997, Central Michigan University, MI

A Michigan native, Ben naturally studied at The University of Michigan and Central Michigan University where he graduated cum laude with a degree in Chemistry and Mathematics in 1997. Following a three year stint as a research chemist at Dow Corning (Midland, MI), Ben migrated to Indiana University and joined the Johnston group. Ben contributed to a variety of areas including our work in free radical-mediated vinyl amination. Additionally, he developed the first chiral proton catalyst and applied it to enantioselective imine additions and hetero-Diels-Alder reactions. While at IU, Ben was the recipient of the Paget, Slagle, and P&G fellowships. He was also awarded the Wendell Metzner and Associate Instructor Awards. Ben received his Ph.D. in 2005 and accepted a position as Principal Scientist in Discovery Research at Dow Agro (Indianapolis, IN) and is currently Discovery Scientist at Corteva Agriscience (formerly Dow AgroSciences), Indianapolis, IN.
Org. Lett. 2002, 4, 4197.
Tetrahedron 2003, 59, 8877.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 3418.
Org. Lett. 2015, 17, 880.

Daniel Mutnick

M.S. Chemistry, 2003, Indiana University, IN
B.S. Chemistry, 1999, California Polytech State U., CA

Daniel is a northern California native and completed his undergraduate degree in Chemistry at California Polytech State University in 1999. He then worked for a short time at Affymetrix before matriculating in the Chemistry graduate program at IU. He joined the Johnston group in 2000 and began the stereocontrolled total synthesis of (+)-serratezomine A. He was awarded an M.S. degree in 2003 and returned to California to a position at Novartis (GNF) in San Diego, and is currently Senior Operations Manager at Treeline Biosciences, San Diego, CA.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 7266.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 3470.
J. Org. Chem. 2013, 78, 822.

Ryan Yoder

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2008, Indiana University, IN
B.S. Chemistry, 2002, Indiana University, IN

Ryan Yoder hails from Crown Point, IN, and completed a B.S. degree in Chemistry (Honors) at Indiana University in 2002. He then entered the graduate program at IU and joined the Johnston group in that year. He is received his Ph.D. in chemistry in 2008. Ryan has developed the chiral proton catalyzed aza-Henry reaction while studying various aspects of mechanism with this new catalyst that functions through hydrogen bonding. In recognition of his accomplishments, he received a McCormick Science Award (2004) and an ACS Division of Organic Chemistry Fellowship for 2005-06. Ryan began in the Process Chemistry Group at Albemarle in May 2007. In 2008 Ryan accepted a position as Senior Scientist at Albemarle, Tyrone, PA (2008-2016) and is currently Senior Vice President, Business Development, King Chem Life Science, Allendale, NJ
Heterocycles 2004, 62, 223.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 3418.
Organometallics 2004, 23, 2238.
Chem. Rev. 2005, 105, 4730.
SynLett 2006, 1, 147.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 3466.
Org. Lett. 2015, 17, 880.

Colin Smith

B.A. Chemistry, 2001, DePauw University, IN

Colin is a native Hoosier and received his B.A. Chemistry degree from DePauw University in 2001. He then moved to Indiana University and began in the chemistry graduate program. Colin's work focused on the discovery and development of the acid-promoted aziridination and aminohydroxylation of olefins. In 2004 he returned to DePauw as a Lecturer in chemistry.
Synthesis 2005, 2, 330.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 1354.
J. Org. Chem. 2008, 73, 3040.

Julie Pigza

Postdoctoral Scientist, 2009, UC San Diego, CA
Ph.D. Chemistry, 2008, Indiana University, IN
B.S. Chemistry, 2002, Allegheny College, PA

Julie Pigza is a Pennsylvania native, graduating in 2002 with a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Allegheny College where she did undergraduate research with Shaun Murphree. She joined the Johnston group in that year and received her Ph.D. in chemistry in 2008. She nearly completed the total synthesis of (+)-serratezomine A. As a result of her accomplishments, she has received a Lilly Fellowship (2002), GAANN fellowship (2003), the inaugural Jack Crandall award in organic chemistry at IU (2004), and a Pfizer Diversity Fellowship in Organic Chemistry (2005-06). Julie was a postdoctoral scholar with Tadeusz Molinski at UC San Diego where she pursued her interest in natural product isolation and characterization with a particular emphasis on the development of methods to assign remote chiral carbon configuration. Julie began her independent career as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Queens Community College in New York City, before moving to the University of Southern Mississippi in 2013.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 3470.
Total Synthesis of Natural Products; Li, J. J., Corey, E. J., Eds.; Springer: Heidelberg, 2012, p 131.
J. Org. Chem. 2013, 78, 822.

Jayasree Srinivasan

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2008, Indiana University, IN
M.S. Chemistry, 1999, University of Houston, TX

Jayasree Srinivasan is a native of Chennai, India, and emigrated to the United States in 1997. She received an M.S. degree in Chemistry from the University of Houston in 1999. She then worked in the pharmaceutical industry until 2003 when she returned to graduate studies and joined the Johnston group. She has studied the use of indoline a-amino acids to control peptide secondary structure, an emerging area in the group. Jay's dissertation research also involved the development of an approach to the total synthesis of the antitumor agent mitomycin C. Jay completed her Ph.D. in 2008 and accepted the position of Research Scientist II at Baxter International R&D, Bloomington, IN.
Synthesis 2005, 2, 330.
Org. Lett. 2006, 8, 6047.
Chem. Commun. 2011, 47, 3975.

