Romo Group Former Members
Graduate Students
| NAME | DEGREE/DATE | THESIS TITLE | CURRENT POSITION | CONTACT | ||
| Schmitz, William D. | Ph.D./1998 | I. Beta-Lactone-Based Strategy Applied to the Total Synthesis of Okinonellin II. Stille Couplings of 2-Bromothiazolines with Organostannanes | Senior Res. Investigator, Bristol-Myers-Squibb (Lawrenceville, NJ) 2000-2021 Research Fellow, Medicinal Chemistry Loxo Oncology at Lilly (Boulder, CO) 2021-present |
E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Rzasa, Robert M. | Ph.D./1998 | Total Synthesis and Structural Verification of the Novel, Immunosuppressive Agent, (-)-Pateamine A from the Marine Sponge, Mycale sp. | Senior Scientist at Amgen Inc. (Thousand Oaks, CA), 2004-present | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Yang, Hong Woon | Ph.D./1998 | A Tandem Mukaiyama Aldol-Lactonization Approach to Beta-Lactones, Application to the Synthesis of the Potent Pancreatic Lipase Inhibitor, (-)-Panclicin D; Studies of the Catalytic, Asymmetric [2+2] Cycloaddition of Aldehydes and Silylketenes | Research Scientist III at GlycoMimetics, 2013-2018; Senior Scientist at Sanofi, 2018-2020; Principal Scientist at Sanofi, 2020-present | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Zhao, Cunxiang | Ph.D./1999 | A Beta-Lactone-Based Route to 1,2-Disubstituted Cyclopentanes. Mechanistic Studies of the Tandem Mukaiyama Aldol-Lactonization (TMAL) Reaction; Studies of the Zwitterionic Intermediate in the General Mukaiyama Aldol Reaction | Senior Director of IDSU at WuXi AppTec, Binhai District, Tianjin, China | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Cohn, Stephen | M.S./1999 | A Convergent Intermolecular Diels-Alder Approach to the Spirocycles Found in the Marine Neurotoxic Agents, the Gymnodimines | Research Associate at Wyeth-Ayerst Pharmaceuticals, NY | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Yang, Ju | M.S./1999 | Synthetic Studies of the Potent Marine Toxin, (-)-Gymnodimine | Director, EMD-Serono, MA, 2016-present | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Buchler, Ingrid | M.S./2000 | Large Scale Synthesis of Pateamine A Intermediates in Route to Designed Derivatives for Putative Cellular Receptor Isolation and Receptor/Ligand Interaction Studies; Conformational Studies of Pateamine A | Chemist at Lieber Institute of Brain Development, Johns Hopkins (Baltimore), 2011-present | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Tennyson, Reginald | M.S./2001 | Studies in Asymmetric Beta-lactone Synthesis: Extensions of the Chiral Nuclophile Catalyzed Aldol-Lactonization (NCAL) Reaction and New transformations of Chlorinated Beta-Lactones | Scientist at SABIC , Missouri City, TX | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Wang, Yingcai | Ph.D./2002 | Development of New Syntheses and Transformations of Beta-Lactones: Application to a Concise Total Synthesis of (+)-Brefeldin A | Senior VP Chemistry at Acme Bioscience, San Francisco, CA | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Dilley, Anja | Ph.D./2002 | A Unified Strategy Toward the Biogentically Related Oroidin Derived Bisguanidinine Marine Alkaloids: Palau'amines, Styloguandines, and Axinellamines | Senior Research Scientist II at Wyeth Research (Pearl River, NY), 2004-2010 | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Poullennec, Karine | Ph.D./2003 | Enantioselective Total Synthesis of the Potent Antitumor Agent Dibromophakellstatin En Route to Dibromophakellin and Palau'amine | Principal Scientist at UCB, University of Cambridge, Braine l'Alleud, Wallonia, Belgium | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Zhou, Min | M.S./2003 | Affinity Precipitation Using Thermo Responsive, Water Soluble Polymers as Matrix; Synthetic Studies Toward the Ageliferins | E-mail / LinkedIn | |||
| Oh, Seongho | Ph.D./2006 | Optimization and Extensions of the Nucleophile Catalyzed Aldol-Lactonization (NCAL) Process for Bicyclic Beta-lactone Synthesis: Applications to Piperidine, Pyrrolidine, and Gamma-lactam-fused Beta-lactones | Vice President of R&D at SK Biotek | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Franco-Torres, Francisco | M.S./2007 | Progress Toward the Synthesis of (+)-Dibromophakellin and Congeners: Proposed Final Stages for Palau'amine Synthesis | Research Associate at Pfizer (St. Louis, MO) | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Duffy, Richard | Ph.D./2007 | I. Synthesis, Reactivity, Structure and Application of Spiroepoxy-Beta-Lactones: Studies Toward (-)-Maculalactone A II. Metal Mediated Couplings of Dichloroolefins Applicable to the Haterumalides | Senior Chemist at Evonik, Houston, 2017-present | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Kong, Ke | Ph.D./2007 | Studies Toward the Total Synthesis of the Marine Toxin, (-)-Gymnodimine | Scientist at Amgen (2011-2014); CPRIT