Home › People › Previous Members

Previous Members

Former Postdoctoral Fellows and Visiting Scholars

Name Degree Alma Mater Dates Current Position
Younan Shih Ph.D. Cornell University 12/86 – 05/89 Vice President, ScinoPharm Taiwan, Ltd.
Yuan Yu B.S. Semiconductor Institute, Material Division, Chinese Academy of Sciences 11/85 – 11/88 N/A
Li-da Liu M.S. Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences 09/85 – 09/91 Retired from Merck Research Laboratories, West Point, PA, USA
Stanley F. Lo Ph.D. University of Minnesota 08/92 – 05/93 Associate Professor, Wisconsin School of Medicine & Director of Chemistry and Metabolic Genetic Labs, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, WI, USA
Eugene Oh Ph.D. Seoul National University 01/91 – 11/93 CEO, COS Biotech, Inc., Taijon, Korea
Olivier Ploux Ph.D. Universite Pierre et Marie Curie 07/92 – 07/94 Professeur, Laboratoire Charles Friedel ENSCP-Chimie Paris Tech, Paris, France
Kirsi Vatanen M.S. University of Stockholm 03/93 – 07/94 N/A
Hui-qiang Zhou Ph.D. Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences 01/92 – 12/94 Research Scientist, GlaxoSmithKline, RTP, NC, USA
Keqiang Li Ph.D. University of Michigan 07/94 – 02/97 Research Scientist Scynexis Inc.
Caroline Leriche Ph.D. Universite Pierre et Marie Curie 02/96 – 12/97 Head of Medicinal Chemistry Unit,Fovea Pharmaceuticals, France
Rongqiang Liu Ph.D. Universite de Lausanne 02/97 – 05/99 Research Scientist, Pharmacopeia
Kazuo Murakami Ph.D. Osaka University 04/97 – 06/99 Research Scientist, Sumitomo Chemicals Co., Ltd., Japan
Siu-Man Yeung Ph.D. University of Chicago 07/97 – 07/99 Associate Director of process characterization, Cytovance Biologics, Inc, Oklahoma City, OK
Tom Cheng-wei Chang Ph.D. Washington University 09/97 – 12/99 Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Utah State University, UT, USA
Keisuke Kato Ph.D. Kyushu University 04/99 – 03/00 Professor, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Toho University, Japan
Lev Lis Ph.D. Byelorussian Academy of Science 03/98 – 10/00 N/A
Qibo Zhang Ph.D. Oregon State University 11/98 – 10/00 Senior Research Scientist, Metabolon, Inc
Shinji Nagumo Ph.D. Kyushu University, Japan 04/00 – 04/01 Regents Professor, Department of Applied Chemistry, Kogakuin University, Tokyo, Japan
Duen-Ren Hou Ph.D. University of Texas at Austin 01/01 – 09/01 Professor and Chairman, Department of Chemistry, National Central University, Taiwan
Hiroshi Yamase Ph.D. Tokushima University, Japan 04/99 – 11/01 Research Associate, Marine Biotechnology Institute, Japan
Xuemei He Ph.D. University of Minnesota 08/97 – 07/02 Research Scientist, Life Science Group, Bio-Rad Laboratories
Zhishu Huang Ph.D. Zhongshan University, China 01/01 – 01/03 Professor, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhongshan University, China
Min Zhang Ph.D. Zhongshan University, China 04/02 – 01/03 Natural Product Chemistry Laboratories, Guangdong Provincial Institute of Materia Medica
Alexander Wong Ph.D. University of British Columbia 01/01 – 06/03 Research Scientist, Cerilliant Co.