Timothy Troyer

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2008, Vanderbilt University, TN
M.S. Chemistry, 1999, University of Michigan, MI

Tim Troyer is a native of Michigan and completed his B.S. degree in Chemistry at Goshen College in 1996. He then earned an M.S. Chemistry degree from the University of Michigan in 1999. After four years as a medicinal chemist at Bristol-Myers-Squibb, he returned to graduate studies in 2003. His dissertation research involved a mechanistic study of the Bronsted acid-catalyzed aza-Darzens reaction, and the use of this knowledge to design a Bronsted acid promoted glycolate Mannich reaction. He received his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 2008 and began his independent career at West Virginia Wesleyan University as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry. Tim moved to Huntington University, IN to accept the role of Assistant Professor of Chemistry (2012-2018) and is currently Visiting Professor of Chemistry, Denison University, OH.
Chem. Commun. 2009, 41, 6195.
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2010, 49, 2290.
Org. Synth. 2011, 88, 212.
Org. Lett. 2011, 13, 1790.

Bo Shen

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2009, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Chemistry, 2003, University of Science and Technology of China, China

Bo Shen is a native of Nanjing, China. He completed his undergraduate training at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), earning a B.S. degree in Chemistry in 2003. He joined the Johnston group later that year and has studied enantioselective chiral proton-catalyzed olefin functionalization. Additionally, he has developed a new chiral proton-catalyzed synthesis of a,b-diamino acid derivatives that produces the syn diastereomer with high dr and ee. Bo also discovered and developed a new hydrative amide synthesis - Umpolung Amide Synthesis. Bo completed postdoctoral studies at MIT with Timothy Jamison in the area of flow chemistry, and in 2013 accepted a position in medicinal chemistry at Incyte (Delaware). In 2020, he then moved to Prelude Therapeutics (Wilmington, DE) to accept the role of Director (process chemistry, CMC)
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2025, 64, e202508819

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 3466
Org. Lett. 2008, 10, 4397
Nature 2010, 464, 1027
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2012, 109, 44
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 15233
Org. Lett. 2014, 16, 4714

Anand Singh

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2009, Vanderbilt University, TN
M.S. Chemistry, 2004, IIT Bombay, India

Anand Singh was born in Gorakhpur, India. After receiving a B.S. degree in Chemistry from the University of Mumbai, and an M.S. degree in organic chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, he entered the graduate program at Indiana University in 2004. He joined the Johnston group in 2005. Among his accomplishments, Anand discovered an unsymmetrical chiral proton catalyst that delivers anti-a,b-diamino acid derivatives with high diastereo- and enantioselection. He received a Warren Fellowship while at Vanderbilt University, and earned his Ph.D. in 2009. Following a postdoc with Greg Roth at the Burnham Institute in Florida, Anand began an independent faculty position in the Department of Chemistry at IIT Kanpur in 2013.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 3466.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 5866.
Chem. Sci. 2018, 9, 2336.

Aroop Chandra

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2011, Vanderbilt University, TN
M.S. Chemistry, 2005, University of Delhi, India

Aroop was born and raised in India, where he attended St. Stephen's College in Delhi for his undergraduate studies. He earned a B.S. in Chemistry in 2003 and continued his studies at the University of Delhi where he completed an M.S. degree in Chemistry. In 2005 he joined the Johnston group when we moved from IU to Vanderbilt. He has explored the use of indoline a-amino acids as conformational control elements in peptides, completed the first total synthesis of (+)-serratezomine A, the first total synthesis of hapalindole K & A, and a formal synthesis of hapalindole G. Aroop was a postdoctoral associate at Princeton University with David MacMillan, until he began his current position in medicinal chemistry at Cytokinetics (San Francisco) in 2013 and in 2020 accepted the position as Principal Scientist at Corteva Agriscience (Indianapolis, IN).
Org. Lett. 2007, 9, 5027.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 3470.
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 7641.
J. Org. Chem. 2013, 78, 822.

Tyler Davis

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2011, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Biochemistry, 2005, Lipscomb University, TN

Tyler is of Tennessee origin, and embarked on his undergraduate studies at Lipscomb University in Nashville where he received a B.S. degree in Biochemistry (magna cum laude) in 2005. During the summer of 2004, he worked with Bruce King at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. He began graduate studies at Vanderbilt and joined the group in 2006. Tyler has discovered a new chiral proton catalyst (dubbed PBAM) whose increased reactivity has substantially expanded the scope of the aza-Henry reaction. He has also successfully deployed these catalysts in the preparation of several chiral nonracemic amines of medicinal importance, most notably (-)-Nutlin-3 (HLR). After a brief stint as a postdoctoral fellow in the group, he began postdoctoral studies with Tomislav Rovis at Colorado State University, and accepted a position as Investigator in process and catalysis chemistry at GlaxoSmithKline (NC) in June 2014, moved to Merck Process (NJ) 2015-2019 and is currently a Scientist (process/catalysis chemistry) at Corteva Agriscience (Indianapolis, IN).
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 2880.
J. Biol. Chem. 2011, 286, 3047.
Chem. Sci. 2011, 2, 1076.
Org. Synth. 2012, 89, 380.
Chem. Commun. 2012, 48, 5578.
J. Org. Chem. 2013, 78, 10605.
J. Org. Chem. 2014, 79, 6913.
Cancer Res 2015, 75, 181.

