Graduate Students
José Omar Castellón
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology
NSF Fellowship
Second year
joseomar805 [at] gmail [dot] com
A loyal Californian, Jose is from Oxnard, California, obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from California State University, Channel Islands and a Master’s degree in Biochemistry from California State University, Los Angeles. He is currently a graduate student in the Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology (BBSB) home area under the Molecular Biology Interdisciplinary Program (MBIDP). Jose is interested in applying his background in biophysics and protein folding to the field of chemical biology with a particular interest in inhibitor and probe discovery.
Maria Palafox
Joint with the Arboleda Lab
Human Genetics
CBI Training Grant
Second year
mfpalafox [at] g [dot] ucla [dot] edu
A true Texan, Maria grew up in El Paso, Texas and attended the University of Texas at Austin where she studied nutritional science and conducted research connecting gene regulation to lifestyle choices. Maria is passionate about health and biology and is excited to apply the tools of chemical biology to understanding how nature's biological machinery, proteins, interact with and manipulate cellular chemistry. Outside of lab, Maria enjoys mountain biking, cooking, and taking her rabbit to the beach.
Sunny (Tianyang) Yan
Chemistry and Biochemistry
First year
tyyan14 [at] outlook [dot] com
Sunny originally comes from China and got her bachelor's degree in chemistry at Fudan University, Shanghai. She is an an analytical chemistry graduate student in Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. In the Backus lab, Sunny is excited to apply her experience in glycobiology to the development of new chemical probes. She also dreams of becoming a NGS expert.
Ernest Armenta
Chemistry and Biochemistry
First year
earme002 [at] gmail [dot] com
Ernest is originally from Blythe, California and attended the University of California, Riverside where he obtained his B.S. in Neuroscience. He then attended California State University, Fullerton, where he received his M.S. in Chemistry synthesizing new alpha-helix mimetics to inhibit protein-protein interactions. Ernest is interested in applying his organic chemistry background directly to biological applications. In his free time, Ernest enjoys cooking, eating, and video games.
Neil Chan
Chemistry and Biochemistry
First year
njc02018 [at] g [dot] ucla [dot] edu
Neil Chan is a chemistry graduate student from Fremont, California. He attended Pomona College for his undergraduate studies from 2014-2018 with a chemistry major and a mathematics minor. His research interests encompass small molecule synthesis with interesting biological applications. In his free time, Neil likes to work out, play basketball, and play video games.
Postdoctoral Research Associates
Jian Cao, Ph.D.
jianc [at] g [dot] ucla [dot] edu
Jian is originally from China and joins the the Backus Lab as our first postdoctoral researcher. He completed his Ph.D. (May 2018) under the guidance of Prof. Alex Lippert at SMU, synthesizing chemiluminescent agents for in vivo imaging. He is interested in using chemical tools to solve biological issues. Jian is excited about applying activity-based protein profiling methods to decipher new druggable targets. During his free time, he enjoys watching movies, going hiking, and exploring new places.
Sean Maddox, Ph.D.
SMaddox [at] mednet [dot] ucla [dot] edu
Sean Maddox is originally from Roseville, CA. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, Davis where he also performed undergraduate research in the Gervay-Hague lab involving protecting group manipulation of mono- and disaccharides via Regioselective Silyl Exchange Technology. Sean then moved to San Diego where he completed his Ph.D. in a joint doctoral program between the University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University with Prof. Jeffrey Gustafson. His graduate work focused on the development of new catalytic methodology for the facile synthesis of stereochemically stable atropisomers that hold potential applications in biology. Sean then decided to pursue his interest in biological chemistry as a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Backus lab at the University of California, Los Angeles, focusing on the design and application of new chemical probes for proteomic profiling of cell signaling. Sean has now been affiliated with three UC campuses and is well on his way to conquering the entire UC system
Staff Research Associates
Brianna Hill-Payne
Staff Research Associate
bhillpayne [at] mednet [dot] ucla [dot] edu
Originally from New Jersey, Brie received her B.A. in Chemistry from Fairleigh Dickinson University where she performed research synthesizing tetraphenylporphyrin and its metal complexes. She ventured west for grad school where she obtained her M.S in Chemistry at the University of California, Davis. A chemical biologist at heart, Brie's thesis work focused on the development of an indocyanine green derivative targeting nanotherapeutics for fluorescence imaging and photodynamic therapy. After completing her M.S., she spent time at The Dow Chemical Company performing polymer chemistry. Brie is excited to return to the west coast and to chemical biology research.