Zongbao Zhao Ph.D. Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, China 08/98 – 10/03 Professor, Department of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, China
Mikio Fujii Ph.D. Kyoto University, Japan 04/03 – 07/04 Associate Professor, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, International University of Health and Welfare, Japan
Hyung-Jin Kwon Ph.D. Seoul National University, Korea 1/01 – 9/04 Professor, Department of Biological Science, Myongji University, Korea
Haruko Takahashi Ph.D. University of Tokushima, Japan 04/03 -04/05 Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan
Hua Zhang Ph.D. Peking Union Medical College, China 04/01 -11/04 Research Assistant Professor, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, TX, USA
Chai-Lin Kao Ph.D. National Taiwan University, Taiwan, ROC 07/02 -08/05 Associate Professor, Department of Medicinal and Applied Chemistry, Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan
Rongson Pongdee Ph.D. Texas A&M University 11/03 -06/05 Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, Sewanee: The University of the South, Tenn., USA
Sung-Ju Moon Ph.D. Seoul National University, Korea 03/02 -08/05 Scientist, Agensys Inc. (Astellas Pharma. Inc)
Qingquan Wu Ph.D. Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, China 03/03 -12/05 Research Scientist, Hengrui Pharma, Shanghai, China
Tun-Cheng Chien Ph.D. University of Michigan 05/05 -9/06 Professor, Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan
Kenji Itoh Ph.D. Kyoto University 4/04 – 4/07 Research Associate, Kinki University
Gang Dong Ph.D. University of Tennessee 1/05 – 5/07 Research Scientist, Albany Molecular Research, Inc.
Feng Yan Ph.D. University of Texas at Austin 1/05 – 6/07 Research Scientist, Omniox Inc.
Xiaotao Pu Ph.D. Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry 8/05 – 7/07 Principal Scientist, CCT Department of Development, Johnson Matthey
Svetlana Borisova Ph.D. University of Texas at Austin 9/04 – 6/07 Research Scientist, Amyris Biotechnologies
Bryan Lepore Ph.D. Brandeis University 11/05 – 2/08 N/A
Yasushi Ogasawara Ph.D. Tokyo Institute of Technology 10/05 – 12/11 Assistant Professor, Laboratory of Applied BioChemistry, Hokkaido University, Japan
Jordi Calveras Ph.D. Univesity of Barcelona 2/10 – 8/12 Research Scientist, SABIC
Steven Mansoorabadi Ph.D. University of Wisconsin 6/06 – 8/12 Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Auburn University, AL, USA
Hui Huang Ph.D. Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry 9/08 – 10/12 Research Scientist, Chemtos Co.
Reid McCarty Ph.D. University of Arizona 8/11 – 6/14 Deceased, 6/2014
Chih-Hau Chen Ph.D. National Chiao-Tung University 7/12 – 7/13 Research Scientist, Chirogate International, Inc., Taiwan

Former Graduate Students

Name Degree Awarded Current Position
Oksoo Han Ph.D., September, 1984 – June, 1989 Professor, Department of Genetic Engineering and Institute of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Korea
“Mechanistic Studies of the Biosynthesis of CDP-Ascarylose: Purification of CDP-6-deoxy-Δ3,4-glucoseen Reductase and Characterization of Its NADH Oxidase Activity.”
Nancy D. Lenn M.S., September, 1984 – September, 1987 Northwest Nazarene University and Boise State University
“Mechanistic and Electron Transfer Properties of General Acyl- and Butyryl-CoA Dehydrogenase.”
Raymond N. Russell Ph.D., January 1985 – July, 1991 Attorney, Fredrickson and Byron, P.A., Minneapolis
“Part I. Stereochemical and Mechanistic Studies of the Biosynthesis of CDP-Ascarylose; Part II. Purification of a Lipid Inhibitor of Lymphoid Cell Growth from Macrophage Hybridoma Cells.”
Theresa M. Weigel Ph.D., September 1985 – February, 1991 Research Scientist, Merck, Sharp and Dohme Research Lab, Rhaway, NJ
“Mechanistic Studies of the Biosynthesis of CDP-Ascarylose: Purification and Characterization of CDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-D-glucose-3-dehydrase.”
Vaughn P. Miller Ph.D., September, 1985 – February, 1991 Application Manager, RapidFire, Agilent Technologies
“Part I. CDP-6-deoxy-Δ3,4-glucoseen Reductase: Enzyme Purification and Mechanistic Studies; Part II. Studies of the Mechanistic Diversity of Sodium Cyanoborohydride Reduction of Tosylhydrazones.”
Stanley F. Lo Ph.D., September, 1985 – August, 1992 Associate Professor, Wisconsin School of Medicine & Director of Chemistry and Metabolic Genetic Labs, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, WI, USA
“Cloning and Characterization of the CDP-6-deoxy-Δ3,4-glucoseen Reductase Gene.”
Ding-yah Yang Ph.D., September, 1986 – May, 1992 Professor, Department of Chemsitry, Tunghai University, Taiwan
“Part I: Mechanistic Studies of Biosynthesis of 3,6-Dideoxyhexoses; Part II: Studies of the Mechanistic Diversity of Sodium Cyanoborohydride Reduction of Tosylhydrazones and Oxidation of Tosylhydrazines by N-Iodosuccinimide.”