Hubert Muchalski

Ph.D., 2012, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S./M.S., 2006, Wroclaw University of Technology, Poland

Hubert is a native of Poland where he received his B.S./M.S. in Chemistry at Wroclaw University of Technology in 2006. During these studies, he investigated the diselenide catalyzed hydroperoxide oxidation of naphthalenes. In 2006, he began graduate studies at Vanderbilt and joined the group in 2007 after his rotations. Hubert developed a unique a-diazo imide reagent that enabled the development of the Bronsted acid catalyzed syn-glycolate Mannich reaction. He then used the Bronsted acid-promoted azide-alkene synthesis of vic-amino alcohols to develop a two directional synthesis approach to (+)-zwittermicin A. Hubert was a postdoctoral scholar with Ned Porter until 2015, at which time he joined California State University, Fresno as an Associate Professor of Chemistry.
Chem. Commun. 2009, 41, 6195.
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2010, 49, 2290.
Org. Synth. 2011, 88, 212.
Science of Synthesis 2011, 1, 155.
Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2010, 6, 1206.
Org. Lett. 2011, 13, 1790.

Priya Mathew

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2012, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Chemistry, 2006, University of Texas, Austin, TX

Priya was born in Kerala, India and raised in Muscat, Oman. She came to the US in 2002 and began her undergraduate studies at The University of Texas, Austin. In December 2006, she received her B.S. Chemistry degree and began graduate studies in organic chemistry at Vanderbilt in 2007. Priya spent her first rotation in the group preparing front-line material in our mitomycin C synthesis campaign and then joined the group to continue the synthesis. She completed her dissertation in 2012 and moved to Michigan as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Kalamazoo College. Priya went on to become Lecturer at Trinity College, Hartford, CT (2015-2019); and is currently Associate Professor at Wilifrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Chem. Commun. 2011, 47, 3975.

Mark Dobish

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2012, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Chemistry, 2007, Allegheny College, PA

Mark hails from western Pennsylvania, specifically the town of New Wilmington. He completed his undergraduate degree in chemistry in 2007 at Allegheny College. While at Allegheny, Mark completed undergraduate research with Prof. P.J. Persichini, and completed an internship at Pfizer (Groton). Mark matriculated in the Vanderbilt Graduate Program in Chemistry in 2007 and joined the group after his rotations. Mark completed the first enantioselective synthesis of VNI, a small molecule discovered by colleagues in Biochemistry who determined it to be a potent inhibitor of CYP51. The synthesis - which required the development of a large scale PBAM-catalyzed enantioselective aza-Henry reaction, provided the drug quantity necessary for a collaborator at Meharry Medical College to show that VNI can cure both acute and chronic Chagas infection in a murine model. Mark also discovered an enantioselective chiral proton catalyzed iodolactonization reaction. Mark accepted a position at Noramco process chemistry research, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, in 2012. In 2020, Mark moved to Athens, GA to accept the role of Program Manager, New Product Introduction at Purisys.
Org. Lett. 2010, 12, 5744.
Org. Synth. 2012, 89, 380.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 6068.
Org. Lett. 2012, 14, 6322.
J. Infect. Dis. 2013, 208, 504.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015, 137, 7302.

Dawn Makley

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2012, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Biology, 2007, Xavier University, Ohio

Dawn is a native of Tipp City, Ohio. She began undergraduate studies at Xavier University in 2003, leading to receipt of a B.S. Chemistry degree in 2007. While at Xavier, Dawn performed undergraduate research under the mentorship of Prof. Rick Mullins. Dawn entered the graduate program in chemistry in 2007, and joined the group after her rotations. Dawn is developing a most impressive (Bo says...) new amide bond forming reaction, with a particular emphasis on unmet amide synthesis needs. Dawn was awarded the Ph.D. in Chemistry in 2012, and taught at a private school in New Jersey while moonlighting as a scientist at Princeton University. She moved in 2014 to take a new faculty position at Nueva School, a private high school in San Francisco; she is currently a high schoo teacher at Zionsville Community High School, Zionsville, IN.
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2025, 64, e202508819

Nature 2010, 464, 1027
Org. Lett. 2014, 16, 3146

Amanda Doody

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2014, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Chemistry, 2008, Wofford, SC

Amanda was an NSF-REU student at Columbia University working with Gerard Parkin during the summer of 2007. She then completed her B.S. Chemistry degree (summa cum laude) from Wofford College in South Carolina in 2008. She matriculated at Vanderbilt later that year and joined the group following her rotations. Amanda perfected our preparation of a novel diazo-imide for reaction discovery and development, and developed our approaches to the alkaloid kauluamine and aryl glycine-rich feglymycin natural products. Following completion of her Ph.D. degree in 2014, she accepted a position as Laboratory Coordinator and Lecturer at Georgia Tech.
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2025, 64, e202508819

