Principal Investigator
Neel H. Shah
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry
neel.shah [at] columbia [dot] edu 2013 - Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, The Rockefeller University 2008 - B.S. in Chemistry, New York University Neel grew up in Munster, Indiana, just outside of Chicago. He started his scientific training at New York University. There, he worked with Kent Kirshenbaum, examining ways to control structure in a class of peptidomimetic molecules called 'peptoids'. After NYU, Neel joined Tom Muir's lab, first at The Rockefeller University, then at Princeton University, for his graduate research. In the Muir lab, Neel investigated the structure and function of split inteins and helped develop new intein-based tools for protein chemistry. Temporarily tired of New York, he then moved to the University of California, Berkeley, where he joined John Kuriyan's lab. In the Kuriyan lab, Neel developed new high-throughput methods to interrogate protein tyrosine kinases and small GTPases. In the summer of 2018, Neel happily returned to his favorite city and started a faculty position at Columbia Chemistry. When he's not at work, Neel likes to explore parks, museums, and restaurants with his wife and kids, and he enjoys learning about new scientific topics through popular science books.
Team
Anya Applebaum Licht
Undergraduate student
ata2173 [at] barnard [dot] edu Barnard College class of 2027 Anya grew up in Philadelphia, PA. Hoping to remain in a city, she moved to NYC to study biochemistry and French at Barnard College. Motivated by her interest the chemistry of biological systems, Anya joined the Shah lab to learn more about the complexity of protein interactions and regulation. Outside of the lab, Anya’s favorite things include playing the cello and piano, finding new thrift stores in the city, and cooking.
Loren Cardani
Graduate student
lc3803 [at] columbia [dot] edu 2023 - B.S. in Biochemistry, University of Rochester Loren is from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. She attended the University of Rochester in upstate New York for her Bachelor’s degree, where she worked under Dr. Bradley Nilsson exploring peptide chemistry and its applications in biology. In 2022, she spent a summer at New York University synthesizing peptoid drug candidates for Type 1 Diabetes in the lab of Dr. Kent Kirshenbaum. Having been introduced to the city, Loren joined the Shah lab at Columbia, where she hopes to continue utilizing chemical tools to explore biological systems. Outside of the lab, Loren enjoys reading, hiking, and spending time with her cat, Mac.
Yethmie Goonatilleke
Undergraduate student
ysg2105 [at] barnard [dot] edu Barnard College class of 2027 Yethmie grew up in Glen Rock, New Jersey, a small suburb that is half an hour away from NYC. Intrigued by the city, she came to Barnard College where she is currently studying chemistry. She is excited to further understand complex biological systems through exploration of protein signaling and regulation. Some of Yethmie’s pastimes include creative writing, discussing books, movies, and music with others, and strolling through a beautiful park or art museum.
Katherine Hebert
Graduate student
kah2276 [at] columbia [dot] edu 2023 - B.S. in Biomolecular Science and Gender and Health, University of Michigan Katherine grew up in Dallas, Texas before attending the University of Michigan for college. There she worked for both Dr. Heather Carlson studying molecular dynamics and Dr. Anna Mapp studying the regulation and inhibition of transcription cofactors. Outside of chemistry, she also majored in women's studies at Michigan. Katherine joined the Shah Lab to continue studying protein interactions and regulation. Outside of the lab, Katherine enjoys baking, spending time in the parks, and running.
Ziyuan (Jason) Jiang
Graduate student
zj2274 [at] columbia [dot] edu 2019 - B.S. in Chemistry, Nankai University, China Jason was raised in Zhengzhou, China. When he's not working in the lab, Jason enjoys playing volleyball and walking among the tall buildings in the city.
Andrew Johns
Graduate student
acj2144 [at] columbia [dot] edu 2020 - B.S. in Biochemistry, Texas State University Andrew grew up in Plano, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, and was always perplexed by the complexity of life. This led him to major in biochemistry at Texas State University, San Marcos, where he began organic synthesis in Dr. Kornienko's lab with a focus in medicinal chemistry. Looking to move far away from home, Andrew joined the Shah lab, where he hopes to use chemistry as a tool to understand biological systems. Andrew's favorite things to do outside of the lab are taking pictures of nature, exploring the city, and watching movies.
Minhee Lee
Graduate student
ml4551 [at] columbia [dot] edu 2020 - B.S. in Biochemistry & Biotechnology, Tufts University Minhee grew up in Westborough, Massachusetts, and didn't want to leave New England for college, leading him to study biochemistry and biotechnology at Tufts University where he worked under Dr. Krishna Kumar. His broad interests in chemical biology and medicinal chemistry brought him to the Shah lab at Columbia, where he hopes to further study complex biological systems using chemistry. Some of his favorite things to do outside the lab include practicing guitar, going to the gym, and playing video games.
Annalise Scorzari
Graduate student
ans2239 [at] columbia [dot] edu 2024 - B.S. in Chemistry, Clemson University Annalise is from Huntington, New York. She attended Clemson University (2022-2024) and worked with carbon dots under the mentorship of Dr. Ya-Ping Sun. During this time, she was accepted to NASA’s Palmetto Research Academy, where she synthesized antimicrobial carbon dots for applications on Mars. Annalise also attended the University of Miami (2020-2022), where she worked with Dr. Roger M. Leblanc using carbon dots for chemotherapeutics and SARS-CoV-2 treatment. Annalise joined the Shah group to grow in her interest of chemical biology and protein regulation. Outside of chemistry, Annalise enjoys reading, ballet, and exploring the city.
Devon Semoy
Postdoctoral researcher
ds4411 [at] columbia [dot] edu 2024 - Ph.D. in Biochemistry, City University of New York 2021 - M.Phil. in Biochemistry, City University of New York 2013 - B.S. in Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the West Indies Devon grew up in Jamaica (the Caribbean island). He did his undergraduate studies at the University of the West Indies, mona. Where a combination of scientific curiosity and influence from respected science communicators lead him to pursue graduate school in the States. He completed his PhD in the lab of David Jeruzalmi (CUNY) working on the biochemical and structural characterization of bacterial DNA replication and repair proteins. Looking for a new challenge and a complimentary skill set, Devon joined the Shah lab in 2024 at Columbia University. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with friends and family. He enjoys watching and playing football (soccer) and basketball.
Anne van Vlimmeren
Graduate student
aev2133 [at] columbia [dot] edu 2017 - M.S. in Cancer, Stem Cells, and Developmental Biology, Utrecht University 2014 - B.S. in Biology, Utrecht University Anne was born and raised in Utrecht, The Netherlands. After working in the field of genomics for a couple of years, Anne took a leap to study protein kinase specificity at MIT, where she got hooked on the world of protein signaling. Now, she is developing strategies to monitor protein tyrosine phosphatase interactions in cells. When Anne is not in the lab, she is probably out exploring, practicing photography, or running loops of her beloved Central Park.
Zijing Wang
Undergraduate student
zw2905 [at] barnard [dot] edu Barnard College, Class of 2025 Zijing was born and raised in Shenzhen, a coastal city in China, so she enjoys sea. She spent her first year of college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In her free time, she likes to explore new places, cook, make handicrafts, and swim.