Synthesis Facility Director, Baylor University, 2014-present; Medicinal Chemist at NIH NCATS, Bethesda, MD | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Wang, Shaohui | Ph.D./2007 | Synthetic Studies Toward Paulau'amine and Enantioselective Total Synthesis of Biogenetically Related (+)-Phakellin and (+)-Monobromophakellin | Project leader at Merck Sereno (Beijing) Pharmaceutical R&D Co, Beijing, China, August 2014-present; Project & Portfolio Management, Merck Sereno (2012-2014); Project Lead, Associate Director of Project Management (2014-present) | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Matla, Andrea | M.S./2007 | Expanding the Scope of the Nucleophile Catalyzed Aldol Lactonization (NCAL) Process and Transformations of the Resulting Beta-Lactones | Teaching in Houston, TX | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Mitchell, Andy | Ph.D./2008 | Development of a Tandem, Three-Component Synthesis of Tetrahydrofurans via Silylated Beta-Lactone Intermediates in the Tandem Mukaiyama Aldol-Lactonization | Asst. Prof., Illinois State University, 2010-2015; Associate Professor, 2015-2021; Professor, 2021-present | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Cho, SungWook | Ph.D./2008 | Total Synthesis of Beta-Lactone Containing Natural Products; I. Total Synthesis of Belactosin C II. Synthetic Studies Toward Spongiolactone | R&D Manager, Dow Chemical, Korea (2015-present) | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Purohit, Vikram | Ph.D./2008 | Development of Lewis Base Catalyzed Stereoselective Methods for Synthesis of Beta-Lactones and Dyotropic Rearrangements of Tricyclic Beta-Lactones | Research Scientist I, TEVA Pharmaceuticals, October 2012- 2015; Senior Research Investigator, Novatia, 2016-2017; Independent Consultant, 2017-present | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Lee, Changsuk | Ph.D./2009 | Synthesis of Haptens for the Marine Toxin, Gymnodimine; Synthesis of Beta-Lactone Fused Carbocycles and Nitrogen Heterocycles; Efforts Toward the Synthesis of the Proposed Structure of Thiolyngbyan | Post Doc with Professor Eric Simanek at Texas Christian University, January 2011-2014; Senior Researcher, BeyondBio, Daejeon, Korea (2015-present) | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Galindo, Kay A. | Ph.D./2010 | Applications of Beta-Lactones: Utility of Spiroepoxy-Beta-Lactones and Development of a Double Diastereoselective Nucleophile Catalyzed, Aldol-Lactonization Process Leading to Beta-Lactone Fused Carbocycles and Tetrahydrofurans | Research Scientist, Haliburton, Inc., Houston, TX. 2010-13; Principal Scientist (2013-16); Global R&D Manager-Chemistry & IDP (2016-present) | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Zancanella, Manuel A. | Ph.D./2010 | Synthetic Studies Toward Selected Members of the Pyrrole-Imidazole Alkaloids: Axinellamine, Konbu'acidin and Palau'amine | Scientist, Amgen, 2011-2014; Senior Scientist, Amgen, 2014; Scientist II, Global Blood Therapeutics,San Francisco, 2014-2017; Senior Scientist II, 2017-present | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Nguyen, Henry | Ph.D./2010 | I. A1,3- Strain Enabled Retention of Chirality During Bis-Cyclization of Beta-Ketoamides: Asymmetric Synthesis and Bioactivity of Salinosporamide A and Derivatives II. Optimization of an Organic Syntheses Procedure: Asymmetric Nucleophile-Catalyzed Aldol-Lactonization with Aldehyde Acids | Senior Organic Chemist, LKT Laboratories; R & D Scientist, Baker-Hughes, Houston, 2014-present | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Chamni, Supakarn | Ph.D./2011 | New Diazo Reagents and Applications of Beta-Lactones for Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Natural Products | Lecture & Researcher, Chulalangkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, 2012-present | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Liu, Gang | Ph.D./2011 | Beta-Lactones as Synthetic Vehicles in Natural Product Synthesis: Total Synthesis of Schylzeines B and C and Omphadiol, and Studies Toward the Total Synthesis of Scabrolides A and B and Sinulochmodin C | Institute Research Scientist, MD Anderson: Institute for Applied Cancer Sciences, 2012-present | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| McFarlin, Rae Lynn | M.S./2013 | Chemoselective Functionalization Of Carboxylic Acid And Phenol Containing Natural Products And The Development And Use Of A Nucleophile Catalyzed Michael Aldol Lactonization Process | Chemistry Teacher at Central High School (San Angelo, TX), 2013-present | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Reyes, Jeremy Chris | Ph.D./2013 | Bioinspired Total Sytnhesis of Agelastatin A and Derivatives for Cellular Target Idnetification; Synthesis of 15N-Labelled Oroidin and Keramidine Analogs for Metabiosynthetic Studies | Research Scientist at