GROUP MEMBERS
The Levin Group is always looking for talented researchers — regardless of background — eager to join in our endeavors. Prospective graduate students should apply through the Chemistry department program. Postdoctoral candidates should contact Mark via email with their C.V. and a list of references. Undergraduates at the University of Chicago who have completed their Organic Chemistry sequence and are interested in a research experience should contact Mark via email.
Patrick Kelly
Graduate Student
B.S. Rice University, 2019 (Zachary Ball)
Patrick was born and raised in Houston, TX, and stayed in Houston and completed his B.S. in chemistry at Rice University. During his undergraduate studies, Patrick worked in a variety of research fields before finally realizing his true passion lies in catalysis and chemical reactivity. Patrick is excited to deepen his knowledge of organometallic chemistry and reaction mechanism. In his spare time, Patrick enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, listening to music, and watching “whose line is it anyway?”.
pqkelly [at] uchicago.edu
Julia Driscoll
Graduate Student (NSF GRFP Fellow)
B.A. University of Pittsburgh, 2020 (Kazunori Koide)
Julia is originally from Pittsburgh, PA, where she completed her B.S. in Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. While at Pitt, she worked in the Koide group on the synthesis of bioactive molecules for use in biological studies and spent a summer with the medicinal chemistry group at Seattle Genetics, working on the design and synthesis of new drug-linker technologies. After graduating, she decided to shift to methodology and joined the Levin group in 2020. Outside of lab, Julia enjoys cooking, watching reality TV and petting dogs.
jldriscoll [at] uchicago.edu
Jisoo Woo
Graduate Student
B.S. University of Rochester, 2020 (Shauna Paradine)
Jisoo was born and raised in Busan, South Korea until he moved to the United States when he was 15. He received a B.S. degree in chemistry from the University of Rochester, NY. He was a National Science Foundation REU fellow at the Nilsson Group during the summer of 2018 and worked on co-assembly of amyloid-beta fragments under acidic conditions. Since 2018, he joined the Paradine Research Group as an undergraduate researcher and completed a senior thesis on photocatalytic carboxydifuntionalization of olefins. He also joined the Delius Group at Ulm University, Germany in the summer of 2019 as a DAAD-RISE intern to work on Co(III)-based photocatalysts. Besides work, he is an avid reader of Stephen King and Lovecraft and a huge fan of Nirvana and Pink Floyd.
jwoo11 [at] uchicago.edu
Ethan Hyland
Graduate Student
B.S. University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2020 (John Berry)
ehyland [at] uchicago.edu
Colin Lynch
Graduate Student
B.A./M.S., Northwestern University, 2018 (Thomas Meade)
Postbac, National Institutes of Health, 2018-2020 (Victor Pike)
Colin hails from the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. In 2018, he received joint B.A./M.S. degrees in Chemistry from Northwestern University, where his undergraduate research involved the synthesis of gadolinium-based MR contrast agents for molecular imaging applications. Afterwards, he spent two years as a postbac at NIH/NIMH working on the synthesis of [18-F]fluoroaryl PET radiotracers. In 2020, Colin joined the Levin group and is excited to apply new synthetic methodologies to PET radiochemistry. His interests include warm cups of coffee, cold runs along Lake Michigan, and NPR podcasts.
cflynch [at] uchicago.edu
Tyler Pearson
Postdoctoral Scholar
B.S. Yale University, 2015 (Nilay Hazari)
Ph.D, Northwestern University, 2020 (Danna Freedman)
Tyler grew up in a small, quiet town near Richmond, VA and completed his undergraduate studies at Yale University. There, he studied organometallic chemistry and homogeneous catalysis with Nilay Hazari. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he decided that he wanted to supplement his knowledge of inorganic chemistry with physical chemistry and spectroscopy. He therefore moved to the Chicago area for his PhD in Danna Freedman’s lab at Northwestern University where he synthesized and extensively characterized the electronic structures of transition metal complexes. Upon completion of his PhD, Tyler stayed in Chicago to join the Levin group where he applies his insight into physical inorganic and organometallic chemistry to new questions in chemical reactivity and reaction development. Outside of the lab, Tyler enjoys running, tinkering with electronics, cooking, and hanging out with his cat.
