Current Group Members

Marvin J. Meyers, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Saint Louis University
Email: mmeyers8@slu.edu
Phone: 314-977-5197
To schedule a meeting: https://marvinmeyers.youcanbook.me/
Links: ORCID iD, NCBI My Bibliography, Google Scholar.
I received my BA in chemistry from Dordt College (Iowa) and my PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Illinois. From 2000-2010, I worked as a medicinal chemist in drug discovery at Pfizer where I worked on new drugs for rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and pain. In 2010, I joined a team of scientists at SLU working on discovering new drugs for rare and neglected diseases. In 2018, I transitioned to the Department of Chemistry at SLU where we continue to work on new drug discovery for infectious and other diseases.
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Saint Louis University
Email: mmeyers8@slu.edu
Phone: 314-977-5197
To schedule a meeting: https://marvinmeyers.youcanbook.me/
Links: ORCID iD, NCBI My Bibliography, Google Scholar.
I received my BA in chemistry from Dordt College (Iowa) and my PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Illinois. From 2000-2010, I worked as a medicinal chemist in drug discovery at Pfizer where I worked on new drugs for rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and pain. In 2010, I joined a team of scientists at SLU working on discovering new drugs for rare and neglected diseases. In 2018, I transitioned to the Department of Chemistry at SLU where we continue to work on new drug discovery for infectious and other diseases.

Dr. Soumitra Guin
Post-doc, 2021-present (Cryptococcus project)
Ph.D. Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Indore
Post-doc, 2021-present (Cryptococcus project)
Ph.D. Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Indore

Dr. Suvajit Koley
Post-doc, 2022-present (HBV and Cryptosporidium projects)
Ph.D. Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, Banaras Hindu University
Post-doc, 2022-present (HBV and Cryptosporidium projects)
Ph.D. Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, Banaras Hindu University

Edmund Oboh,
Graduate Student, 2018-present (Cryptosporidium project)
B.S. Chemistry, University of Cape Coast
Graduate Student, 2018-present (Cryptosporidium project)
B.S. Chemistry, University of Cape Coast

Tanner Schubert
Graduate Student, 2018-present (Plasmodium and Cryptosporidium projects)
B.S. Chemistry, Saint Louis University
Graduate Student, 2018-present (Plasmodium and Cryptosporidium projects)
B.S. Chemistry, Saint Louis University

Maryam Zangi
Graduate Student, 2018-present (HSV, HBV and Cryptosporidium projects)
B.S. Chemistry, Sharif University of Technology
M.S. Chemistry, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
Graduate Student, 2018-present (HSV, HBV and Cryptosporidium projects)
B.S. Chemistry, Sharif University of Technology
M.S. Chemistry, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville

Samantha (Sam) Brosend
Graduate Student, 2020-present (Cryptococcal Meningitis Project)
B.S. Biochemistry, Monmouth College
Graduate Student, 2020-present (Cryptococcal Meningitis Project)
B.S. Biochemistry, Monmouth College

Katie Richter
Graduate Student, 2021-present (TB project)
B.S. Chemistry, Monmouth College
Graduate Student, 2021-present (TB project)
B.S. Chemistry, Monmouth College

Caroline Christ
Undergraduate, Chemistry, 2021-present (Cryptosporidium project)
Undergraduate, Chemistry, 2021-present (Cryptosporidium project)

Lane Hartman
Undergraduate, Chemistry, 2021-present (Cryptosporidium project)
Undergraduate, Chemistry, 2021-present (Cryptosporidium project)

Ethan James
Undergraduate, Biochemistry, 2021-present (FSHD project)
Undergraduate, Biochemistry, 2021-present (FSHD project)

Caitlin Hamill
Undergraduate, Chemistry, 2022-present (Cryptosporidium project)
Undergraduate, Chemistry, 2022-present (Cryptosporidium project)
Evan Miller
Graduate Student, Chemical Biology, 2019-present (FSHD muscular dystrophy project)
Primary mentor: Dr. Fran Sverdrup (SLU Dept of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
Secondary mentor: Dr. Meyers
Graduate Student, Chemical Biology, 2019-present (FSHD muscular dystrophy project)
Primary mentor: Dr. Fran Sverdrup (SLU Dept of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
Secondary mentor: Dr. Meyers
Hannah Lupton
Graduate Student, Biomedical PhD program, 2021-present (FSHD muscular dystrophy project)
Primary mentor: Dr. Fran Sverdrup (SLU Dept of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
Secondary mentor: Dr. Meyers
Graduate Student, Biomedical PhD program, 2021-present (FSHD muscular dystrophy project)
Primary mentor: Dr. Fran Sverdrup (SLU Dept of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
Secondary mentor: Dr. Meyers
Former Group Members

Greg Giovine
Summer REU 2022
Undergraduate, Chemistry, University of Missouri-St. Louis
Summer REU 2022
Undergraduate, Chemistry, University of Missouri-St. Louis

