Principal Investigator
Dr. Donna Huryn – Professor of Practice
After receiving her undergraduate Chemistry degree (Cornell University) and Ph.D. degree (University of Pennsylvania, Chemistry), Donna M. Huryn began her career as a medicinal chemist in the pharmaceutical industry (Hoffmann-La Roche & Wyeth Research), and contributed to drug discovery efforts for HIV, cancer, asthma, and CNS disorders with increasing levels of responsibility. In 2004, she joined academia. She was a Professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Pharmacy, and until August 2023, when she was appointed Professor of Practice in the Chemistry Department at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the American Chemical Society (ACS), recipient of the ACS Philadelphia Local Section Award and Philip S. Portoghese Lectureship, and was inducted into the ACS Medicinal Chemistry Division Hall of Fame. She has held a number of elected positions at national levels of the ACS and the AAAS, and in the Organic and Medicinal Chemistry Technical Divisions. She is co-author of the textbook Medicinal Chemistry (CRC Press), and served as an Associate Editor of ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters from 2014- 2023. In 2019, she co-founded Empowering Women in Organic Chemistry (EWOC), and continues to serve on the organizing committee.
Contact: huryn@sas.upenn.edu
Graduate Students
Caroline Consoli, G3 (she/her)
Caroline is a third-year PhD student originally from Knoxville, Tennessee. She received her B.S. in chemistry with a minor in physics from Northeastern University in May 2022. At Northeastern, she pursued internships and co-ops at Oak Ridge National Lab, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Bristol Myers-Squibb, and the Manetsch Lab, with most projects at these organizations focusing on medicinal chemistry. Her research interests lie predominantly in the discovery, design, and synthesis of small molecules for medicinal chemistry projects. She is also a recipient of the NSF-GRFP. Currently, she serves as the co-chair for ADSE@Penn (Alliance for Diversity in Science and Engineering) and is passionate about developing a safe and inclusive graduate school environment in Penn Chemistry. Outside of lab, she loves to bake and decorate layer cakes, and on the weekends, you can often find her reading at one of Philly’s many cozy coffee shops!
Ros Paul, G3
Ros is currently a PhD student, specializing in medicinal chemistry. Her academic journey began with an undergraduate degree in chemistry from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, followed by a master’s degree, also focused on organic chemistry, from the University of Pennsylvania. When she’s not immersed in research, she enjoys playing tennis, traveling to new places, and binge-watching movies. Passionate about science and discovery, she aims to contribute innovative insights within the field of chemistry.
Marcello Ma, G2
Marcello was born in Oxnard, California and earned his B.A. in Chemistry from Cornell University in 2021. While there, he conducted research in ROMP-active polycyclic hydrocarbons under Prof. Peter Wolczanski. In his free time, he enjoys baking, strength training, and trying to keep his gaming laptop just a little bit cooler. Just like him.
Postdoctoral Fellows
Emma Doukmak
Emma is a postdoc with an interest in organic and medicinal chemistry. She completed her doctoral work at Syracuse University with a focus on the chemical biology of neuroreceptors like dopamine and serotonin. She did her undergraduate work at the University of South Florida with a focus on organic synthesis and natural products drug discovery. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, yoga, and trying new foods!
Charity Ganskow
Undergraduates
Samantha Martinez, C ’25
Samantha is a fourth-year undergraduate student from Westchester, New York. She is in the College of Arts and Sciences studying Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Chemistry and minoring in Music. She loves organic and medicinal chemistry and has previously conducted research on electronics prototypes for mouse models. On campus, she is a cellist in the Penn Symphony Orchestra and the Managing Director of Williams Cafe, a student-run business under Penn Student Agencies. In her free time, she loves to play the piano in chamber groups!
Julia Gauffreau, C’ 26
Julia is a third-year undergraduate student from Media, Pennsylvania. She is studying biochemistry and chemistry with a sub-matriculation for the master’s degree in Chemistry and a minor in Hispanic studies. Her interests are in synthesis and medical applications in chemistry and previously worked on synthesis of electrocatalyst nanoparticles. She is a singer in the Penn Glee Club, volunteer with Shelter Health Outreach at Penn, and director for Science Olympiad at Penn.
Rotation Students
Monica Wei, Ph.D., M4
Monica is an MD-PhD candidate from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. She completed her undergraduate degree in Chemistry at Princeton University (2017) and her PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology with a focus in Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology at the University of Pennsylvania (2023). Her work has focused on mining novel antimicrobial products from microbes found on human and pig skin. She is interested in developing novel therapeutic strategies to target antimicrobial resistance. Her hobbies include sewing and modern dance.