tylerpearson [at] uchicago.edu
Cecile Elgindy
Postdoctoral Scholar
B.S., University of Sydney, 2014 (Chris McErlean)
Ph.D. Austrailian National University, 2020 (Mick Sherburn)
Postdoc, Australian National University, 2020-2022 (Lara Malins)
Cecile is from Sydney, Australia. She completed her undergraduate studies in chemistry at the University of Sydney in 2014, where she worked in the laboratory of Prof. Chris McErlean on natural product synthesis. She then joined the group of Prof. Mick Sherburn to undertake her graduate studies at the Australian National University, where she worked on the synthesis of novel pi-bond rich molecules. Cecile’s research focused specifically on the synthesis of the multi-vinylallene family of molecules and their application to rapidly generate multi-cyclic frameworks. After completing her PhD, Cecile then joined the group of Prof. Lara Malins as a research scientist and conducted research on epoxyketone-containing natural products within the context of late-stage peptide modifications. In 2022 Cecile joined the Levin group at the University of Chicago. Outside of the lab Cecile is enjoying exploring the city of Chicago.
cecileelgindy [at] uchicago.edu
Jeanne Masson-Makdissi
Postdoctoral Scholar
B.Sc./M.Sc. University of Ottawa, 2018 (Steve Newman)
Ph.D. University of Toronto, 2022 (Mark Lautens)
Jeanne is a French Canadian who grew up in the province of Québec. She completed both her B. Sc. in Biopharmaceutical Sciences and M. Sc. in Organic Chemistry at the University of Ottawa, under the supervision of Prof. Steve Newman. She then pursued her Ph. D. at the University of Toronto in the group of Prof. Mark Lautens, where her research consisted of developing new transition-metal-catalyzed reactions, with a focus on dual metal catalysis with rhodium and palladium. Jeanne joined the Levin group as a postdoctoral fellow in September 2022. Outside the lab, Jeanne enjoys morning gym workouts, lattes & bubble teas, and movie/board game nights.
jmmakdissi [at] uchicago.edu
Carys Obertone
Graduate Student
B.S. Emory University, 2022 (Cheryl Maier)
Carys was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She received a B.S. degree in chemistry from Emory University and worked as an undergraduate researcher on COVID-19 research under Dr. Cheryl Maier in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. In her senior year, she defended her senior thesis on fibrinogen and clotting characterization in COVID patients. In 2022, Carys joined the Levin group due to her long-standing interest in synthetic modifications and their applications to pharmaceuticals. Outside the lab, she loves concerts, running to explore the city, and cooking.
carys [at] uchicago.edu
Yahia Ali Abdou
Graduate Student
B.S. University of Rochester, 2022 (Alison Frontier)
Yahia was born, and mostly grew up in, Alexandria, Egypt. After briefly dabbling in medical school in Alexandria, he decided he’d rather pursue a degree in the U.S. instead, and came to the University of Rochester in New York. There, he completed a B.S. degree in chemistry while developing a carbo-Nazarov cascade reaction for the synthesis of polycyclic scaffolds with Prof. Alison Frontier. At UofR, he also cultivated a love for learning about reaction mechanism and a passion for teaching and is excited to continue improving on both fronts. When not doing chemistry, he enjoys reading Russian literature, working out, cooking, and baking croissants.
yahia [at] uchicago.edu
Dong Il Park
Graduate Student
B.S. Korea University, 2020 (Hyo Jae Yoon)
M.S. Korea University, 2022 (Hyo Jae Yoon)
Dong Il comes from Seoul, South Korea, where he received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemistry from Korea University. There, he did research in various fields but ultimately found that his passion lies in organic methodology and reaction mechanism studies. After finishing his thesis on electroreductive reactions using imines in 2022, he moved to the U.S. and joined the Levin group to pursue his Ph.D. Outside the lab, Dong Il enjoys sports, chess, and sleep.