Dr. Makafui (Mark) Gasonoo
Current: Research Scientist at MilliporeSigma, Sheboygan Falls, WI
Post-doc, 2019-2022 (HBV and Cryptosporidium projects)
Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Northern Illinois
Current: Research Scientist at MilliporeSigma, Sheboygan Falls, WI
Post-doc, 2019-2022 (HBV and Cryptosporidium projects)
Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Northern Illinois

Aaron Burroughs
Undergraduate, Chemistry, 2021-2022 (Cryptosporidium project)
Undergraduate, Chemistry, 2021-2022 (Cryptosporidium project)

Miguel Campos
Current: Chemistry graduate program at Northwestern University
SLU McNair Scholar Program
Undergraduate, Chemistry (Washington University in St. Louis), 2019-2022 (Cryptococcal Meningitis project)
Current: Chemistry graduate program at Northwestern University
SLU McNair Scholar Program
Undergraduate, Chemistry (Washington University in St. Louis), 2019-2022 (Cryptococcal Meningitis project)

Hannah Peek
Current: EMT
SLU Undergraduate, Chemical Biology & Pharmacology, 2020-2022 (Cryptosporidium project)
Current: EMT
SLU Undergraduate, Chemical Biology & Pharmacology, 2020-2022 (Cryptosporidium project)

Dr. Nicholas (Nick) Jentsch
Current: Research Scientist at Fimbrion, St. Louis, MO
Post-doc, 2021-2022 (Cryptosporidium project; Cryptococcus project)
Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Southern Mississippi
Current: Research Scientist at Fimbrion, St. Louis, MO
Post-doc, 2021-2022 (Cryptosporidium project; Cryptococcus project)
Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Southern Mississippi
Diana Urbina
Current: Pattonville High School; Incoming SLU student in Fall 2022
Summer research 2021
Current: Pattonville High School; Incoming SLU student in Fall 2022
Summer research 2021
Nicole Shapiro
Current: Chemistry graduate school at the University of Iowa
Webster University, chemistry
Summer REU 2021
Current: Chemistry graduate school at the University of Iowa
Webster University, chemistry
Summer REU 2021

Emmy Philo
Current: Air Force, medical school
SLU Undergraduate, Chemistry, 2019-2021 (Cryptosporidium project)
Current: Air Force, medical school
SLU Undergraduate, Chemistry, 2019-2021 (Cryptosporidium project)

Andrew Van Nispen
Current: medical school
SLU Undergraduate, Biochemistry, 2019-2021 (HBV project)
Current: medical school
SLU Undergraduate, Biochemistry, 2019-2021 (HBV project)

Dr. Haresh Thakellapalli
Current: Research Scientist at AviSyn/Pfizer, Groton, CT
Post-doc, 2018-2019 (VLA4 and RelMtb projects)
Ph.D. Chemistry, University of West Virginia
Current: Research Scientist at AviSyn/Pfizer, Groton, CT
Post-doc, 2018-2019 (VLA4 and RelMtb projects)
Ph.D. Chemistry, University of West Virginia

Brylon Denman
Current: Chemistry graduate school at the University of Minnesota
SLU Undergraduate, Biochemistry, 2018-2020 (RANKL and Cryptosporidium projects)
Current: Chemistry graduate school at the University of Minnesota
SLU Undergraduate, Biochemistry, 2018-2020 (RANKL and Cryptosporidium projects)

Carlos Kamal
Current: SLU Medical Anatomy and Physiology Post-Baccalaureate program
SLU Undergraduate, Neuroscience, 2018-2020 (Cryptococcus project)
Current: SLU Medical Anatomy and Physiology Post-Baccalaureate program
SLU Undergraduate, Neuroscience, 2018-2020 (Cryptococcus project)

Clayton Monia
Current: MS in Medical Physiology at Loyola Chicago
SLU Undergraduate, Health Sciences, 2018-2020 (Tuberculosis project)
Current: MS in Medical Physiology at Loyola Chicago
SLU Undergraduate, Health Sciences, 2018-2020 (Tuberculosis project)
Undergraduate student researchers and summer interns (pre-2020)
- Lexi Overton, Summer REU 2019
- Samantha Brosend, Summer REU 2019
- Adriana Maribona, 2017-2019
- Radhika Patel, 2017-2019
- Ghazal Shami Alshlabi, Summer REU 2018
- Tanner Schubert, 2016-2018
- Ryan Engleman, 2016-2017
- Sebastian Chirayil, 2016-2018
- Albina Abdullaeva, 2014-2016
- Alekya Tummala, 2014-2015
- Elizabeth Anderson, 2013-2015
- Maximillian Bourdillon, Summer 2014
- Thomas Krenning, 2013-2014
- Anjanette Smith, Summer 2013
- Tyler Zahrli, Summer 2012
- Sarah McNitt, 2012-2014