Team

Juan R. Del Valle
W. K. Warren Family Professor
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry

B.A., Chemistry, Carleton College, 1999
Ph.D., Chemistry, University of California San Diego, 2004
Postdoc, University of Montreal, 2004-2006

Curriculum Vitae
Brief Bio

Taylor Gerrein
Graduate Student (joined Fall 2019)

2018: B.S. Chemistry, Northern Kentucky University

Kaneb Center Outstanding Graduate Teaching Awardee

Lab Publications: Communications Chemistry 2025; Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry 2025; Organic Letters 2023; Organic Letters 2022; Synlett 2021

Syrah Starnes
Graduate Student (joined Fall 2020)

NIH Chemistry-Biology Interface Predoctoral Fellow

2020: B.A. Chemistry, Lewis & Clark College

Lab Publications: Methods in Enzymology 2024

Avraz Anwar
Graduate Student (joined Fall 2021)

NIH Chemistry-Biology Interface Predoctoral Fellow
Merck Next-Gen Leader in Chemistry 2025
Welter Family Graduate Fellow
Leiva Graduate Fellow in Precision Health

2021: M.S. Chemistry, Middle Tennessee State University
2019: B.S. Chemistry, Middle Tennessee State University

Lab Publications: Journal of Organic Chemistry 2025; Organic Letters 2024; ChemMedChem 2023; Organic Letters 2022

Madison Wright
Graduate Student (joined Fall 2021)

2021: B.S. Chemistry, Saint Francis University

Lab Publications: RSC Chemical Biology 2025; Communications Chemistry 2025; Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry 2025; Accounts of Chemical Research 2024; Organic Letters 2023

Isaac Angera
Graduate Student (joined Fall 2021)

Leahy-Filipi Family Endowment Research Fellow

2021: B.S. Chemistry, Central Michigan University

Lab publications: Nature Chemistry 2025; Accounts of Chemical Research 2024; Journal of the American Chemical Society 2023

Natalia Cano Sampaio
Graduate Student (joined Fall 2022)

2019: B.S. Chemistry, Universidad del Valle

Lab Publications: Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry 2025

Theodore Stathopoulos
Graduate Student (joined Fall 2022)

Schmitt Leadership Fellow

2022: B.S. Chemistry, Christopher Newport University

Abha Dangi
Postdoctoral Fellow (joined Fall 2023)

2023: Ph.D. Organic Chemistry, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory
2014: M.Sc. Organic Chemistry, Barkatullah University
2012: B.S. Chemistry, Barkatullah University

Ana-Teresa Mendoza
Graduate Student (joined Fall 2023)

Schmitt Leadership Fellow

2023: B.S. Chemistry, UC Irvine

Alexandre Renon
Graduate Student (joined Fall 2023)

2023: B.S. Chemistry, Northeastern University

Krishna Shivakumar
Postdoctoral Fellow (joined Fall 2024)

2021-2024: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Notre Dame
2020: Ph.D. Chemistry, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore
2014: M.Sc. Chemistry, Central College Bangalore
2012: B.Sc. Chemistry, Bangalore University

Laura Hession
Graduate Student (joined Fall 2024)

2024: M.S. ESTEEM program, University of Notre Dame
2022: B.S. Biotechnology, National University of Ireland Galway

Quinton Perry
Graduate Student (joined Fall 2024)

2024: B.S. Chemistry, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Alejandro Yeste-Vázquez

Postdoctoral Researcher (joined Spring 2025)

2024: Ph.D. Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
2020: M.S. Molecular Biotechnology, University of Barcelona
2019: B.S. Chemistry, University of Barcelona

Katie Burns
Undergraduate Student (joined Spring 2023)

Notre Dame COS-SURF fellowship

Class of 2025: Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame

Shahad Al-Wuhaili
Undergraduate Student (joined Summer 2024)

Balfour-Hesburgh Scholar
Galvin Scholars SURF fellow

Class of 2026: Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame

Gabrielle Fakunle
Undergraduate Student (joined Summer 2024)

Galvin Scholars SURF fellow

Class of 2027: Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame

Join us!!

We are recruiting motivated graduate students with a passion for organic synthesis, chemical biology, and drug discovery! Prospective students should be enrolled in the Ph.D. program at the University of Notre Dame and are encouraged to contact Juan ([email protected]) with any questions.

Recent Ph.D. graduates interested in Postdoctoral Associate opportunities should should send a cover letter, CV, and research summary as a single pdf to [email protected].

Former Members

Wathsala Liyanage, M.S. (2009), University of Rochester (doctoral program)
Leticia Montoya, Undergrad (2008), University of Oregon (doctoral program)
Ujjwal Pal, Postdoc (2010), CSIR (Senior Scientist)
Sujeewa Ranatunga, Ph.D. (2012), Moffitt Cancer Center (Staff Scientist)
Jinsoo Kim, Postdoc (2012), PNA Innovations (Senior Scientist)
Young B. Kim, Postdoc (2013), Bluefield State College (Assistant Professor)
Yongmao Sun, Postdoc (2013), University of Tampa (Visiting Professor)
Hallie Lower, HS Intern (2016), University of Florida
Bomi Kim, Undergrad (2016), Hanbat National University
Fabio Vasconcellos, Undergrad (2017)
Megan Navarro, Undergrad (2018)
Justin Goodwin, Postdoc (2018), Lonza (Project Manager)
William Motsch, M.S. (2018), Temple University (doctoral program)
Carlos Solanilla, Undergrad (2019), N.C. State (doctoral program)
Matt Sarnowski, Ph.D. (2021), Sanford-Burham (Medicinal Chemist)
Erin Fennessy, Undergrad (2021), University of Notre Dame (ACE Teaching Fellow)
Jen Rowe, Postdoc (2021), Eli Lilly (Advisor)
Yassin Elbatrawi, Ph.D. (2021), Gilead Biosciences (Scientist)
Andrew Fugetta, Undergrad (2021), Johns Hopkins (doctoral program)
Michael Siroky, Undergrad (2021), Scripps Research Institute (doctoral program)
Aaron Scott, M.S. (2022), Eli Lilly (Senior Chemist)
Chris Cain, Ph.D. (2022), Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (Scientist)
Luke Whitmer, Undergrad (2022), Columbia University (medical school)
Benjamin Rathman, Ph.D. (2023), UCF (postdoc)
Kamlesh Makwana, Postdoc (2023), THINC@ Baylor College of Medicine (Scientist)
Hannah Bergin, Undergrad (2024)
Michael Garza, Ungergrad (2024), Northwestern University (doctoral program)
Ben Rajewski, Ph.D. (2024), Endevica Bio (Scientist)
Emma Elsdon, Visiting Undergrad (2024), Fordham University
Juan Sebastian Pardo-Tamayo, Visiting Grad Researcher (2024), Universidad del Valle