Org. Synth. 2011, 88, 212
Org. Synth. 2016, 93, 88

Jessica Finn (nee Shackleford)

M.S. Chemistry, 2012, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Chemistry (with honors), 2009, University of Southern Mississippi, MS

Jessica is one of several ‘true’ southerners in the group, hailing from Mississippi where she completed her undergraduate studies in chemistry at the University of Southern Mississippi. During that time, she worked with Prof. Douglas Masterson to develop free radical azidation reactions using sulfonyl azides. Additionally, she completed two NSF-REU stints, one with Prof. Mukund Sibi at NDSU (2007), and a second with Prof. Scott Denmark at UIUC (2008). Jessica matriculated at Vanderbilt in 2009 and joined the group shortly thereafter as part of our new amide and peptide synthesis program. Jessica was a 2007 Goldwater Scholar, and an NSF Predoctoral Fellow. In 2012, Jessica completed her M.S. Thesis and returned to her hometown in MS to pursue a career in teaching and a (tasty) family business. In 2012, she accepted the role of Technologist at LabCorp, MS; moved to Research Scientist at Georgia-Pacific LLC, MS (2015-2018); and is currently Development Specialist at Buckman, Memphis, TN.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2012, 109, 44.
Org. Lett. 2014, 16, 4714.

Dain Beezer

Ph.D. Chemistry 2017, Vanderbilt University, TN
M.S. Chemistry, 2013, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.A. Chemistry, 2010, Fisk University, TN

Jamaica native Dain Beezer completed his undergraduate studies in chemistry at Fisk University.  As an undergrad, he enjoyed summer research stints in a variety of scientific areas at Alabama A&M, Vanderbilt, and Fisk. He began graduate studies at Vanderbilt in 2010 and after completing his rotations, joined the group beginning summer 2011. Dain used a combination of the Sharpless dihydroxylation reaction and Umpolung Amide Synthesis to prepare b,g-dihydroxy amides enantioselectively. He completed his M.S. thesis in 2013 and was developing polymer-based chemical devices with Prof. Eva Harth. Dain is currently Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Fisk University, Nashville, TN.

Michael Danneman

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2016, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Chemistry, 2010, Xavier University, OH

Michael Danneman is a native of Kentucky and completed his undergraduate studies in chemistry at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. With the mentorship of Professor Rick Mullins, Michael worked toward the total synthesis of pilosinine. He matriculated at Vanderbilt in 2010, and joined the group after his rotations. Secretly, we were hoping he would share knowledge of a certain recipe from his former employer Skyline Chili. Instead, we received a new highly effective catalyst (MAM), development of a new alkene diamination using hypervalent iodine reagents, and an enantioselective route to a promising therapeutic - an equally tasty harvest. Michael defended his dissertation in February 2016, and began postdoctoral studies with Tomislav Rovis at Columbia University. He accepted a position in 2018 at Moderna Therapeutics as a Senior Scientist (drug delivery).
Chem. Commun. 2012, 48, 5578.
J. Org. Chem. 2014, 79, 6913.
Org. Lett. 2015, 17, 2558.
Org. Lett. 2015, 17, 3806.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 1998.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, ASAP.

Brandon Vara

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2015, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Chemistry, 2010, James Madison University, VA

Although born in Irvine, California, Brandon represents the traffic-laden suburbs of Northern Virginia and received his B.S. in Chemistry from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. At JMU Brandon worked with Professor Kevin Minbiole exploring cyclopropane fragmentations and subsequent rearrangements to azepines and piperidines. In the summer of 2009, he interned with Amgen in medicinal chemistry as a wide-eyed undergraduate and developed diterpene libraries via unique biooxidations. Beginning his graduate studies in chemistry at Vanderbilt in 2010, Brandon broadened the aza-Henry approach to Nutlin-3 derivatives using chiral proton catalysis. He also developed the enantioselective synthesis of iodocarbonates by CO2-fixation with homoallylic alcohols. In 2015, he bestowed his greatest accomplishment - the creation of the Johnston Group Twitter account - on his successor, and successfully defended his dissertation. Brandon began postdoctoral studies in January 2016 with Prof. Gary Molander at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2017, he joined Merck in Boston, MA as a Senior Scientist in discovery/medicinal chemistry and is currently Associate Principal Scientist.
J. Org. Chem. 2014, 79, 6913.
Org. Lett. 2015, 17, 880.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015, 137, 7302.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 13794.
EBioMedicine 2017, 24, 43.

Ken Schwieter

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2016, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Chemistry, 2011, Xavier University, OH

Chapter 1. Ken was born and raised in Cincinnati, OH. He began at Xavier University in 2007 and worked with Prof. Rick Mullins as an undergraduate researcher. Provided a furlough for the summer, he joined the privileged (albeit dubious) ranks of NSF-REU students at Vanderbilt, and more specifically, the Johnston group. Ken assisted the PBAM scale-up campaign, and prepared a novel BAM ligand. Ken is an avid collector and amateur model for St. X, Xavier, and Vanderbilt T-shirts.

