GROUP MEMBERS

The Levin Group is always looking for talented researchers — regardless of background — eager to join in our endeavors. Prospective graduate students should apply through the Chemistry department program. Postdoctoral candidates should contact Mark via email with their C.V. and a list of references. Undergraduates at the University of Chicago who have completed their Organic Chemistry sequence and are interested in a research experience should contact Mark via email. 

Julia Driscoll

Julia Driscoll

Graduate Student (NSF GRFP Fellow)

B.A. University of Pittsburgh, 2020 (Kazunori Koide)

 

Julia is originally from Pittsburgh, PA, where she completed her B.S. in Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. While at Pitt, she worked in the Koide group on the synthesis of bioactive molecules for use in biological studies and spent a summer with the medicinal chemistry group at Seattle Genetics, working on the design and synthesis of new drug-linker technologies. After graduating, she decided to shift to methodology and joined the Levin group in 2020. Outside of lab, Julia enjoys cooking, watching reality TV and petting dogs.

jldriscoll [at] uchicago.edu

Jisoo Woo

Jisoo Woo

Graduate Student (BMS Fellow)

B.S. University of Rochester, 2020 (Shauna Paradine)

Jisoo was born and raised in Busan, South Korea until he moved to the United States when he was 15. He received a B.S. degree in chemistry from the University of Rochester, NY. He was a National Science Foundation REU fellow at the Nilsson Group during the summer of 2018 and worked on co-assembly of amyloid-beta fragments under acidic conditions. Since 2018, he joined the Paradine Research Group as an undergraduate researcher and completed a senior thesis on photocatalytic carboxydifuntionalization of olefins. He also joined the Delius Group at Ulm University, Germany in the summer of 2019 as a DAAD-RISE intern to work on Co(III)-based photocatalysts. Besides work, he is an avid reader of Stephen King and Lovecraft and a huge fan of Nirvana and Pink Floyd. 

jwoo11 [at] uchicago.edu

Ethan Hyland

Ethan Hyland

Graduate Student

B.S. University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2020 (John Berry)

 

Ethan was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota. He received his B.S. in chemistry and religious studies from University of Wisconsin-Madison. While at UW, he worked in Prof. John Berry’s lab, synthesizing a family of tethered bidentate ligands in order to create catalytically active dinuclear cobalt complexes. He also worked on universal synthetic route to access novel tetracarboxylate Co(II) paddlewheel-type complexes. Outside of the lab, he enjoys spending his free time biking around the city, discovering new music, and watching Scrubs.

ehyland [at] uchicago.edu 
Colin Lynch

Colin Lynch

Graduate Student

B.A./M.S., Northwestern University, 2018 (Thomas Meade)
Postbac, National Institutes of Health, 2018-2020 (Victor Pike)

 

Colin hails from the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. In 2018, he received joint B.A./M.S. degrees in Chemistry from Northwestern University, where his undergraduate research involved the synthesis of gadolinium-based MR contrast agents for molecular imaging applications. Afterwards, he spent two years as a postbac at NIH/NIMH working on the synthesis of [18-F]fluoroaryl PET radiotracers. In 2020, Colin joined the Levin group and is excited to apply new synthetic methodologies to PET radiochemistry. His interests include warm cups of coffee, cold runs along Lake Michigan, and NPR podcasts.

cflynch [at] uchicago.edu

 

Carys Obertone

Carys Obertone

Graduate Student

B.S. Emory University, 2022 (Cheryl Maier)

Carys was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She received a B.S. degree in chemistry from Emory University and worked as an undergraduate researcher on COVID-19 research under Dr. Cheryl Maier in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. In her senior year, she defended her senior thesis on fibrinogen and clotting characterization in COVID patients. In 2022, Carys joined the Levin group due to her long-standing interest in synthetic modifications and their applications to pharmaceuticals. Outside the lab, she loves concerts, running to explore the city, and cooking.

carys [at] uchicago.edu

 

Yahia Ali Abdou

Yahia Ali Abdou

Graduate Student

B.S. University of Rochester, 2022 (Alison Frontier)

Yahia was born, and mostly grew up in, Alexandria, Egypt. After briefly dabbling in medical school in Alexandria, he decided he’d rather pursue a degree in the U.S. instead, and came to the University of Rochester in New York. There, he completed a B.S. degree in chemistry while developing a carbo-Nazarov cascade reaction for the synthesis of polycyclic scaffolds with Prof. Alison Frontier. At UofR, he also cultivated a love for learning about reaction mechanism and a passion for teaching and is excited to continue improving on both fronts. When not doing chemistry, he enjoys reading Russian literature, working out, cooking, and baking croissants.

