Current Trainees
2026-2027
Eli Blascyk
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Biochemistry, Molecular, and Structural Biology) Advisor: Danielle Schmitt
Eli received their B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in 2025. Eli's undergraduate research with Professor Burckhard Seelig focused on characterizing ATP-binding proteins that served as a model for the chemistry of early life on Earth. They began the PhD program at UCLA in fall of 2025 and now work in the lab of Professor Danielle Schmitt where they are developing fluorescent protein biosensor tools for studying the complex dynamics of cellular metabolism.
Eli spends most of their free time training for ultramarathons in the mountains or reading and playing board games.
Izaiah Cole
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Chemical Biology) Advisor: Michael Lawson
Izaiah obtained his BS in Biochemistry from UC San Diego in 2021. His prior research experience in research includes work at a micro RNA therapeutics company called Regulus Therapeutics where his work in the Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics Department would help progress a leading drug candidate into clinical trials. After two years of working in the biotech industry, he returned to school to pursue his PhD at UCLA. He currently works in the Lawson Lab where his project investigates factors that influence the regulation and bypass of eukaryotic translation termination.
When Izaiah is not in the lab, you can expect to find him golfing, playing volleyball, or roller skating.
Jakob Harper
Department of Bioengineering Advisor: Jason Zhang
Jakob received a B.S. in biosystems engineering (biomedical concentration) with a minor in pharmacology and toxicology from Michigan State University in 2025. Mentored by Dr. Jiyoon Yi, his undergraduate research applied deep learning approaches to hyperspectral microbial imaging and data enhancement. He is now a PhD student in Bioengineering in the Jason Zhang Lab, where he designs AI-generated de novo protein binders that target tumor specific peptide-MHC complexes, including drug-modified peptides, for cancer immunotherapy.
Isaac Hendrix
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Advisor: Antonio Tinoco Valencia
Program Start Date: 2025
Bio: Isaac earned his B.A. in Chemistry with minors in Jazz Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies from San Diego State University. While there, he conducted research on asymmetric inorganic photocatalysis with perovskite nanocrystals in Dr. Yong Yan’s group. The fall after graduating, Isaac began his graduate studies at UCLA in the Tinoco lab, where he investigates how oral bacterial secondary metabolites influence health and disease within the oral microbiome.
Outside the lab, he enjoys reading, baking, hiking, and spending time with family and friends.
Trung Hoang
Department of Molecular Biology (MBIDP) Advisor: Keriann Backus
Trung earns his B.S. in Biochemistry and Psychology from the University of Maryland at College Park. He then worked as an intern in the New Strategy department at Shimadzu, where he optimized LC-MS/MS methods for analyzing anticoagulant compounds in plasma samples and used MALDI-TOF to develop a reliable method for measuring amyloid beta peptides as a diagnostic biomarker. He later worked as a lab technician at Johns Hopkins University, where he developed a proteoform database and analysis pipeline for studying post-translational modifications in bulk proteomic context. Trung is now a graduate student in the Molecular Biology Program (MBIDP). In the Backus lab, he is developing high-throughput, automated methods for cysteine chemoproteomics and building analysis pipelines for proteogenomics, with long-term interests in applying these tools to drug discovery and disease biology.
In his free time, he enjoys golfing, listening to music, and cooking
Jose Paredes-Larios
Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine Advisor: Mingxia Gu
Jose Paredes-Larios’ research career began in the Conlon Lab at UNC Chapel Hill during an NSF-funded summer undergraduate research program. There he investigated the role of sarcalumenin in cardiomyocytes and long QT syndrome to help understand sex differences in the heart. Importantly, the experience solidified his love for research due to its collaborative nature and the excitement of discovery. Curious on how therapeutics are designed and synthesized, Jose’s next research experience took place at his home institution, Colgate University, where he focused on the organic synthesis of a TN antigen mimic to help with cancer research. By 2025, he graduated from Colgate as a biochemistry and computer science double major. His background in biology, chemistry, and computer science led him to UCLA due to its culture of innovation and collaboration across disciplines. Jose would go on to rotate through an array of amazing labs, but he was most interested in Dr. Mingxia Gu’s development of vascularized organoids and using them to understand disease progression and test therapeutics. In the lab, Jose primarily focuses on understanding vascular aging, a key driver of age-related chronic diseases, at the molecular level. More specifically, he wants to investigate how vascular aging remodels cysteine switches in the proteome to contribute to vascular dysfunction.