Undergraduates
Ky Tran
Undergraduate
Biochemistry
2020
kygtran [at] gmail [dot] com
Ky is a third-year biochemistry major from Oakland, California. She grew up in Vietnam, and her family immigrated to the United States when she was 16 years old. She is interested in studying organic chemistry because she likes synthesizing new materials. After college, Ky plans to pursue higher education in either graduate school or pharmacy school. In her spare time, she loves to dance and play basketball.
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Marina Faragalla
Undergraduate
Biochemistry
2019
35326[at]students[dot]ausd[dot]net
Marina is a fourth-year biochemistry major and biomedical research minor. She grew up in Egypt, and wants to pursue a career in the medical field. She is excited about learning the underlying biological pathways of diseases, that will enable her to understand the causes of diseases and hopefully discover new drugs. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, traveling and trying new food.
Marina Faragalla
Undergraduate
Biochemistry
2019
35326[at]students[dot]ausd[dot]net
Marina is a fourth-year biochemistry major and biomedical research minor. She grew up in Egypt, and wants to pursue a career in the medical field. She is excited about learning the underlying biological pathways of diseases, that will enable her to understand the causes of diseases and hopefully discover new drugs. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, traveling and trying new food.
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Jeremy Shek
Undergraduate
Biochemistry
2020
jeremyshek [at] ucla [dot] edu
Jeremy is a third-year biochemistry major from the Bay Area. He likes learning about organic chemistry and doing biology or synthesis in the lab. He is interested in pursuing a PhD after he graduates hoping to develop pharmaceuticals and work on new therapies in the future. Aside from school. If not in class or lab, you can find Jeremy either training for triathlons, eating food, or watching a new TV show.
Jeremy Shek
Undergraduate
Biochemistry
2020
jeremyshek [at] ucla [dot] edu
Jeremy is a third-year biochemistry major from the Bay Area. He likes learning about organic chemistry and doing biology or synthesis in the lab. He is interested in pursuing a PhD after he graduates hoping to develop pharmaceuticals and work on new therapies in the future. Aside from school. If not in class or lab, you can find Jeremy either training for triathlons, eating food, or watching a new TV show.
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Annie Zhou
Undergraduate
Biochemistry
2021
annzhou01 [at] gmail [dot] com
Annie is a second-year biochemistry major from San Diego. She likes organic chemistry and learning about biological systems and plans to continue her education in graduate or medical school. In her free time she likes to read, try different desserts, and play video gamess.
Annie Zhou
Undergraduate
Biochemistry
2021
annzhou01 [at] gmail [dot] com
Annie is a second-year biochemistry major from San Diego. She likes organic chemistry and learning about biological systems and plans to continue her education in graduate or medical school. In her free time she likes to read, try different desserts, and play video gamess.
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Stephanie Yen
Undergraduate
Biochemistry
2022
stephanieyen6 [at] g [dot] ucla [dot] edu
Stephanie is a first-year biochemistry major from the LA area. She is interested in understanding the pathways of diseases and hopes to pursue a career in scientific research. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys playing ultimate frisbee and soccer, watching The Office, and exploring new places.
Stephanie Yen
Undergraduate
Biochemistry
2022
stephanieyen6 [at] g [dot] ucla [dot] edu
Stephanie is a first-year biochemistry major from the LA area. She is interested in understanding the pathways of diseases and hopes to pursue a career in scientific research. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys playing ultimate frisbee and soccer, watching The Office, and exploring new places.
Alumni
Taylor Perkins
Summer Student (2018)
Samuel Neubuerger
Undergraduate (2018)
Biochemistry
Emily Yang
Rotation Student (2018)
Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics
Graduate student in the Li Lab
Graham Read
Rotation Student (2018)
Gene Regulation, Epigenomics, and Transcriptomics (GREaT)
Summer Student (2018)
Samuel Neubuerger
Undergraduate (2018)
Biochemistry
Emily Yang
Rotation Student (2018)
Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics
Graduate student in the Li Lab
Graham Read
Rotation Student (2018)
Gene Regulation, Epigenomics, and Transcriptomics (GREaT)
