Grad Students
|
Angel Gomez (G1)
B.A., Princeton University Email: [email protected] Research Project: Organometallic Chemistry Born and raised in California, Angel grew up enjoying the natural beauty of the Central Coast, spending a lot of time hiking its trails and eating tri-tip sandwiches. He received a B.A. in Chemistry from Princeton University, where he conducted research on the mechanism of photoinduced nickel-trifluoromethyl bond cleavage under the guidance of Dr. Jose Roque. This research sparked his fascination with organometallic chemistry and inspired him to join the Nelson Lab at Caltech, where he studies the applications of carbocation intermediates in organometallic systems. In his free time, Angel enjoys trying new foods, taking scenic drives around the Los Angeles area, and stopping by Dutch Bros Coffee for a caffeine fix. |
|
Daniel Chan (G1)
B.S., University of California, San Diego Email: [email protected] Research Project: Synthetic Chemistry Daniel was born in Hong Kong and moved to Los Angeles during his teenage years. He earned a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California San Diego, where he worked under Professor Guy Bertrand and contributed to the synthesis and isolation of the first room-temperature-stable chlorocarbene. His research interests focus on the synthesis of new molecules and reactive intermediates. Outside of research, Daniel enjoys exploring local restaurants and searching for hidden food gems wherever he can find them. |
|
Kathleen Huynh (G1)
B.A., San José State University Email: [email protected] Research Project: Polymer Chemistry Kat was born and raised in the Bay Area. She earned her B.A. in Chemistry from San José State University where she worked with Dr. Madalyn Radlauer, synthesizing star polymers as supports for bimetallic tandem catalysis. She also spent a summer at Cornell University as an NSF Center for Sustainable Polymers Undergraduate Fellow, where she conducted research on degradable thermosets in Prof. Brett Fors' group. In the Nelson Group, Kat is continuing to expand her polymer knowledge by investigating polymers derived from Dewar heterocycles. Outside of lab, you can find her dancing wherever there's music playing, flipping through the racks at flea markets, or simply sitting outside and enjoying the sunshine. |
|
D.E. Doughty (G1)
B.S., Rutgers University Email: [email protected] Research Project: Structural Chemistry Dorothy is a G1 physics PhD in condensed matter experiments. Her nonlinear trajectory started off as an award-winning mixologist and beverage director. After a fruitful career in the NYC cocktail industry, she earned her physics degree. She spent several years working in Dr. Jak Chakhalian’s Quantum Materials Lab focusing on nanomaterial thin film synthesis of pyrochlore iridates through MBE/PLD and characterization through XRD, medium-energy EELS, and XPS. Dorothy continued her work in synthesis at Cornell, working with crystalline and amorphous oxides. After a year in upstate New York, she left for the California sunshine. Dorothy is excited to combine her background in solid state nanomaterial synthesis with innovative microED and TEM techniques at Caltech. Dorothy is a self-proclaimed neurotic east coaster and New York Knicks fan. She likes to ski, garden, and make cocktails in her free time. |
|
Jane Liu (G1)
B.S., Southern Methodist University Email: [email protected] Research Project: Biocatalysis Jane was born and raised in Qingdao, China. She moved to Dallas, Texas, to pursue a B.S. in Biochemistry with a minor in Data Science at Southern Methodist University (SMU). There, she conducted research in Dr. Adam Norris’s laboratory on developmental genetics in C. elegans and in Dr. Alex Lippert’s laboratory on the development of chemiluminescent probes. She later joined Caltech to continue pursuing her interests in chemistry while enjoying Southern California’s beautiful weather. Outside the lab, Jane enjoys swimming, cooking, and exploring restaurants around Los Angeles with friends. |
|
Eva Kercmar (G3)