yahia [at] uchicago.edu

Dong Il Park

Dong Il Park

Graduate Student

B.S. Korea University, 2020 (Hyo Jae Yoon)
M.S. Korea University, 2022 (Hyo Jae Yoon)

Dong Il comes from Seoul, South Korea, where he received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemistry from Korea University. There, he did research in various fields but ultimately found that his passion lies in organic methodology and reaction mechanism studies. After finishing his thesis on electroreductive reactions using imines in 2022, he moved to the U.S. and joined the Levin group to pursue his Ph.D. Outside the lab, Dong Il enjoys sports, chess, and sleep.

dipark [at] uchicago.edu

 

Alexander Fanourakis

Alexander Fanourakis

Postdoctoral Scholar

BA, MSci University of Cambridge (Professor Chris Abell)
PhD, University of Cambridge (Professor Robert Phipps)

Alex is from the UK and obtained his BA and MSci degrees from the University of Cambridge. During his MSci he studied fragment-based approaches to targeting tRNA methyltransferase D from Mycobacterium abscessus under the supervision of the late Professor Chris Abell. He then stayed on in Cambridge for his PhD which he obtained working in the group of Professor Robert J. Phipps. His doctoral thesis investigated the design and synthesis of new chiral rhodium tetracarboxylate catalysts to perform asymmetric nitrene transfer to C(sp3)–H bonds and alkenes. Following a short postdoctoral stay in the Phipps group he moved to Chicago to join the Levin laboratory in May 2023. Outside of the lab Alex enjoys playing football and reading.

afanourakis [at] uchicago.edu

 

Mikus Purins

Mikus Purins

SNSF Postdoctoral Fellow

B.Sc/M.Sc Riga Technical Universirty (Maris Turks)
Ph.D. EPFL (Jerome Waser)

Born and raised in Riga, Latvia, Mikus went on to study chemical engineering in Riga Technical University with Maris Turks. There he worked on cationic rearrangements of propargyl silanes and reactions of sulphur dioxide. Mikus went on to do a PhD in Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne with Jerome Waser, where he worked on asymmetric Pd catalysis. Fascinated by the emerging research topics of Levin group, Mikus decided to move over the Atlantic for a postdoctoral stay. In future, he would like to explore new selectivity control paradigms in organic synthesis. In his spare time, Mikus enjoys hiking, snowboarding, Lindy hop, cooking, video games and podcasts.

purins [at] uchicago.edu

 

Abby Bracken

Abby Bracken

Graduate Student (NSF GRFP Fellow)

B.S.Chem University of Michigan, 2023 (Nicolai Lehnert)

Abby was born in Chicago and has lived in Muncie, Indiana and Grosse Pointe, Michigan. She completed her undergraduate work at the University of Michigan in 2023, where she joined Nicolai Lehnert’s group studying model complexes of FNOR enzymes. She was also an Amgen Scholar at UC Berkeley in Don Tilley’s group in the summer of 2022, where she studied metal-oxo species for water oxidation. Abby joined the Levin group as a graduate student in 2023. Outside of the lab, Abby enjoys traveling, crafting, and spending time with her cat.

ajbracken [at] uchicago.edu

Isabelle Petrucci

Isabelle Petrucci

Graduate Student

B.S. University of Vermont, 2023 (Matthias Brewer)

Isabelle is from Burlington, Vermont, where she also completed her B.S. in chemistry at the University of Vermont. At UVM, she worked in Prof. Matthias Brewer’s lab where she worked on developing an asymmetric version of a conjugate addition of carbon nucleophiles to vinyl diazonium salts. Outside of lab, Isabelle enjoys reading, going to concerts, and exploring new coffee shops and restaurants.  

ipetrucci [at] uchicago.edu

Bumsu Park

Bumsu Park

Graduate Student

B.S. Seoul National University (SNU), 2022 (Hong Geun Lee/Tae-Lim Choi)Postbac, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), 2022-2023 (Sukbok Chang)Bumsu was born and grew up in Seoul, Korea. He received his B.S. in chemistry from Seoul National University. During his undergraduate, he first worked in Prof. Hong Geun Lee’s group, studying the reactivity of indole derivatives. Then he joined Prof. Tae-Lim Choi’s group, expanding his interest toward cyclopolymerization. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he moved to IBS as a postbac in Prof. Sukbok Chang’s lab working on the metal-free decarboxylative amidation. Afterward, Bumsu joined the Levin group as a graduate student in 2023. Outside the lab, Bumsu enjoys singing his favorite songs and throwing home parties with his cooking.

bumsupark [at] uchicago.edu

Nikki Keramati

Nikki Keramati

Graduate Student

B.S. University of Michigan, 2023 (David Sherman)