Ming-Tain Lai Ph.D., September, 1987 – August, 1992 Senior Principal Scientist, Merck Research Laboratories, West Point, PA
“Mechanistic Studies of General Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase: The Molecular Basis of Jamaican Vomiting Sickness.”
Jon S. Thorson Ph.D., September, 1987 – July, 1993 Professor, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky
“Studies of the Biosynthesis of 3,6-Dideoxyhexoses inYersinia pseudotuberculosis: The Molecular Basis of CDP-Ascarylose Formation.”
Yenyoung Lei Ph.D., September, 1988 – May 1995 Research Scientist,Applied Biosystems
“Mechanistic Studies of Enzymes Involved in the Biosynthesis of CDP-Ascarylose and TDP-Rhamnose”
Patricia A. Pieper Ph.D., September, 1990 – February, 1997 Professor, Department of Chemistry, Anoka-Ramsey Community College at Coons Rapids, MN, USA
“Mechanistic Studies of CDP-6-deoxy-L-threo-D-glycero-4-hexulose-3-dehydrase (E1) and CDP-6-deoxy-L-threo-D-glycero-4-hexulose-3-dehydrase reductase (E3): Two Key Enzymes Involved in the Biosynthesis of CDP-Ascarylose”
Nanette L. S. Que Ph.D., September, 1990 – February, 1997 N/A
“Studies of the Biosynthesis of Bacterial Cell Wall and Antibiotic Deoxysugar Moieties: dTDP-Rhamnose, CDP-Ascarylose, and dTDP-Mycaminose”
Injae Shin Ph.D., September, 1991 – April, 1995 Professor, Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Korea
“Mechanistic Studies of Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenases with MCPA-CoA Derivatives and Radical Probes”
Ding Li Ph.D., September, 1991 – April, 1995 Professor, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhongshan University, China
“Mechanistic Studies of Inactivation of Enzymes Involved in Mitochondrial Fatty Acid Oxidation”
Cheryl El-Hilali M.S., September, 1991 – Feburary, 1995 n/a
Xuemei He Ph.D., September, 1991 – August, 1997 Research Scientist, Life Science Group, Bio-Rad Laboratories
“Biosynthetic Studies of Ascarylose, Streptose, and Cyclopropane Fatty Acids”
Wensheng Du Ph.D., September, 1991 – July, 1997 Director, Market Development, Akzol Nobel Chemicals
“Mechanistic Studies of 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate Deaminase”
Jocelyn Clark M.S., January, 1993 – July, 1996 Research Scientist, Paddock Laboratories, Inc.
“The Synthesis of Mechanistic Probes for Two Enzymes: Medium-chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase and Fosfomycin Epoxidase”
Zhihong Guo Ph.D., September, 1992 – March 1998 Professor,Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
“Studies of the Biosynthesis of Bacterial Cell Wall and Antibiotic Deoxysugar Components: Yersiniose A, Mycarose, and Mycaminose”
Srikanth Dakoji PhD., October 1998 Physician, Minnesota
“Mechanistic Studies of the Enzymes Involved in Fatty Acid Metabolism: Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenases and Enoyl-CoA Hydratases.”
David Johnson PhD., January, 1999 Research Scientist, MicroConstants
“Part I: Mechanistic Studies on Enzymes in the Ascarylose Biosynthetic Pathway. Part II: Biochemical and Mechanistic Studies on Enzymes Involved with Bacterial Resistance to Mitomycin C.”
Huawei Chen Ph.D., October, 1999 Research Scientist, Astra Zeneca R & D Boston
“Studies of the Biosynthesis of Bacterial Cell Wall and Antibiotic Deoxysugar Component: Yersiniose A, Mycarminose, and Mycarose.”
Tina Hallis Ph.D., April, 2000 Research Scientist, Invitrogen
“Biochemical and Mechanistic Studies on Enzymes Involved in the Biosynthesis of 3,6-dideoxyhexoses and the Branched- chain Sugar Mycarose.”
Gautam Agnihotri Ph.D., June, 2000 Research Scientist, Schering-Plough
“Mechanistic Studies on Enzymes Involved in Deoxyhexose Biosynthesis and on the Inactivation of Enoyl-CoA hydratase by (Methylenecyclopropyl)formyl-CoA.”
