Our Team
Zihang Deng
B.S. Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2019, Tianjin University, China
Zihang was born and raised in Sichuan, China. He obtained his B.S. degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Tianjin University, where he worked with Prof. Jon Antilla on the field of asymmetric catalysis by chiral phosphoric acids and participated in the development of a catalytic one-pot double asymmetric cascade reaction for synthesis of chlorinated oxindoles and geminal diamines. He joined an exchange program in University of Padova for his undergraduate thesis in the development of stereodynamic probes for enantiomeric excess. As for hobbies, he enjoys playing soccer and learning philosophy. Zihang joined the group after his three rotations.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 1269.
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 16708.
Chem. Sci. 2022, 13, 7318.
Madelaine (Paige) Thorpe
B.S. Biochemistry, 2019, Ball State University, IN
Paige was born in Muncie, IN, and began her undergraduate studies at Ball State in 2016. She began her undergraduate career as a pre-pharmacy major, but slightly changed direction after taking the Organic Chemistry I and II series. She finished her B.S. in Biochemistry, with minors in Mathematics and Cellular and Molecular Biology, in May 2019. At Ball State, she worked under Dr. Philip Albiniak in the field of organic methodology, synthesizing various mild arylmethyl transfer reagents and studying their applications in organic synthesis. In her spare time, she enjoys working out or spending time with family. Paige joined the group after her three rotations.
Chem. Sci. 2024
J. Med. Chem. 2024, 67, 12205–12220.
Mol. Pharm. 2024, 105, 194-201.
J. Mol. Cell. Cardiol. 2023, 180, 1.
ACS Med. Chem. Lett. 2022, 13, 1755.
J. Org. Chem. 2022, 87, 5451.
J. Scott Benner
B.S. Chemistry, 2019, Salisbury University, MD
Scott was born and raised on the eastern shore of Maryland. In the Fall of 2019, he obtained a B.S. in Chemistry from Salisbury University. As an undergraduate, he explored research in analytical and organic chemistry. Most recently, he worked under the supervision of Dr. Stephen Habay and helped develop a library of highly functionalized oxazoles to be screened for bioactivity. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer, basketball, or snowboarding.
Preston Gourville
B.S. Chemistry, 2020, NC State University, NC
Preston is from Wilmington, NC and earned his B.S. in Chemistry with a minor in Biology from North Carolina State University in May 2020. While there, he conducted research under Dr. Caroline Proulx, focusing on the synthesis and characterization of azapeptide peptidomimetics. In Fall 2020, Preston began his graduate studies at Vanderbilt. Outside of the lab, Preston enjoys disc golfing, biking, and playing games with friends.
Kyle Medas
B.S. Biochemistry, 2020, Providence College, RI
Kyle was born and raised in Taunton, MA. In May 2020, he earned his B.S. in Biochemistry at Providence College in Providence, RI, where he worked under Dr. Seann P. Mulcahy. In this lab, he worked to develop synthetic strategies to make a class of nitrogen containing heterocycles known as carbolines. He enrolled in Vanderbilt Chemistry’s graduate program in Fall 2020, where he is interested in synthesis. Outside of lab, Kyle likes to play sports and games with friends, and is an avid Boston sports fan.
Melanie Padalino
B.S. Chemistry, 2020, Rowan University, NJ
Melanie is from Toms River, New Jersey and graduated from Rowan University in 2020 where she earned a B.S. in Chemistry and a minor in Technical Writing. Throughout her undergraduate experience, she conducted research in a wide variety of areas including analytical chemistry and organic synthesis. Most recently, she used microfluidics to study how virulent bacteria behave under realistic flow conditions. She also participated in an REU program at UPenn where she studied how small biomolecules affect the morphology of peptide aggregates linked to Alzheimer’s Disease. In her free time, she enjoys playing the violin and guitar, writing, and contemporary dance.
Cody Funk
B.S. Chemistry, 2023, William & Mary, VA
Cody is from Philadelphia, PA and earned his B.S. in Chemistry with a minor in Mathematics at the College of William & Mary in Southern Virginia. At W&M, he worked for Dr. Robert Hinkle in organic methodology, where he synthesized a library of polyyne natural product derivatives for biological screening with a focus on the optimization of Glaser-Hay heterocoupling conditions. He joined Vanderbilt’s Chemistry department in Fall of 2023 and began his work with the group after the end of his rotations in January. Outside of lab, he enjoys cooking and listening to music.
Destiny Harrison
B.S Chemistry, 2023, Louisiana State University
Destiny obtained a B.S. in Chemistry from Louisiana State University – Alexandria in May 2023. As an undergraduate, she conducted research in both organic chemistry (home institution) and chemical biology (Texas A&M University REU). She is a second year Vanderbilt Chemistry graduate student.
Yi-Ching Lin
M.S. Chemistry, 2022, National Taiwan Normal University
Yi-Ching grew up in Taipei, Taiwan. She obtained a M.S. in Chemistry in August 2022. During her master’s studies, she conducted research under the supervision of Dr. Tun-Cheng Chien, working towards synthetic studies toward N1-methylpseudouridine. In her free-time, she enjoys cooking, journaling and listening to Kpop.
Chloe Vernon
B.S. Chemistry & Biology, 2023, Liberty University, VA
Chloe grew up in Fredericksburg, VA and earned her B.S. in chemistry with a minor in biology from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. While at LU, Chloe conducted research under Dr. Chad Snyder centralized on the synthesis and characterization of diacyl heterocyclic organometallic complexes for potential application in semiconductive materials. In Fall 2022, Chloe began her graduate studies at Vanderbilt. Outside of the lab, Chloe enjoys playing soccer, trying new ice cream places, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family.
Long Nguyen
B.A. Chemistry, 2024, Virginia Tech, VA
Long H. Nguyen was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and immigrated to Richmond, Virginia, in 2019 as a first-generation immigrant. He pursued a B.A. in Chemistry at Virginia Tech, where he conducted research in catalytic hydroboration and photoredox catalysis under the mentorship of Dr. Webster Santos and Dr. Emily Gentry. In addition to his scientific endeavors, Long is a multi-instrumentalist including the piano, organ, electric guitar, and accordion, reflecting his diverse interests and passions.
Haoyu Yin
2024 Rotation 2 (Nanjing University)
Carter Fox
2024 Rotation 2 (Indiana University – Bloomington)
Mike Spieker
2024 Rotation 2 (University of Georgia)
Julius Jan
B.A. Chemistry & Cognitive Studies, 2024, Vanderbilt University, TN
Julius was born and raised in Singapore and attends Vanderbilt University majoring in cognitive studies and chemistry. He began working with the group as a sophomore in late 2021 and received an award from the Goldberg Family Immersion Fund to continue his work in the lab for the summer of 2022. In his free time, he enjoys running, playing the guitar and violin, cooking, chess, and table tennis.
Albert Wang
B.S. Chemistry, 2027 (anticipated), Vanderbilt University, TN
Albert is from Portland, Oregon and attends Vanderbilt University as a chemistry major. He started working for the lab as a sophomore in the fall of 2024. Outside of the lab, he enjoys watching Vanderbilt's sports teams, fishing, and swimming.
Darius Johnson
B.A. Chemistry, 2025 (anticipated) Vanderbilt University, TN
Darius was born and raised in Arizona. He is currently double majoring in Chemistry and Psychology at Vanderbilt University. After graduating in 2025, he plans to either pursue a PhD in Chemistry, or go to medical school. Outside of the lab, he enjoys going to the gym, trying new foods around Nashville, and watching movies.