Nikki grew up in San Diego, California. She received her undergrad degree in Chemistry from the University of Michigan while working in David Sherman’s lab. There, she studied the biosynthesis of the Hapalindole metabolite family. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from U of M, she started her graduate studies in the Levin group. Outside of lab, Nikki enjoys going for walks, cooking, and hanging out with Carys.

keramati [at] uchicago.edu

Alexa Lawrie

Alexa Lawrie

Graduate Student (NSF GRFP Fellow)

B.S. University of Rochester, 2024 (Alison Frontier)

Alexa is originally from Eagleville, PA and moved to upstate New York to complete her undergraduate studies at the University of Rochester. At UofR, she worked in the lab of Prof. Alison Frontier, studying halo-Prins and halo-Nazarov cyclizations and their applications towards the synthesis of unique N-heterocycles. Upon her graduation in 2024, she moved to Chicago to pursue new synthetic methodologies in the Levin lab. Outside of her interests in organic chemistry, Alexa likes to crochet, explore Chicago, and watch competitive jigsaw puzzling.

aplawrie [at] uchicago.edu

Songtao Li

Songtao Li

Graduate Student

B.A. Chemistry, Princeton University, 2024 (Robert R. Knowles)

Born and raised in Beijing, China, Songtao began his studies in the U.S. as a high school student in the town of Princeton N.J. where he subsequently pursed an undergraduate degree in chemistry. Working in the lab of Prof. Robert Knowles, he explored several projects with a focus on mechanistic study of intermolecular reductive C−H Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer reactions. After a summer intern with Prof. Levin working on N-deletion, he was enchanted by the synthetic possibilities of single-atom editing, and subsequently joined the lab as a graduate student to further pursue his interest in organic methodologies. Outside of lab, Songtao is an avid lover of anime and games, as well as photography and birding.

songtaol [at] uchicago.edu

Alex Roth

Alex Roth

Graduate Student

B.A. Chemistry, Colby College, 2024 (Dasan Thamattor)

Alex was born in Terre Haute, IN and spent the formative years of his childhood moving across the continental U.S., highlighted by a four-year stint of gambling in Reno, NV and about a decade of living among the Amish in Pequea, PA. He completed his undergraduate studies at Colby College in Waterville, ME while working in the lab of Dr. Dasan M. Thamattoor, where he investigated the photochemical generation of reactive organic intermediates, such as carbenes and ketenes, from cyclopropanated phenanthrenes. In 2024, Alex joined the Levin lab in the hopes of finally directing his fascination with reactive intermediates towards a practical goal. When he’s not in lab, Alex enjoys expanding his repertoire on the piano, playing niche and often poorly received indie video games, and creating surreal video tributes to his old college professors.

adroth [at] uchicago.edu

Václav Chmela

Václav Chmela

Experientia Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow

Bc./Ing./Ph.D. 2024 Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences (Dr. habil. Ullrich Jahn) & University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (prof. Radek Cibulka)

Václav comes from the Czech Republic. During his bachelor’s studies, he completed the total synthesis of several pyrazinoquinazoline alkaloids, achieving the shortest total synthesis of ardeemin under the supervision of Dr. Jahn. For his master’s research, Václav focused on oxidative radical reactions involving photocatalytically generated nitrogen-containing compounds, working under the joint supervision of Dr. Jahn and Prof. Cibulka. He further enhanced his expertise during a research visit to Dr. John Sutherland’s group at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology, MRC, Cambridge, where he successfully performed the prebiotic synthesis of 2′-deoxyadenosine. Václav continued his research for Ph.D. studies in Dr. Jahn’s group in Prague, where he developed an asymmetric total synthesis of stilbene dimers which allowed the establishment of the previously unknown absolute configuration of pallidol. Additionally, he also accomplished the full spirocyclic skeleton of spirodalesol. He was awarded the prestigious Experientia Foundation grant, which enabled him to pursue postdoctoral research in the Levin laboratory. In his free time, Václav enjoys chess, hiking and rock climbing.

chmela [at] uchicago.edu

Tergitë Zeqiri

Tergitë Zeqiri

Visiting Student

B.S. Chemistry, University of Bremen, 2022 (Jens Beckmann)
M.S. Chemistry, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, in progress

Tergitë was born and raised in Kosovo and moved to Germany at the age of 15. She received her B.S. degree in chemistry from the University of Bremen, where she completed her bachelor’s thesis in Prof. Beckmann’s lab, successfully synthesizing kinetically stabilized phosphaketenes with group 15 elements. Currently, she is pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Heidelberg. After a research internship in Prof. Levin’s lab last summer, she became fascinated by the group’s work in skeletal editing and decided to return to write her thesis there. Outside of chemistry, Tergitë enjoys spending time in nature, dancing, and exploring Chicago!

tergite [at] uchicago.edu

Amelia Cook

Amelia Cook

Undergraduate Student

University of Chicago, Expected 2026

Amelia is an undergraduate student from San Francisco, CA. She is currently planning to double major in Chemistry and Biochemistry, with a potential minor in English and Creative Writing. She is excited to learn more about organic chemistry through her time in lab and hopes to eventually pursue a PhD. In her free time, Amelia enjoys backpacking, reading, and drinking too much coffee.