dipark [at] uchicago.edu
Alexander Fanourakis
Postdoctoral Scholar
BA, MSci University of Cambridge (Professor Chris Abell)
PhD, University of Cambridge (Professor Robert Phipps)
Alex is from the UK and obtained his BA and MSci degrees from the University of Cambridge. During his MSci he studied fragment-based approaches to targeting tRNA methyltransferase D from Mycobacterium abscessus under the supervision of the late Professor Chris Abell. He then stayed on in Cambridge for his PhD which he obtained working in the group of Professor Robert J. Phipps. His doctoral thesis investigated the design and synthesis of new chiral rhodium tetracarboxylate catalysts to perform asymmetric nitrene transfer to C(sp3)–H bonds and alkenes. Following a short postdoctoral stay in the Phipps group he moved to Chicago to join the Levin laboratory in May 2023. Outside of the lab Alex enjoys playing football and reading.
afanourakis [at] uchicago.edu
Myojeong Kim
NRF Postdoctoral Fellow
B.S. Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, 2018
Ph.D. Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 2023 (Sungwoo Hong)
Myojeong was born and raised in Busan, Korea. She pursued her education in the field of basic sciences and earned her B.Sc. degree from DGIST in 2018. During her undergraduate program, she focused extensively on chemistry, cultivating a deep interest in the development of organic reactions. Her academic pursuits led her to Daejeon, where she joined the research group of Prof. Sungwoo Hong at the Department of Chemistry, KAIST, for her Ph.D. Myojeong’s doctoral thesis centers around visible-light-induced photochemical approaches to N-heterocycle functionalization and bioconjugation. After completing her Ph.D, Myojeong moved to Chicago in September to join the Levin group, driven by her current fascination with skeletal modifications of organic compounds. Outside of the lab, Myojeong enjoys playing badminton and relishing moments with friends over beers during her leisure time.
myokim [at] uchicago.edu
Mikus Purins
SNSF Postdoctoral Fellow
B.Sc/M.Sc Riga Technical Universirty (Maris Turks)
Ph.D. EPFL (Jerome Waser)
Born and raised in Riga, Latvia, Mikus went on to study chemical engineering in Riga Technical University with Maris Turks. There he worked on cationic rearrangements of propargyl silanes and reactions of sulphur dioxide. Mikus went on to do a PhD in Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne with Jerome Waser, where he worked on asymmetric Pd catalysis. Fascinated by the emerging research topics of Levin group, Mikus decided to move over the Atlantic for a postdoctoral stay. In future, he would like to explore new selectivity control paradigms in organic synthesis. In his spare time, Mikus enjoys hiking, snowboarding, Lindy hop, cooking, video games and podcasts.
purins [at] uchicago.edu
Abby Bracken
Graduate Student (NSF GRFP Fellow)
B.S.Chem University of Michigan, 2023 (Nicolai Lehnert)
Abby was born in Chicago and has lived in Muncie, Indiana and Grosse Pointe, Michigan. She completed her undergraduate work at the University of Michigan in 2023, where she joined Nicolai Lehnert’s group studying model complexes of FNOR enzymes. She was also an Amgen Scholar at UC Berkeley in Don Tilley’s group in the summer of 2022, where she studied metal-oxo species for water oxidation. Abby joined the Levin group as a graduate student in 2023. Outside of the lab, Abby enjoys traveling, crafting, and spending time with her cat.
ajbracken [at] uchicago.edu
Isabelle Petrucci
Graduate Student
B.S. University of Vermont, 2023 (Matthias Brewer)
Isabelle is from Burlington, Vermont, where she also completed her B.S. in chemistry at the University of Vermont. At UVM, she worked in Prof. Matthias Brewer’s lab where she worked on developing an asymmetric version of a conjugate addition of carbon nucleophiles to vinyl diazonium salts. Outside of lab, Isabelle enjoys reading, going to concerts, and exploring new coffee shops and restaurants.