Chapter 2. Ken matriculated at Vanderbilt in 2011, and completed his rotations during the Fall. He then joined the group in January 2012 and developed the enantioselective synthesis of aliphatic a-amino acids using a combination of chiral proton catalysis and Umpolung Amide Synthesis. He had many other accomplishments, but most notable was the expansion of his wardrobe to include shirts in support of the US Men's National Soccer Team.

Chapter 3. Ken joined Jeff Moore's group in polymer and material synthesis at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne in 2016.

Chapter 4. Ken accepted a position in 2018 as Product Manager in the Emerging Chemical Synthesis group at MilliporeSigma in Wisconsin. In 2022 he advanced to Senior Product Manager.
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2025, 64, e202508819

Org. Synth. 2012, 89, 380
Org. Lett. 2014, 16, 4714
Chem. Sci. 2015, 6, 2590
ACS Catal. 2015, 5, 6559
Chem. Commun. 2016, 52, 152
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 14160

Daniel Sprague

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2016, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Biochemistry, 2011, University of Miami, FL
B.S. Chemistry, 2011, University of Miami, FL

Dan grew up in New Jersey, but flew south for college to the University of Miami. He completed his B.S. Biochemistry and B.S. Chemistry degrees (General Honors) in 2011 with magna cum laude distinction. While at Miami, Prof. Norito Takenaka inspired him to begin research in organic chemistry, through which Dan prepared several new helically chiral catalysts for enantioselective catalysis. Dan completed his rotations at Vanderbilt during the summer and Fall, and joined the group in January 2012. He investigated the chiral proton catalyzed enantioselective hetero-Diels-Alder reactions, and further developed enantioselective aza-Henry additions of nitroesters. Dan's interest in therapeutic development were indulged by several complex small molecule targets. In 2016, Dan was awarded the Ph.D. and he then continued his career track toward scientist-physician by matriculating in the medical program at UW-Milwaukee where he received his MD. He is currently an American Heart Association Postdoctoral Scholar with Jonathan
Org. Lett. 2015, 17, 880.
Chem. Sci. 2018, 9, 2336.
Org. Lett. 2020, 22, 8496.

Jonathan Witt

M.S. Chemistry, 2014, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Chemistry, 2011, Haverford College, PA

Jon grew up in Portland, ME and has two brothers and two sisters-as well as a faithful dog - Sammy. He attended Haverford College in Haverford, PA. Jon worked on several research projects during undergrad including contributing to a natural product synthesis and working with ligands in bioinorganic chemistry. His college thesis detailed the synthesis and properties of a novel tri-guanidine ligand. Jon began his work at Vanderbilt, after a year in the private sector, as a rotation student in the Johnston lab during the summer of 2012. Jon joined the group following this rotations and completed his Masters thesis in 2014. Jon investigated the application of UmAS to free a-amino acid acceptors for peptide synthesis. Jon accepted the position of High School Chemistry Teacher, FL.

Thomas Struble

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2018, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Biochemistry, 2012, College of Charleston, SC
B.A. Chemistry, 2012, College of Charleston, SC

Thomas was born in Fargo, North Dakota and grew up on the beach in Charleston, SC. At the College of Charleston he worked for Dr. Marcello Forconi, where he worked on elucidation of the mechanism of catalysis for the hammerhead ribozyme. In the Johnston Lab he has developed carbon dioxide capture reactions, including mechanism elucidation using combined IR and NMR experiments. He also has introduced the group to the use of computational techniques for to the rational design of new catalysts and reactions. His crowning achievement is the development of an enantioselective alkene diamination reaction, detailed in his dissertation published in January 2018. He is currently a postdoctoral scholar at MIT with Klavs Jensen. In 2020, Thomas accepted the position of Senior Scientist (computer-aided synthesis) at Merck; in 2022 was promoted to Associate Principal Scientist.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015, 137, 7302.
ACS Catal. 2018, 8, 11926.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 618.

J. Org. Chem. 2021, 86, 15606.

Matthew Knowe

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2018, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Biochemistry, 2012, College of Charleston, SC

Matthew was born in Athens, Georgia in 1990, and has lived in Oregon, Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina since then. He studied Biochemistry at the College of Charleston and conducted chemical biology research under Dr. Marcello Forconi. He began his graduate studies at Vanderbilt in 2012. Matt began his graduate studies working toward the total synthesis of zwittermicin, and later transitioned to enantioselective catalysis. Matt successfully developed an BAM-catalyzed iodolactonization reaction that produces bicyclic lactones in high ee. He was able to obtain the first BAM catalyst-substrate complexes, and he used them to support a hypothesis that the catalyst desymmetrizes the carboxylic acid in these cyclizations, not unlike enzymes that effect atom-selective reactivity. In this way, his catalysis is biomimetic, and a striking demonstration of the catalyst simplicity possible to achieve this. In 2018, Matt began postdoctoral studies with Ned Porter. Shortly thereafter, he accepted a position as Principal Scientist at StemSynergy in Franklin, TN.
Org. Synth. 2017, 94, 388.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 1998.