Jose is grateful and excited to be a part of the CBI training program, for it enables incredible research here at UCLA!
Manasi Movva
Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology (BBSB) Advisor: Avi Samelson
Manasi is a third-year Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology (BBSB) graduate student in Dr. Avi Samelson’s lab. There, she integrates her interests in structural and molecular biology to investigate a novel tau-targeting E3 ubiquitin ligase. She earned her B.S. in biochemistry with a minor in bioethics from UC San Diego in 2023 where she worked in the Debelouchina lab studying the protective role of nuclear tau. After graduating, she spent a year on the western blot team at BioLegend.
Outside the lab, Manasi loves cooking, trying new crafts, and traveling!
Matthew Raeside
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Organic) Advisor: Patrick Harran
Matthew received a B.S. in Chemistry from Georgia Tech in 2023. There, he studied the synthesis and application of low-ceiling temperature and chemically degradable polymers under the guidance of Will Gutekunst. He began his Ph.D. studies at UCLA in 2024, joining the lab of Dr. Patrick Harran, where he is now studying the synthesis and application of peptidomimetic macrocycles.
In his free time, Matthew likes to run, hike, and ski.
2024-2025
Andréa Ball
Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology Advisor: Ajit Divakaruni
Program Start Date: 2022
Andréa received a B.S. in Biology, with a concentration in Pharmacology, and a second major in Spanish from Duke University in May 2020. There, she studied the role of the cytokine IL-6 in T-cell metabolism in the laboratory of Dr. Nancie MacIver. She began pursuing her Ph.D. in Pharmacology at UCLA in 2020 and is currently a member of the laboratory of Dr. Ajit Divakaruni. There she is studying the role of mitochondrial respiration in pro-inflammatory macrophage activation. When not in lab, Andréa enjoys trying all the ice cream shops in LA, running to the beach, and attending her local book club meeting.
Eli Biletch
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Chemical Biology) Advisor: Keriann Backus
Eli received a B.A. in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry with a minor in Computer Science from Middlebury College in 2022. There, he worked to develop a photoredox platform for target identification under the guidance of Dr. Lindsay Repka. He began his Ph.D. studies at UCLA that same fall, joining the lab of Dr. Keriann Backus, where he is now developing tandem photocatalytic target identification and validation strategies harnessing the power of chemoproteomics.
In his free time, Eli likes to sing karaoke with his friends, explore museums and food around LA, and reminisce about the glory days when seasons existed on the East (superior) coast.
Izaiah Cole
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Chemical Biology) Advisor: Michael Lawson
Izaiah Cole is a second year Chemical Biology graduate student in Michael Lawson’s group at UCLA. He received his B.S. in Biochemistry/Chemistry at the University of California, San Diego. Most of his initial research experience stemmed from Biotechnology company, Regulus Therapeutics, where he conducted research to provide pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of various microRNA therapeutic drugs.
Felix Fu
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Advisor: Heather Maynard
Program Start Date: 2022
Originally from China, Felix moved to the US in 2011. Then he received a B.S. in chemistry from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 2020. While at UIUC, he conducted research under Professor Jianjun Cheng on the synthesis and applications of therapeutic polypeptides via N-Carboxyanhydride. Felix joined Professor Heather Maynard's lab in 2021, where he is currently working on the design and synthesis of new self-immolative linkers for protein-polymer conjugation.
Outside the lab, he enjoys watching Lakers games and playing video games.
Jordan Gonzalez
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Advisor: Neil Garg
Program Start Date: 2022
Jordan received a B.A. in chemistry and mathematics from Lewis & Clark College in the spring of 2021. There, he performed mechanistic studies of molybdenum-catalyzed sulfide oxidation reactions under the guidance of Professor Louis Kuo. He began pursuing his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at UCLA in the summer of 2021. He is currently a member of the laboratory of Professor Neil Garg, where he works on a total synthesis of an alkaloid natural product which involves the use of a strained intermediate.
When he is not in the lab, Jordan enjoys watching baseball.