Dow Chemical (Freeport, TX), 2013-present | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Shirley, Morgan | Ph.D./2014 | Beta-Lactones as Key Building Blocks; Synthetic Applications to Diverse Natural Products | Research Scientist at Chevron (San Francisco, CA), 2014-present | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Harvey, Natalie L. | Ph.D./2015 | I. Total Synthesis of (+)-Spongiolactone and Derivatives Enabling Initial Structure-Activity Relationship Studies: Discovery of a More Potent Derivative II. Studies Toward Recyclable Isothiourea Catalysts | Ink R&D Chemist, HP Inc, 2015-present; Supplies System Optimization Program Manager, 2017-present, Hewlett-Packard, Corvallis, Oregon | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Abbasov, Mikael | Ph.D./2015 | Acylammonium Catalyzed Diels-Alder Lactonization, Bioactivity-Guided Retrosynthesis of Gracillins, Studies Towards the Synthesis of Palau'amine | Assitant Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Cornell University | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Knight, Austin | M.S./2017 | Methods for Diamination of Alkenes | Doctorate in Chemical Education, Oklahoma University | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Van, Khoi | Ph.D./2017 | Application of Chiral α,β-Unsaturated Acylammonium Salts for Efficient Catalytic Transformations, Studies Toward the Synthesis of Rameswaralide | E-mail / LinkedIn | |||
| Kong, Weixu | M.S./2017 | Diastereo- and Enantioselective Synthesis of N-Heterocycle Fused β-Lactones | E-mail / LinkedIn | |||
| Suzuki, Jamie | 2018 | Synthesis and Derivatization of Pyridazinones | E-mail / LinkedIn | |||
| Tao, Yonfeng | Ph.D./2020 | Synthesis of Spongiolactone-Based Alkynyl Proteomic Probes, (+)-Hypercalin C, and Pharmacophore-Directed Retrosynthesis of Ophiobolins | Postdoctoral researcher at Scripps (Cravatt Lab) | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Kang, Guowei | Ph.D./2020 | Photo-catalyzed, β-Selective Hydrocarboxylation of αβ-Unsaturated Esters with CO2 Under Flow for β-Lactone Synthesis; Natural Product Derivatization with β-Lactones, β-Lactams Toward 'Infinite' Binders; Enantioselective Synthesis of Medium-Sized Lactams Employing Chiral α,β-Unsaturated Acylammonium Salts | Postdoctoral researcher at Scripps (Jin-Quan Yu Lab) | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Chaheine, Christian | Ph.D./2020 | Efforts Toward an Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (–)-Oxazolomycin B and Simplified Chemical Probes for Proteomics Studies; Pharmacophore-Directed Retrosynthesis Applied to Gracilin A: Simplified Bioactive Derivatives | Postdoctoral researcher at Scripps (Parker Lab) | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Jordain, Roxane | Ph.D./2021 | Understanding the Singlet Oxygen Reactivity of Salarin C through Synthesis of a Simplified Macrocyclic Analogue; Multicomponent, Enantioselective Organocatalytic Synthesis of Tetrahydropyradazinones from α,β-Unsaturated Acylammonium Salts and Unusual Rearrangements | Lab Lecturer, Baylor Univeristy | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Truax, Nathanyal | Ph.D./2022 | Total Synthesis of Rameswaralide Utilizing a Pharmacophore Directed Retrosynthetic Approach | Postdoctoral researcher at Scripps (Baran Lab) | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Woods, Evan | Ph.D./2023 | Pharmacophore-Directed Retrosynthesis Applied to Salarin C and Phainanoid F | Medicinal Chemist at AstraZeneca | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Sutter, Patrick | Ph.D./2023 | Single Electron Studies of Acylammonium Intermediates, Zinc-Mediated Carboxylations in Flow, and the Total Synthesis of (–)-Inthomycin C | Medicinal Chemist at Cogent Biosciences | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Kiledal, Sigrid | Ph.D./2023 | Pharmacophore Directed Retrosynthesis Applied to the Ion Channel Inhibitor Waixenicin A; Multicomponent, Enantioselective Organocatalytic Synthesis of Tetrahydropyridazinones | Process Chemist at Evonik | E-mail / LinkedIn |
Postdoctoral Scholars
| NAME | DEGREE/DATE | CURRENT POSITION | CONTACT | ||
| Dr. Helene Arcand Shea |
January 1996-March 1997 | Associate Director, Drug Substance Manufacturing at AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Boston, MA | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Kaapjoo Park
|
May 1997-April 1998 | Director of Yuhan Corporation (January 2011-present) | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Nam Song Choi
|
June 2000-December 2001 | Nam Song Choi, Associate Professor Department of Medical Bioscience, Konyang University, Chung Nam, Korea 320-711 |
E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Yong Ahn
|
March 2000-January 2002 | ||||
Dr. Guillermo Cortez
|