Lishan Zhao Ph.D., May, 2000 Head of Protein Engineering, Amyris Biotechnologies, Inc.
“Biosynthetic Studies of D-Desosamine and Engi- neered Biosynthesis of Methymycin/Pickromycin analogs Carrying Modified Deoxysugars.”
Erich Molitor Ph.D., December, 2000 Senior Research Scientist, Segetis Inc
“Mechanistic Studies of Cyclopropane Fatty Acid Synthase.”
Pinghua Liu Ph.D., May, 2001 Associate Professor,Department of Chemistry, Boston University, MA, USA
“Insights into the Enzymes in Fosfomycin Biosynthesis: Mechanistic Studies of HPP Epoxidase.”
Jenefer Alam M.S., May, 2003 Research Scientist, Experimental Therapeutics Center, A*Star, Singapore
“Mechanistic Studies on the Biosynthesis of GDP-L-Colitose”
Vidusha Devasthali M.S., August, 2003 Research Scientist, Genentech
“Mechanistic Investigation of 1-Deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate Reductoisomerase”
Beth Paschal Ph.D., December, 2003 Phage Display Product Manager, New England Biolabs, Inc.
“Mechanistic Studies on Cyclopropyl Fatty Acid Synthase”
Noelle Beyer Ph.D., July, 2004 Associate Professor,Department of Chemistry, Southwest Minnesota State University, MN, USA
“I. Investigation of the Biosysnthesis of CDP-Colitose; II. Characterization of a Key Enzyme in the Biosynthesis of Mitomycin C.”
Svetlana Borisova Ph.D., August, 2004 Research Scientist, Amyris Biotechnologies
“Genetic and Biochemical Studies of the Biosynthesis and Attachment of D-Desosamine,the Deoxy Sugar Component of Macrolide Antibiotics Produced by Streptomyces venezuelae“
Feng Yan Ph.D., December, 2004 Research Scientist, Omniox Inc.
“Biochemical and Spectroscopic Studies of (S)-2-Hydroxypropylphosphonic Acid Epoxidase in Fosfomycin Biosynthesis”
Lin Hong Ph.D., December, 2004 Research Scientist, University of New Mexico, NM, USA
“Biochemical Studies of the Enzymes Involved in Deoxysugar D-Forosamine Biosynthesis”
William Kittleman Ph.D., December, 2006 Senior Biochemist, Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories
“Characterization and Mechanistic Studies of the Type 2 Isopentenyl Diphosphate:Dimethyallyl Diphosphate Isomerase from Staphylococcus aureus“
Chad Melancon III Ph.D., December, 2006 Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, University of New Mexico, NM, USA
“Investigation and Engineering of Macrolide Antibiotic Sugar Biosynthesis and Glycosylation Pathways of Actinomycetes“
Peng Gao Ph.D., August, 2007 Research Associate, Institute of Molecular Medicine, UTHSCH, TX, USA
“Studies of Activation, Automodification, and Transmodification of Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase-1”
Wei-Luen Allen Yu Ph.D., December, 2007 N/A
“Studies of the Biosynthesis of the Nitrosuagr D-Kijanose and the Function of the Glycosyltransferase Helper Protein in Glycosylation of Macrolide Antibiotics”
Jeffrey Wayne Munos Ph.D., May, 2008 Research Scientist, DuPont, Palo Alto, CA, USA
“Mechanistic Studies of HPP Epoxidase and DXP Reductoisomerase: Applications to Biosynthesis and Antibiotic Development”
Ping-Hui Szu Ph.D., May, 2008 Staff Scientist, Radiant Genomics, SF, CA, USA
“The Biosynthesis of TDP-D-Desosamine: Characterization and Mechanistic Studies of DesII, A Radical S-Adenosylmethionine-Dependent Enzyme”
Zhihua Tao Ph.D., August, 2008 Research Scientist, BPS Bioscience, San Diego, CA, USA
“Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase-1: Domain C Structure, Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation Sites and Physiological Functions”
Ying Zhou Ph.D., August, 2009 Research Scientist, New England Biolabs, Inc.
