Andres Vazquez-Lopez Fifth Year Originally from Lancaster, PA, Andres completed undergraduate studies at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, PA. He did research under the guidance of Dr. Timothy Peelen, working on nucleophilic catalyzed Ireland-Claisen rearrangements of allylic acrylates. Andres also spent a summer working under the guidance of Dr. Robert Flowers at Lehigh University, studying the role of additives in organic reductions using Samarium (II) Iodide before moving to Philadelphia to pursue his PhD.
Andres is currently pursuing novel transformations using N-HVIs and their applications as a group transfer reagents. email: andres.vazquez-lopez@temple.edu
Bill Motsch Fourth Year Born in Erie, PA, Bill recieved his BSc from McGill University in Montreal, Canada where he worked on various organocatalysis projects in Dr. Jim Gleason's lab. He then moved to Florida to do a masters program with Dr. Juan Del Valle where he worked on natural product total synthesis. After working at CoreRx in Clearwater, FL as a pharmaceutical preformulations researcher, he decided to move back up north to join the lab in 2019.
Bill currently works on studying the physical properties of N-HVI reagents and how they can be used to form new C-N bonds. email: bill.motsch@temple.edu
Matt Sherwood Third Year Originally from Long Branch, New Jersey, Matt earned his BA in chemistry at Rutgers University-Newark where he worked on several medicinal chemistry projects in Dr. Joel Freundlich’s group at Rutgers-NJMS. These projects primarily focused on the synthesis of novel small molecule antibiotics.
Matt is currently working on the total synthesis of heliannuol natural products utilizing N-HVI mediated oxidative ring expansion.
email: matthew.sherwood0001@temple.edu
Cassie Sedler Third Year Originally from Bethlehem, PA, Cassie Received a B.S in Chemistry from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. In the summer of 2019, she participated in the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she worked in the lab of Professor Patrick Dussault Synthesizing functionalized fatty acid analogs.
Cassie is currently working on using N-HVI reagents in the new C-H amination and further developing the N-HVI mediated oxidative ring expansion.
email: cassandra.sedler@temple.edu
Undergraduates
Christopher Stephen Chris is currently working alongside Bill on Team E-Chem, developing new oxidative strategies for the synthesis of pyridinium salts.
Vishnupriya Pothukuchi Biology Major Vish is a Junior at Temple University. She was born in Bucks County, PA and plans on attending Medical school after she graduates. She is currently working alongside Andres on the development of Ritter-type amination of olefins using I(III) reagents.
FORMER MEMBERS
Postdocs
Dr. Xiao Xiao, Postdoc Member: 2017-2020 Current: Assistant Professor, Shanghai Normal University
Dr. Anthony Tierno, Postdoc Member: 2016-2018 Current: Assistant Professor, Towson University
Dr. Brandon Kelly, Postdoc Member: 2014-2016 Current: Healthcare Industry Management Consultant, Vynamic
Dr. Dimitris Noustias, Postdoc Member: 2015-2016 Current: Postdoc, Pihko Lab
Graduate Students
Alexi Martin, M.S.
Masters Degree, 2022.
Current: TCG GreenChem Inc.
B.S. Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
Bilal Hoblos, Ph.D.
Ph.D., 2021. Thesis Title: Exploration in Medium-ring Ether Synthesis via Umpolung Heteroatom Activation: Total Synthesis, Method Development, and Reagent Synthesis.
Current: Bristol Myers Squibb
B.S. Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University Behrend Campus 2016
Myriam Mikhael, Ph.D.
Ph.D., 2021. Thesis Title: Novel Umpolung Strategies for C-O bond Formation with Hypervalent Iodine Reagents.
Current: Post Doc. Merck & Co.
M.S. Chemistry, Lebanese University
Andrew Mellinger, M.S.
Masters Degree, 2020.
Current: Abzena
B.S. Chemistry, Juniata University 2015
Felipe Cesar Sousa e Silva, Ph.D.
Ph.D., 2020. Thesis Title: Hypervalent Iodine Methods for Carbon-Nitrogen and Carbon-Carbon Bond Formation