October 2000-October 2002 | Senior Organic Chemist at Eli Lilly.(August 2002-present) | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Yasuno Yokota
|
September 2001-September 2002 | Research Scientist at Research Triangle | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Andy Skauge
|
October 2004- November 2005 | Lecturer, California State University; Senior Chemist/Lab Manager at Grow More, Inc. | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Paul Dransfield
|
October 2002- October 2005 | Research Scientist, Amgen, San Francisco, CA.(September 2005-present) | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Shukun Li
|
2002-2004 | Principle Research Scientist, Shanghai Chempartner (2011-present) | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Ananthapadmanab Sivaramakrishnan
|
July 2005-March 2006 | R& D Specialist with Albemarle Corporation, Baton Rouge, LA | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Huda-Henry Riyad
|
january 2005-January 2006 | CEO and Editor of Key Publishing Group, Toronto, Canada. | E-mail/ LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Ziad Moussa
|
November 2003- June 2006 | Assistant Professor, Taibah University (Saudi Arabia). | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Krishnan Ponnamperuma
|
June 2004- December 2006 | Texas A&M University Lecturer | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Satyamaheshwar Peddibhotla |
January 2005-September 2007 | Senior Scientist, Medicinal Chemistry, Burnham Institute for Medical Research, Florida (September 2007-present) | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Gil Ma
|
September 2005-August 2007 | Scientist IV, Organic Chemistry, The Coca-Cola Company (May 2012 – present ) | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Liang Tang
|
November 2005-September 2007 | Software Engineer, Emprise Technology, Toledo, OH | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Wei Zhang |
June 2006-July 2008 | Senior Chemist, Senior Research Scientist, AMRI, Albany, NY. | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Xinzhong Lai
|
January 2008-December 2008 | Research Scientist, Novartis | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Cong-Ying Zhou
|
Octiober 2007-December 2008 | Research Assistant Professor, University of Hong Kong, China | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Fang Li
|
August 2009-July 2010 | Research Associate ,University of Arizona, (2010-present) | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Carolyn Leverett
|
September 2008-September 2011 | Senior Scientist, Medicinal Chemistry, Pfizer (June 2012 – present) |
E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Chun-Xiao Xu
|
2009-2011 | Senior Scientist, Anichem, NJ (October 2011-present) | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Frederick Briones
|
2012-2013 | Scientist at Moderna Therapeutics (September 2015-present) | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Nathan Collett
|
2013 | Process Scientist II, Ampac Fine Chemicals.(May 2014-present) |
E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Morgan Jouanneau
|
2014-2016 | Senior Chemist at Sygnature Discovery (June 2017-present) | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Paul Gladen
|
2013-2016 | Asst. Professor, Lake Forest College, Lake Forest IL | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Jin Wang
|
2014-2015 | Post-doctoral Researcher, University of Arizona | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Sreekumar Vellalath
|
2010-2022 | Senior Process Chemist, Manus Bio | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Rahul Gaykar
|
2022-2023 | Postdoctoral Researcher, Kane Lab, Baylor University | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
Dr. Shaik Gouse
|
2023-2024 | Associate Senior Scientist, Eurofins Advinius Hyderabad | E-mail / LinkedIn |
Undergraduate Students
| NAME | DATE | PROJECT TITLE | CURRENT POSITION | CONTACT | ||
| Susannah Huth | 2017 | NSF REU: Efforts Toward the Total Synthesis of Rubesanolides A and B via NCMAL | Senior at College of the Holy Cross, Worcester MA | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Cody Yao | 2017 | Baylor Mini-Pharma | Senior at Baylor University | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Javier Henandez | 2016-2017 | Baylor Mini-Pharma | Senior at Baylor University | E-mail / LinkedIn |
Visiting Scholars
| NAME | DATE | PROJECT TITLE | CURRENT POSITION | CONTACT | ||
| Ariane Fernandes Bertonha | 2016 | Synthesis and structure activity relationship studies of pseudoceratidine | Post-doctoral fellow in the Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio) at Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM). Advisor: Dr. Andréa Dessen | E-mail / LinkedIn | ||
| Masaki Yamagami | 2016 | Development of NCMPL organocascades | M.S./Chemistry, Osaka University (2013) Advisor: Prof. Michio Murata | E-mail / LinkedIn |