Elena Hauf Pisoni
Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology (BBSb) Advisor: Feng Guo
Elena Hauf Pisoni is a second year Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology (BBSB) graduate student in Prof. Feng Guo’s group. She received her B.A. double-majoring in Biochemistry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of San Diego. During her time there she researched non-cognate binding of amino acids and RNA-PNA duplexes to aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases using biochemical and computational methods in the lab of Prof. Anthony Bell.
Aleksandras (Alek) Lotuzas
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Advisor: Patrick Harran
Program Start Date: 2022
Bio: Alek was originally born in Lithuania and moved to Illinois in 2012. There he finished his Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he also worked under Dr. David Sarlah on the total synthesis of biologically active, norcembranoid natural products. In 2021 Alek moved to Los Angeles to begin graduate studies in Prof. Patrick Harran's lab on synthesis and derivatization of bioactive natural products.
During his free time, Alek enjoys hiking, chess, and exploring the culinary wonders of LA.
Lilith Schwartz
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Chemical Biology) Advisor: Mireille Kamariza
Lilith received a B.A. in chemistry and a minor in music theory from Vassar College in 2022. At Vassar, she studied bacterial proteins involved in transferring antibiotic resistance genes in Dr. Krystle McLaughlin’s lab. Following her interest in antibiotic resistance and infectious diseases, Lilith is working under the supervision of Dr. Mireille Kamariza to investigate mycobacterial dormancy and develop point-of-care tuberculosis diagnostics using fluorescent probes.
Outside of the lab, Lilith enjoys cooking/baking fun recipes, reading queer literature, hiking, and playing the piano.
Sarah Singleton
Department of Biochemistry, Molecular, and Structural Biology (BMSB) Advisor: Stuart Conway
Sarah Singleton is a second year Biochemistry, Molecular, and Structural Biology (BMSB) graduate student in Professor Stuart Conway’s group. She received her B.S. in Biochemistry at Simmons University, where she used focused ultrasound to detect intracranial cavitation in traumatic brain injury. For the next two years, she, through the support of the Harvard Research Scholar Initiative, studied immunological and genetic drug targets in the Biological Small Molecule Drug Development department at the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research.
Jordan Tibbs
Department of Molecular Biology Institute Advisor: Patrick Harran
Program Start Date: 2023
Bio: Jordan Tibbs is a PhD student in the BBSB department as part of the MBI program. He works in the Koehler lab as part of the metabolism theme, where his research interests include mitochondrial biogenesis, protein import and small molecule screening. He received his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from The Catholic University of America, and his Masters in Physiology here at UCLA, where he is now pursuing his PhD in Biochemistry.
In his free time, he enjoys movies, cooking, working out and ballroom dance.
Chunsheng Yan
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Advisor: Yi Tang
Program Start Date: 2023
Bio: Chunsheng Yan received B.S. in chemical engineering with a biotechnology concentration and a minor in bioengineering from UC Berkeley in December 2019. There, he learned about metabolic engineering in the laboratory of Jay Keasling. He began pursuing his Ph.D in chemical engineering at UCLA in 2021 and is currently a member in Prof. Tang's lab. He mainly works on natural product discovery and investigation of enzymatic activities.
During his spare time, he likes playing Chinese chess and video games.
2024-2025 Associates
Ben Janda
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Advisor: Neil Garg
Ben Janda is a second year Chemistry graduate student in Prof. Neil Garg’s laboratory. In 2023, He received his B.S. in Chemistry from Chapman University where he researched organocatalysts’ ability to perform reduction reactions in Dr. Allegra Liberman-Martin’s group.
Shruti Sharma
Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology (BBSB) Advisor: Tatiana Stoyanova
Shruti Sharma is a second-year Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology (BBSB) graduate student in Prof. Tanya Stoyanova’s lab. She earned her B.S. in Bioengineering from UCLA, where she developed hydrogel biomaterials for tissue engineering, drug delivery, and 3D cell culture in Prof. Tatiana Segura’s lab. She then joined Prof. Amy Rowat’s lab to study the effects of stress hormones on cancer metastasis. After graduation, she worked at A2 Biotherapeutics, developing logic-gated dual-receptor CAR T cell therapies that target tumor cells by exploiting loss of heterozygosity.