Suzanne Batiste

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2018, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Bioengineering, 2012, UC San Diego, CA

Suzanne was born and raised in California. She received her B.S in bioengineering at the University of California, San Diego. At UCSD, Suzanne worked on creating a device to detect essential minerals for algae growth using gene circuits.  She began her graduate studies in chemistry at Vanderbilt in 2012. Suzanne joined the group after completing her rotations, entering our program in umpolung amide synthesis. Her dissertation work quickly took on a life after her total synthesis of (-)-verticilide using a combination of Henry/UmAS to prepare didepsipeptides. This led to a second total synthesis of (-)-verticilide was achieved by a Mitsunobu MacroCycloOligomerization (M-MCO). This led to a hypothesis that the M-MCO could be optimized by Lewis acidic alkali metal ions that could template the 24-membered ring formation. This led to a study that targeted both high-yielding syntheses of single macrocycles, as well as collections of ring-size congeners. This led to a binding study of the salts with series of ring sizes. This led to the total synthesis of bassianolide, valinomycin, and montanastatin. This led to a few more things too. In her spare time, Suzanne enjoys running, dancing, and playing with her adorable cat Mo (also making him dance and feeding him cheese while he works on NMR structural elucidation). In 2018, Suzanne defended her dissertation successfully and began postdoctoral studies with Greg Fu at CalTech as an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow. She is currently Senior Scientist (medicinal chemistry) at Pfizer, Boulder, CO.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2016, 113, 14893. [see correction]
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 4560. [see correction]
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2019, 116, 4810.

Circ. Res. 2021, 128, 321.

ACS Med. Chem. Lett. 2022, 13, 1755.

Stefano Lancianesi

Stefano Lancianesi was born in Italy and received his Laurea degree in 2011 at the University of Camerino. During the same year he started his Ph.D. under the supervision of Professor Marino Petrini. His research interests include the study of new methodologies for the synthesis and functionalization of heteroaromatic compounds. He joined the group as a visiting student in March 2014. Stefano is currently Senior Scientist Process Chemistry at The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.

Andrew Flach

M.S. Chemistry, 2017, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Chemistry, 2014, University of Louisville, KY

Andrew was born in 1991 in Cincinnati and grew up in Northern Kentucky. At the University of Louisville he conducted research as an undergraduate in the Hammond-Xu group, first working on elucidating the mechanism of toxicity of an anticancer compound developed by Dr. Xu, and then investigating the role and effects of different counterions in organocatalysis. He joined Vanderbilt University in the Fall of 2014, and joined the Johnston group in March of 2015 after completing his rotations. Andrew discovered a BAM-catalyzed enantioselective alkene iodofunctionalization that gives medium ring-size lactones. In 2017, he accepted the role of Securities Analyst II with Wells Fargo (Frederick, MD) and is currently a Capital Markets Risk Analyst at Fifth Third Bank, Cincinnati, OH.
Chem. Sci. 2022, 13, 7318.

Sangjun Park

M.S. Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology, 2015, University of Science & Technology, South Korea
B.S. Application Chemistry, 2013, Cheongju University, South Korea

Sangjun was born and raised in Cheongju, South Korea. He obtained his B.S. degree in Application Chemistry at Cheongju University. He then received an M.S. degree from the UST (University of Science & Technology) of the KRICT (Korea Research of Institute Chemical Technology) as a major in Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology. He developed an ulcerative colitis treatment and a new breast cancer DRAK-2 inhibitor, along with Dr. Kwang-ho Lee. After earning an M.S degree, he joined Kyongbo Pharm in South Korea (Process Chemistry). He joined the group in September 2019 as a Visiting Scientist for a 6 month training period, studying the enantioselective reduction of nitroalkenes.

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 1269

Jade Bing

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2020, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Biochemistry, 2013, Rider University, NJ

Jade is a Jersey girl, born and raised. In 2013 she received an ACS accredited B.S. in biochemistry from Rider University. At Rider, Jade became a McNair Scholar (2011) and worked with Dr. Danielle Jacobs on the stereocontrolled total chemical syntheses of cytotoxic and antimycobacterial natural products. In the summer of 2012, she worked with Dr. Robert Knowles as a Leadership Alliance Early Identification Fellow at Princeton University on the use of PCET for intermolecular ketyl-olefin coupling. After graduation, she became a research coordinator and counselor for the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program before coming to Vanderbilt in the fall of 2014. Jade truly appreciates a clever one-liner or pun and in her free time she enjoys playing sports, cooking and games. Jade received the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship in 2015, and a Corteva Scholar Award in 2019. In 2020, she began as a Research Scientist at Corteva.
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2025, 64, e202508819

Chem. Sci. 2022, 13, 2614
Org. Lett. 2023, 25, 950

Michael Crocker

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2021, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Chemistry, 2015, University of Kentucky, KY
B.S. Chemical Engineering, 2015, University of Kentucky, KY