Liao Chen

Liao Chen

Undergraduate Student

University of Chicago, Expected 2026

Liao Chen is an undergraduate student from the bustling city of Shanghai, China. Majoring in Chemistry and minoring in Computer Science, Liao Chen also a CLOC Team Leader who tries his best to explain scientific concepts and chat with peers in his second language. He is passionate in organic chemistry as he sees organic chemistry as puzzle solving and deciphering the laws of nature. In his free time, he enjoys running, cycling, and explore the world with his newly acquired driver’s license.

Reese Robinson

Reese Robinson

Undergraduate Student

University of Chicago, Expected 2026

Reese is an undergraduate student from Oakland, CA, majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Health and Society. Through her work in the Levin lab, she hopes to grow her interest and understanding of experimental organic chemistry. In the future, Reese hopes to pursue a PhD in Chemistry or Chemical Biology. When she is not in the lab or lecture, you can find her hiking, holed up with a good book, or exploring Chicago and all it has to offer. 

Izzy Romita

Izzy Romita

Undergraduate Student

University of Chicago, Expected 2028

Izzy is an undergraduate student from Harrison, NY majoring in Chemistry. She is so excited to be a part of the Levin lab, hoping to grow her passion for Organic Chemistry and research. She plans to continue her study and research of chemistry after receiving her degree at UChicago. In her free time, Izzy enjoys collecting vinyl records, going to concerts, hiking, and watching premier league soccer.

Ashby

Ashby

Lab Mascot

Hyde Park Puppy Kindergarten, 2019

Ashby is an Australian Labradoodle puppy from Lafayette, Indiana. His hobbies include being petted by everyone on the street, napping, and exploring Hyde Park. His favorite treat is whatever drops from the table. He is named after the world-famous Ashby BART station in Berkeley, California.

ALUMNI (And Last Known Whereabouts)

Grad Students
Kathleen Berger (PhD ’22, Joint with Mike Hopkins) adMare Bioinnovations (Medicinal Chemistry Group, Montreal, Canada)
Patrick Kelly (PhD ’24) – Postdoc with Shannon Stahl, UW Madison
Chris Callas (M.S. ’23) –
Janssen (Discovery Chemistry, PA)
Postdocs
Sean Kennedy (’19-’20)
Veranova (Chemical Development Group, MA)
Yongliang Zhang (’19-’20) – Postdoc with Liming Zhang, UCSB
Balu Dherange (’19 -’22) – Incyte (Medicinal Chemistry, DE)
Jeanne Masson-Makdissi (’22-’24)Incyte  (Medicinal Chemistry, DE)
Tyler Pearson (’21 – ’24) Abbvie (Process Chemistry, IL)
Myojeong Kim (’23 – ’24) Yonsei University (Assistant Professor, Korea)
Cecile Elgindy (’22 – ’25) – Vertex (Medicinal Chemistry, MA)
UChicago Undergrads
Kaan Tarhan (B.S. ’22) – Stanford University (Chemistry Ph.D. program)
Kate Kaplin (B.S. ’23) –University of Michigan (Chemistry Ph.D. program)
Megan Morales (B.S. ’24) –
Princeton University (Chemistry Ph.D program)
Caroline McCleary (B.S. ’24) – Loeb & Loeb (Chicago, IL)
Visiting Students and Summer Undergrads
Alexander McKillop (Undergraduate Intern ’20) –
Princeton University (Chemistry Ph.D program)
Ryoma Shimazumi
(Visiting Student ’22) – Osaka University (Ph.D., Tobisu Group)
Colin Stein (Visiting Student ’22-’23)  – University of Münster (Ph.D., Glorius Group)
Zisheng Xue (Undergraduate Intern ’24)  – Peking Univeristy (B.S.)
Hikaru Nakahara (Visiting Student ’24) – Waseda University (Ph.D, Yamaguchi Group)
Rubén Miguélez Moreno (Visiting Student ’24) – University of Oviedo (Ph.D, Barrio Group)