PI
Contact Information
Administrative Assistant: Annette Luymes Email: aluymes[at]caltech.edu |
Hosea M. Nelson
Professor of Chemistry
Postdoc, UC Berkeley, 2015 (Prof. F. Dean Toste) Ph.D., Caltech, 2013 (Prof. Brian M. Stoltz) B.S., UC Berkeley, 2004 Email: hosea[at]caltech.edu Office: 357 Crellin Laboratory Phone: 626-395-6072 Hosea earned a B.S. in Chemistry from University of California at Berkeley in 2004 and a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology in 2013 with Brian Stoltz. After postdoctoral training at University of California at Berkeley with Dean Toste, Hosea joined the UCLA faculty in 2015. In 2021, Hosea became a Professor of Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology. He is an avid fisherman and motorsports enthusiast (there are even pictures of him on the web wearing a NASCAR hat). Like most native San Franciscans, he spends most of his time talking about how much he loves the Giants, hates the Dodgers, and how much better S.F. is than L.A. |
Graduate Students
Steven Zhao
B.S., Peking University, 2019 Email: zzhao2[at]caltech.edu G5 Research Project: Catalysis Steven was born and grew up in Changchun, a city in Northeast China. Later he moved to Beijing and earned his B.S. in Chemical Biology at Peking University, where he conducted research on metabolic labeling of non-natural sugars in Professor Xing Chen’s group. Despite living in the cold north since his birth, he decided to make a change and come to sun-soaked SoCal. He loves going to the beach, hiking, and having authentic Chinese food in LA. |
Doris Mai
B.S., Stanford University, 2019 Email: hmmai[at]caltech.edu G5 Research Project: Structural Chemistry Doris was born in Shenzhen, China. She obtained her B.S. in Computer Science at Stanford University, where she conducted research under Prof. Vijay Pande. Doris likes collecting postcards and random stuff and finding the best boba place in town. |
Josh Signore
B.A., Wesleyan University, 2019 M.A., Wesleyan University, 2021 Email: jsignore[at]caltech.edu G3 Research Project: Biocatalysis Josh was born in Guatemala and raised in Bristol, CT. He earned a B.A. and M.A. in chemistry from Wesleyan University and studied small exotic molecules via microwave spectroscopy under the supervision of Stewart E. Novick. He left Connecticut to escape the humidity and bask in sunny Southern California. Outside of the lab, he enjoys running, hiking, and playing the piano, especially Chopin. |
Conner Wells
B.A., Pitzer College, 2021 Email: cwwells[at]caltech.edu G3 Research Project: Catalysis Conner was born and raised in Santa Cruz, California. He earned a B.A. in Chemistry at Pitzer college where he conducted research under Professor Anna Wenzel. As an undergrad he also spent time at the University of California Santa Cruz conducting research there under Professor Glenn Millhauser. A Californian through and through he moved the 40 minutes from Claremont to Pasadena to study at Caltech where he now works in the Nelson lab. Outside of lab he likes to ride or work on his bikes and spend time with his friends and family. |
Krista Dong
B.A., Wellesley College, 2020 Email: kdong[at]caltech.edu G2 Research Project: Catalysis Krista was born and raised in the great state of New Jersey. In search of more snow and more fun accents, she attended Wellesley College in Wellesley, MA and earned her B.A. in Chemistry in 2020. During her time there, she worked with Prof. Alison E. Wendlandt (MIT) on the arylation of unprotected sugars. After graduating, Krista spent two years in Cambridge, MA working for Amgen’s late-stage process development group. In her free time she enjoys backpacking, playing soccer, watching the Ocean’s Eleven movies on repeat, and sending people pictures of her cat, Wormy Pete. |
Tiffany Hung
B.S., Emory University, 2021 Email: thung2[at]caltech.edu G2 Research Project: Catalysis Tiffany was born in NYC and raised in Long Island, New York. She earned her B.S. in Chemistry at Emory University where she worked under Professor Frank McDonald synthesizing analogs of a compound connected with treating trauma-induced vision loss. She also worked under Professor Simbarashe Nkomo studying the influence of heterogeneity and time-delay on the emergence of chimera states in small coupled Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) chemical oscillator systems. Outside of lab, she enjoys hiking, cooking, and napping. |
Jocelyn Zhang
B.S., Columbia University, 2022 Email: jyzhang[at]caltech.edu G2 Research Project: Biocatalysis, Catalysis Jocelyn was born in China. She earned her B.S. in Chemistry at Columbia University, where she studied singlet fission in organic molecules and CO2 capture into value-added polymers under the tutelage of Professor Luis Campos. Outside the lab, she enjoys petting strangers’ dogs and looking for the best NY style pizza in LA. |
Sam Johnson
B.S., University of Connecticut M.S., University of Connecticut Email: sjohnso2[at]caltech.edu G2 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 |
Postdocs
Dr. Rui Guo
Ph.D., Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, 2020 B.S., Sichuan University, 2014 Email: rayguo[at]caltech.edu Research Project: Biocatalysis Thesis Title: The synthetic studies towards C20-diterpenoid alkaloids and monoterpenoid indole alkaloids Rui was born and raised in Wuhan, China. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in 2020 at the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry under the supervision of Professor Ang Li, where he received training in organic synthesis. Outside of the lab, Rui enjoys taking walks around the area where he lives. During holidays, he also likes to visit various famous parks and museums. |
Staff Scientist
Dr. Dmitry Eremin
Ph.D., Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, 2019 M.Sc., Moscow State University, 2014 Email: eremin[at]caltech.edu Research Project: Structural Chemistry Thesis Title: The Key Role of Metal-Ligand Bond Lability in the Formation of Active Centers in Palladium-Catalyzed Reactions Dmitry was born and raised in Moscow, Russia, where city streets speak of art and history. He obtained his M.Sc. degree in chemistry from Moscow State University in 2014. It was during this time when Dmitry developed his passion for mass spectrometry and joined the laboratory of Prof. Valentine Ananikov at the Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry. After obtaining a dual Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry and Catalysis in 2019, he chased the American dream and moved to Hollywood as an inaugural Agilent Postdoctoral Fellow in the group of Prof. Valery Fokin at the University of Southern California. There, he got his feet wet with on-water chemistry. As a believer in new technology, Dmitry followed the 110 freeway north and joined the Nelson Lab to work on next-generation automation and data science for microED. Outside the lab, Dmitry collects minerals and enjoys the diverse nature of California, from the waves of the Pacific Coast to the summit of Mammoth Mountain. |