Michael is a native of Bowling Green, KY where he attended the Carol Martin Gatton Academy where he did research with Dr. Jeremy Maddox and Dr. Lester Pesterfield on Pourbaix diagrams. He also participated in an NSF-International Research Experience for Scientists in Taiwan working with Dr. Ru-Jong Jeng on dendron synthesis, for which he received a Barry Goldwater Scholarship. Michael also trained with Dr. Chad Snyder and Dr. Rui Zhang in synthesis. He did his undergraduate work at the University of Kentucky pursuing a double chemical engineering/chemistry major with a math minor. There he worked with Dr. Mark Meier on oxidative cleavage of lignin. Outside of class, Michael likes biking, cooking, and collecting/enjoying Chinese and Japanese teas and tea wear. Michael joined the group in 2016 at the end of his rotations. In 2016, Michael was awarded the prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, and the Bader Award (MilliporeSigma) in 2019. Michael worked as a postdoctoral scholar working with Laura Ackerman at Arizona State University in Phoenix, Arizona. He is currently a Scientist (Process Chemistry) at Gilead Pharmaceuticals, San Francisco, CA.
Chem 2019, 5, 1248.
J. Org. Chem. 2022, 87, 5451.

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 16708

Ronald Benning

M.S. Chemistry, 2020, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Chemistry, 2014, Rider University, NJ

Originally from Trenton, New jersey, Ron Benning obtained his B.S. in chemistry at Rider University where he was first introduced to scientific research through American Chemical Society Project SEED; an ACS sponsored program that allows economically disadvantaged high school students to engage in collegiate-level research. As a high school senior, Ron engaged in research including the synthesis of aryldiazonium salts and investigation of solvolysis on the kinetic isotope effect, advised by ACS Fellow Dr. John Eugene Sheats. As an undergraduate, Ron worked with Dr. Danielle Jacobs on the synthesis of natural product R-(+)-pulegone and investigated conjugate additions to 2-vinylpyridines. He later concluded his undergraduate research working with Dr. John Adamovics on the synthesis and formulation of triarylmethane photosensitizers in polyurethanes for stereotactic dosimetry. In addition to his academic endeavors, Ron served five years as a volunteer firefighter at Lawrence Road Fire Company in Lawrence, NJ.

As a chemistry graduate student at Vanderbilt, Ron initially obtained his M.S. in the lab of Dr. H. Charles Manning where his research focused on developing methods to incorporate radioactive isotopes in the synthesis of natural amino acids for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Currently, Ron is pursuing a PhD in the Johnston group where his research addresses stereoselection in asymmetric aza-Henry reactions utilizing BAM catalysis. When Ron is not optimizing experimental conditions, you might find him rafting, working out, playing guitar, swing dancing, or simply hanging by the fire pit.

David Almond

M.S. Chemistry, 2021, Vanderbilt University, TN
M.S. Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2019, Rowan University, NJ
B.S. Biological Sciences, 2017, Rowan University, NJ

David was born and raised in Elsinboro New Jersey. He attended Rowan University where he obtained his B.S in Biological Sciences. He then continued his work at Rowan with Professor Moura-Letts where he focused his research efforts on the synthesis and applications of small heterocycles in acquisition of his M.S of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Outside of lab, David enjoys tabletop games, nature walks and traveling. David joined the group after his three rotations.

Jenna Payne

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2021, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Chemistry, 2016, University of Detroit, Mercy, MI

Jenna was raised in Lansing, Michigan with her two brothers. Fun fact, Jenna is a triplet! She received her B.S. from the University of Detroit Mercy. Her undergraduate research focused on developing multi-dentate ligands utilizing straight-chain podand amines and ortho-functionalized aldehydes; in select cases, these ligands reacted with metal cations. Jenna’s hobbies include running, reading, and playing lacrosse. Jenna is currently employed as a Senior Scientist (Process Chemistry) at Boehringer-Ingelheim, CT.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 21, 17584

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 618
Chem. Sci. 2022, 13, 7318

Abigail Smith

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2021, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Chemistry, 2016, University of Evansville, IN

Abby hails from Franklin, Indiana. She received her B.S. in professional chemistry in 2016 from the University of Evansville. Abby worked with the synthesis and development of small, biologically complex “smart” therapeutics aimed at simultaneously targeting, detecting, and treating disease. Abby joined the group to pursue our nascent hit-to-lead program in ent-verticilide as an antiarrhythmic. She was awarded an NIH F31 predoctoral fellowship in 2020. Abby graduated in 2021 and accepted a position in medicinal chemistry at Eli Lilly in Indianapolis.
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2025, 64, e202508819

Chem. Sci. 2024, 15, 14977
Mol. Pharm. 2024, 105, 194-201 and bioRxiv 2023
ACS Chem. Biol. 2023, 18, 2290–2299
J. Pharm. Exptl. Ther. 2023, 385, 205-213
ACS Med. Chem. Lett. 2022, 13, 1755-1762
J. Org. Chem. 2022, 87, 5451
Circulation 2022, 145, 1480-1496
ACS Med. Chem. Lett. 2021, 12, 1942-1947
J. Org. Chem. 2021, 86, 7904
Circ. Res. 2021, 128, 321

Jade Izaguirre

M.S. Chemistry, 2021, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Biochemistry, 2016, Berry College, GA

Jade was born and raised in Dalton, Georgia. She received her B.S. in Biochemistry from Berry College where she worked on the synthesis of two novel, fluorescent nucleosides under the supervision of Dr. Lindsey Davis. Jade has also had the privilege to work under Dr. Ruth Webster at the University of Bath during an international NSF-REU (2015). There, she gathered preliminary data on the catalytic ability of two iron-centered complexes. Jade, a recipient of a GAANN Fellowship, joined the Johnston lab at the end of her three rotations. She has studied the preparation of b-fluoroamines, and C-H remote functionalization reactions of nitroalkanes.