ipetrucci [at] uchicago.edu
Bumsu Park
Graduate Student
B.S. Seoul National University (SNU), 2022 (Hong Geun Lee/Tae-Lim Choi)Postbac, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), 2022-2023 (Sukbok Chang)Bumsu was born and grew up in Seoul, Korea. He received his B.S. in chemistry from Seoul National University. During his undergraduate, he first worked in Prof. Hong Geun Lee’s group, studying the reactivity of indole derivatives. Then he joined Prof. Tae-Lim Choi’s group, expanding his interest toward cyclopolymerization. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he moved to IBS as a postbac in Prof. Sukbok Chang’s lab working on the metal-free decarboxylative amidation. Afterward, Bumsu joined the Levin group as a graduate student in 2023. Outside the lab, Bumsu enjoys singing his favorite songs and throwing home parties with his cooking.
bumsupark [at] uchicago.edu
Nikki Keramati
Graduate Student
B.S. University of Michigan, 2023 (David Sherman)
keramati [at] uchicago.edu
Megan Morales
Undergraduate Student
University of Chicago, Expected 2024
Megan was born in Miami, Florida where she attended John A. Ferguson Senior High School. She is currently a rising second-year student at the University pursuing a major in Molecular Engineering on the chemistry track. She is passionate about organic chemistry and is excited to continue to explore her interest while being a part of the Levin Group. Outside of the lab, Megan loves to play sports and is a part of the UChicago Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team.
Callie McCleary
Undergraduate Student
University of Chicago, Expected 2024
Caroline (Callie) McCleary is a third year undergraduate student from Colorado Springs, CO. Majoring in Chemistry with a planned minor in Cinema and Media Studies, Callie is an RA in Woodlawn Residential Commons and spends her time wearing middle school sweatshirts, watching old movies, and reminiscing with friends on the good ol’ days of Professor Levin’s Organic Chemistry course.
Amelia Cook
Undergraduate Student
University of Chicago, Expected 2026
Amelia is an undergraduate student from San Francisco, CA. She is currently planning to double major in Chemistry and Biochemistry, with a potential minor in English and Creative Writing. She is excited to learn more about organic chemistry through her time in lab and hopes to eventually pursue a PhD. In her free time, Amelia enjoys backpacking, reading, and drinking too much coffee.
Liao Chen
Undergraduate Student
University of Chicago, Expected 2026
Liao Chen is an undergraduate student from the bustling city of Shanghai, China. Majoring in Chemistry and minoring in Computer Science, Liao Chen also a CLOC Team Leader who tries his best to explain scientific concepts and chat with peers in his second language. He is passionate in organic chemistry as he sees organic chemistry as puzzle solving and deciphering the laws of nature. In his free time, he enjoys running, cycling, and explore the world with his newly acquired driver’s license.
Ashby
Lab Mascot
Hyde Park Puppy Kindergarten, 2019
Ashby is an Australian Labradoodle puppy from Lafayette, Indiana. His hobbies include being petted by everyone on the street, energetically running back and forth across the apartment, and exploring Hyde Park. His favorite treat is liverwurst and his favorite toy is Peanut the elephant (pictured). He is named after the world-famous Ashby BART station in Berkeley, California.
ALUMNI
Sean Kennedy (Postdoc 2019-2020) – Johnson Matthey (Chemical Development Group, MA)
Yongliang Zhang (Postdoc 2019-2020) – UCSB (Postdoc, Zhang Group)
Alexander McKillop (Undergraduate Intern 2020) – Princeton University (Chemistry Ph.D program)
Kathleen Berger (PhD ’22 – Joint with Mike Hopkins) – adMare Bioinnovations (Medicinal Chemistry Group, Montreal, Canada)
Kaan Tarhan (B.S. ’22) – Stanford University (Chemistry Ph.D. program)
Ryoma Shimazumi (Visiting Student ’22) – Osaka University (Ph.D., Tobisu Group)
Balu Dherange (Postdoc 2019 -2022) – Incyte Corp. (Medicinal Chemistry, DE)
Colin Stein (Visiting Student ’22-’23) – University of Münster (Glorius Group)
Kate Kaplin (B.S. ’23) – University of Michigan (Chemistry Ph.D. program)
Chris Callas (M.S. ’23) – Janssen Pharmaceuticals (Discovery Chemistry, PA)