B.Sc., University of Ljubljana M.Sc., University of Copenhagen Email: [email protected] Research Project: Structural Chemistry Eva grew up in Murska Sobota, Slovenia, and completed her B.Sc. in Chemistry at the University of Ljubljana before pursuing her M.Sc. in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Copenhagen, where she worked under the supervision of Dr. Peter Waaben Thulstrup and Dr. Theis Brock-Nannestad. She is currently a Ph.D. student at Caltech, where her research focuses on developing and implementing automated workflows for microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED). Her work aims to reduce bottlenecks in the structure determination pipeline, making high-throughput crystallographic analysis of small organic molecules more effortless. Outside of research, Eva enjoys skiing, attending live music events, and collecting vinyl records. |
|
Samuel Mussetter (G2)
B.S., University of California, Santa Cruz Email: [email protected] Research Project: Structural Chemistry Sam was born in Washington and raised in NorCal, where he enjoyed swimming in the ocean and hiking in the woods. After becoming interested in microbiology and chemistry, Sam earned his B.S. in Chemistry at the University of California Santa Cruz, where he spent four years working under Professor Phil Crews studying bacterial and marine sponge-derived natural products and NMR methodology. After becoming frustrated with the yield requirements for natural product NMR analysis, Sam came to Caltech to pursue applications of microED and structural chemistry in chemical biology. Outside of research, Sam enjoys going to the beach, swimming, and painting. |
|
Victoria Casimir Montán (G2)
B.S., University of Puerto Rico, 2024 Email: [email protected] Research Project: Biocatalysis Victoria was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She earned a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico, where she conducted research focused on discovering new natural products and bioactivities from marine organisms in Professor Eduardo Caro’s group. When she's not in the lab, Victoria enjoys exploring new places, trying different foods, and playing tennis. |
|
Yucheng Fu (G2)
B.S., Nankai University, China Email: [email protected] Research Project: Synthesis of Chiral Functional Molecules Yucheng was born and raised in Guangzhou, China. He went to Tianjin and earned his B.S. in Chemistry at Nankai university, where he spent two years in Prof. Xiao-Ye Wang's group studying helicenes with high dissymmetry factor. At the end of his junior year, he joined Prof. Tim Swager's group at MIT as a visiting student to study azacoronene-based helicene and conjugated polymer. Later, he was excited to join Caltech and enjoy the nice weather in California. During his free time, Yucheng likes to go swimming, buy groceries and watch Hongkong movies. |
|
Jack Moerschel (G2)
B.S., University of Florida Email: [email protected] Research Project: Synthetic Chemistry Jack was born in Georgia and raised in the Sunshine State, Florida. He eventually attended the University of Florida where he would find his passion for polymer chemistry by working in Prof. Brent Sumerlin's research group. After interning at the Adolphe Merkle Institute, the University of Florida's Molecular Metabolism Lab, and the Veteran's Affair Research Department, his research interests expanded into areas of chemical biology, synthetic chemistry, and biochemistry. Outside of his academic and research pursuits, Jack enjoys playing the piano and skateboarding around the Caltech campus. |
|
Sam Johnson (G4)
B.S., University of Connecticut M.S., University of Connecticut Email: [email protected] Research Project: Structural Chemistry Sam was sadly not born, but raised in the best state of New England, Maine! Spending most of his childhood running unsupervised through the woods of Maine collecting rocks and plants, he eventually developed a crippling addiction for science and exploration. Attending the University of Connecticut, Sam pursued a M.S./B.S. in chemistry studying magnetic field effects on long-lived radical pairs in organic constructs under the guidance of Dr. Tomoyasu Mani. After experiencing 22 years of northeasterners, Sam escaped New England in search of better weather in SoCal. When Sam is not running around like a lunatic he enjoys spending time in nature, going to concerts, and exploring the secret gems of LA. |
|
Abi Nelson
Official Nelson Lab dog B.S., UC Bark-ley Abi joined the Nelson Lab in June, 2018 at only 4 months old. She is a loyal friend and companion of the Nelson Lab members, and also enjoys learning about chemistry too. In her free time she loves napping, playing with grad students, and taking long walks from Crellin to the Beckman Institute. Follow her on Instagram @abi.nelsonlab |
Undergraduate Students
|
Bljana Stafford
Caltech Research Project: Structural Chemistry |
|