Jade Williams

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2021, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Chemistry, 2016, Wake Forest University, NC

Jade Williams was raised in the D[M]V but moved south to receive her BA in Chemistry from Wake Forest University. Upon graduation in 2015, she spent a year conducting research as a PREP post-baccalaureate scholar under the direction of Dr. Damian Young in the Center for Drug Discovery at Baylor College of Medicine. Jade’s experience at BCM sparked her interest in the design and advancement of novel therapeutics. She arrived at Vanderbilt in 2016 eager to learn new chemistry and try hot chicken! Jade accepted the position of Senior Scientist (medicinal chemistry) at Pfizer, Groton, CT.

Zihang Deng

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2024, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2019, Tianjin University, China

Zihang was born and raised in Sichuan, China. He obtained his B.S. degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Tianjin University, where he worked with Prof. Jon Antilla on the field of asymmetric catalysis by chiral phosphoric acids and participated in the development of a catalytic one-pot double asymmetric cascade reaction for synthesis of chlorinated oxindoles and geminal diamines. He joined an exchange program in University of Padova for his undergraduate thesis in the development of stereodynamic probes for enantiomeric excess. As for hobbies, he enjoys playing soccer and learning philosophy. Zihang joined the group after his three rotations and soon became the lead for our program in enantioselective catalysis. Two highlights of Zihang’s research are the discovery of the most general nitroalkene reduction discovered to-date, and completion of our years-long effort to identify an achiral counterion design that can be used to enhance selectivity and activity for a chiral catalyst system. Zihang defended his dissertation describing performance-enhancing asymmetric catalysis (PEAC) in 2024 and began postdoctoral studies at Harvard in 2025 with Richard Liu.

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 21, 17584

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 1269

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 16708

Chem. Sci. 2022, 13, 7318

Madelaine (Paige) Thorpe

Ph.D. Chemistry, 2025, Vanderbilt University, TN
B.S. Biochemistry, 2019, Bell State University, IN

Paige was born in Muncie, IN, and began her undergraduate studies at Ball State in 2016. She began her undergraduate career as a pre-pharmacy major, but slightly changed direction after taking the Organic Chemistry I and II series. She finished her B.S. in Biochemistry, with minors in Mathematics and Cellular and Molecular Biology, in May 2019. At Ball State, she worked under Dr. Philip Albiniak in the field of organic methodology, synthesizing various mild arylmethyl transfer reagents and studying their applications in organic synthesis. Paige led our lead optimization efforts for ent-verticilide, studying in-depth the effect of backbone modifications on passive permeability and activity. Major findings included: documentation of a clear correlation between size and permeability, and backbone composition and permeability. Leveraging the oligomeric nature of the verticilide template, Paige documented a clear benefit to passive permeability that end-to-end backbone cyclization imparts. Receiving her Ph.D. in 2025, Paige accepted a position as a senior scientist in process chemistry at Corden Pharma in Boulder, CO.

ACS Med. Chem. Lett. 2025, 16, 4, 638

Chem. Sci. 2024, 15, 14977
J. Med. Chem. 2024, 67, 12205
Mol. Pharm. 2024, 105, 194-201
J. Mol. Cell. Cardiol. 2023, 180, 1
ACS Med. Chem. Lett. 2022, 13, 1755
J. Org. Chem. 2022, 87, 5451

Kyle Medas

M.S. Chemistry, 2024, Vanderbilt University
B.S. Biochemistry, 2020, Providence College, RI

Kyle was born and raised in Taunton, MA. In May 2020, he earned his B.S. in Biochemistry at Providence College in Providence, RI, where he worked under Dr. Seann P. Mulcahy. In this lab, he worked to develop synthetic strategies to make a class of nitrogen containing heterocycles known as  carbolines. He enrolled in Vanderbilt Chemistry’s graduate program in Fall 2020, where he is interested in synthesis. Outside of lab, Kyle likes to play sports and games with friends, and is an avid Boston sports fan. Kyle accepted a position in manufacturing R&D at Thermo Fisher in Bedford, MA.

Preston Gourville

Ph.D. Organic Chemistry, 2026, Vanderbilt University
B.S. Chemistry, 2020, North Carolina State University

Preston is from Wilmington, NC and earned his B.S. in Chemistry with a minor in Biology from North Carolina State University in May 2020. While there, he conducted research under Dr. Caroline Proulx, focusing on the synthesis and characterization of azapeptide peptidomimetics. In Fall 2020, Preston began his graduate studies at Vanderbilt, and his dissertation research describes the completion of the aryl glycine-rich tridecapeptide feglymycin, and the natural products cochinmicin I and V. Preston was an NSF Graduate Research Fellow from 2022. He was awarded his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 2026 and moved to Boston College as a postdoctoral scholar with Prof. Peter Zhang.

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2025, 64