“Studies of the Metal Binding Properties and DNA Recognition Mode of the Unusual Zinc Fingers in Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase-1 and the Investigation of Its Interaction with Apoptosis Inducing Factor (AIF)”
Jessica White-Phillip Ph.D., July, 2010 Biomedical Laboratory, Eagle Applied Sciences
“Glycosylation Reactions in Secondary Metabolism: Glycosylation Events in C-Mannosylation and the Biosynthesis of Kijanimicin”
Hak Joong Kim Ph.D., August, 2010 Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Korea University, South Korea
“Investigation of the Post-Polyketide Synthase (PKS) Modifications During Spinosyn A Biosynthesis in Saccharopolyspora spinosa“
Christopher Thibodeaux Ph.D., August, 2010 Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Canada
“Mechanistic Studies of Two Enzymes that Employ Common Coenzymes in Uncommon Ways”
Eita Sasaki Ph.D., May, 2011 Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Japan
“Biosynthetic Studies of Thiosugar-containing Natural Products, BE-7585A and Lincomycin A”
Wei-Chen Chang Ph.D., August, 2011 Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, NC, USA
“Mechanistic Studies of Two Iron-containing Enzymes that Catalyze Unusual Chemical Transformations”
Sei Hyun Choi Ph.D., December, 2013 Principle Investigator, Korean National Research Institute for Drug Discovery, Korea
“Synthetic Approaches to Investigate the Chemical Mechanism in the Biosynthesis of Natural Products “
Grace He Sun Ph.D., December, 2013 International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF), Carrollton, TX, USA
“Studies of Unusual Catalysis: A Tale of Four Enzymes from Diverse Biosynthesis Pathways “
Mel Cheng-Hao Liu Ph.D., December, 2013 Research Scientist, Calogent (華蔚生技), Taiwan
“Probing Chemical Mechanism of Two Enzyme-catalyzed Reactions by Chiral Substrate Analogues “
Namho Kim Ph.D., December, 2013 Research Scientist, SK Chemicals, Seoul, South Korea
“Mechanistic Investigations of SpnF- and SpnL-Catalyzed Cyclizations in the Biosynthesis of Spinosyn A “
Eta Isiorho Ph.D., May, 2014 Instructor, Department of Chemistry, Auburn University, AL, USA
“Structural Characterization of Post-PKS Enzymes Involved in Spinosyn Biosynthesis “
Meilan Wu Ph.D., August 2014 Research and Development Department, Sanofi, Shanghai, China
“DNA Recognition and Mechanistic Investigation of Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase-1”
Chia-I Lin Ph.D., May 2015 Research Scientist, Gilead Sciences, Inc., CA, USA
“Biosynthetic Studies of Lincomycin A, A Thiosugar-containing Natural Product”
Ke-Yi Lin Ph.D., August 2015 Research Scientist, Chiome Bioscience, Tokyo, Japan
“Molecular Mechanism of Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation Catalyzed by Human Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase-1 “
Anthony Romo Ph.D., May, 2016 Pharmacist, Investigational Pharmacy Services, MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX, USA
“Discovery of the Amipurimycin and Miharamycins Biosynthetic Gene Clusters and Insight into the Biosynthesis of Nogalamycin”
Hak Joong Kim Ph.D., May, 2016 Postdoctoral Associate, Hans Knoll Institute
, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research, Germany
“Characterization of Two Radical S-Adenosyl-L-methionine Enzymes in the Biosynthesis of Aminoglycosides”
Jon Peter Gengler M.S., December, 2016  N/A
“Biosynthesis of Sulfur-Containing Heterpocycles in Natural Products”
Byung-sun Jeon Ph.D., May, 2017 Postdoctoral Associate, College of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley, CA, USA
“Mechanistic Studies of SpnF and SpnL-catalyzed Cyclization Reactions in Spinosyn A Biosynthesis”
Yeonjin Ko Ph.D., May, 2017 Postdoctoral Associate, The Scripps Research Institute, CA, USA
“Unusual carbohydrate biosynthesis : mechanistic studies of DesII and the biosynthesis of formycin A”
Geng-Min Lin Ph.D., August, 2017 Postdoctoral Associate, Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA, USA
“Unusual Carbohydrate Biosynthesis: Studies of the Flavin-dependent Isomerase UGM, the Radical S-Adenosyl-L-methionine Enzyme DesII, and the Biosynthesis of Herbicidins”
Jung-Kuei Chen Ph.D., May, 2018 Postdoctoral Associate, The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, MA, USA
“Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase-1: Protein Substrates Identification and Biological Functions Characterization“
Aoshu Zhong Ph.D., August, 2018 Postdoctoral Associate, CA, USA
“”