chemistea by Lucy Yang

Dr. Shira Joudan is a currently a postdoctoral researcher in environmental chemistry at York University in Toronto. She completed her PhD in the department of chemistry at the University of Toronto in 2020, and in 2023 will start as an assistant professor in the department of chemistry at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Her research focuses on the fate of organic contaminants in the environment, and how transformation reactions impact how humans and ecosystems are exposed to potentially toxic chemicals. For the past 7 years, a major focus has been PFAS – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Shira is also interested in green chemistry and previously attended the ACS Green Chemistry Summer School. Outside the lab she likes live music, canoeing, and doing fun things with her friends.

Dr. Isaiah Speight (he/him) is currently a NIGMS postdoctoral fellow at University of California, Irvine in the lab of Prof. Vy Dong. His postdoctoral work focuses on developing new technologies to enhance peptide synthesis. As a native of the Hampton-Roads area of Virginia, Isaiah earned his B.S. in chemistry in 2016 from Norfolk State University. During this time, he did research with Prof. Olufemi Oyesanya in the area of polymer synthesis, and with Prof. Steven Townsend in advanced carbohydrate synthesis. Isaiah then moved to Nashville, where he completed his Ph.D. in 2021 from Vanderbilt University with Prof. Timothy Hanusa. During his time as a Ph.D. student Isaiah developed new mechanochemical methods for making inorganic and organometallic reagents ranging from calcium complexes and mercury metal organic frameworks to Grignard reagents from fluorinated compounds. In addition to his bench work, Isaiah works very closely with the National Organization for Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers initially serving on the Executive Board as their National Student Representative and currently as their Western Regional Director. In these roles, Isaiah works to continue to create communities for black scientists to thrive in as well as build connections to create new opportunities for these students to be successful in. You can follow Dr. Speight on twitter @IR_SP8. 

Allan Argelagos is a current 4th year PhD student in the department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. He works under the guidance of Dr. Andrej Lupták where he seeks to understand the utilization of deoxynucleotide diphosphates (dNDPs) as a substrate for DNA polymerization instead of the typical deoxynucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs) required. This research has many implications with the field pertaining to origins of life. Allan is a first-generation college student coming from a background of Mexican/Guatemalan descent. He has had a very non-traditional route to grad school, but I am sure that hearing h...

Asia Fee (she/her)  is a Chemist, who received her BS in Chemistry from California State University, Channel Islands. Asia spent her time as an undergrad dedicated to anticancer research and a lab internship with Parker Hannifin, where she was promoted to a Lab Technician amidst the pandemic and got to help aid in research and lead projects independently. She had a sudden life event which led her to move to Alaska! She now works remotely as a Cosmetic Chemist & Founder of Alchemist Asia, STEM Personnel, and a Content Creator! You can find Asia on twitter @NoelaniAsia and you can follow Alchemist Asia @AlchemistAsia. 

In this episode, we discuss topics which may be triggering for some listeners. Please use the following time stamps to navigate away from the sections that may be triggering: 15:52-17:08 (mentions of depression, substance abuse); 20:59-23:00 (mentions of depression) 

Dr. Zach Thammavongsy, Ph.D (he/him) is a Laotian American chemist interested in chemical education and inorganic chemistry. He earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Irvine in 2019, and received his Master and Bachelor of Science from Western Washington University. Currently, Dr. Thammavongsy is a Grand Challenge Initiative postdoctoral fellow at Chapman University where I teach science reading/writing and conduct research in the field of main group chemistry. He is currently seeking a tenure track position where I am able to teach, mentor, and cultivate young chemistry learners both in- and outside- of the classroom. Dr. Thammavongsy is also the founder of d-Orbital Games, where he sells chemistry-based pins and board games. Outside of the lab and classroom Zach likes to watch anime shows/movies, discover new food places with his wife, design games/pins, play board games with friends, and talk with younger people about their goals. You can follow Zach on Twitter @zacharythammav1. 

Dr. Alana Ogata, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor jointly appointed in the Department of Chemistry and Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM). Throughout her academic career, she has received seven fellowships and published 19 papers in high-impact journals, such as NanoLetters and JACS, providing important contributions to the fields of electrochemical biosensors, non-classical nucleation and growth, and disease diagnostics. As an NSF Graduate Research Fellow under Dr. Reg Penner at UC Irvine, she developed a new electrochemical biosensor named the virus bioresistor (VBR), capable of label-free and rapid protein detection for point-of-care applications. During a four-month NSF GROW fellowship in South Korea, Dr. Ogata fabricated highly-porous carbon nanofibers via electrospinning and integrated the nanofibers with the VBR platform to develop a tear-based glucose sensor, as described in Analytical Chemistry. In her six-month postdoctoral position with Dr. Joe Patterson at UC-Irvine, I learned and executed cryotransmission electron microscopy (cryoTEM) to study the formation of protein-metal-organic-framework (p-MOF) composites, earning a front-cover featured publication in JACS. As an NIH T32 postdoctoral fellow at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, she led a project on the detection of COVID-19 viral antigens in collaboration with researchers at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital. Within a six-month period, she co-wrote and received a grant for COVID-19 research, developed ultrasensitive viral antigen assays, tested COVID-19 patient samples, and published two manuscripts – one as first author in Clinical Chemistry. In addition, Dr. Ogata initiated and executed a study on vaccinated participants and led the design of sample collection, assay development, and sample analysis in collaboration with researchers at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. This study resulted in a first author publication in Clinical Infectious Diseases, and presents the first evidence of SARS-CoV-2 protein production from mRNA vaccination. Outside of lab, she enjoys working out and enjoying happy hour with friends. You can follow Dr. Ogata on Twitter @OgataAlana. 

Alissa Matus (she/her) is a rising 4th year graduate student and NSF-GRFP fellow, doing organometallic and inorganic chemistry in the Yang group at UC Irvine. As a Latina and Black woman she is driven by her desire to help others like her, from historically excluded groups, explore their passions for science and research. Mentorship has been key to her journey through higher education, and she wants to return the favor by being the best mentor she can be! When she is not in the lab, doing electrochemistry or battling impostor syndrome, she can be found listening to music, staring at cute dogs, spending time with friends, or some combination of those three! You can follow Alissa on Twitter @lissathechemist.

Erin Joy Araneta (she/her), an undergraduate chemistry major at University of California, Irvine, has many titles to her name. She is the Younger Chemist Chair of the Orange County American Chemical Society, the founder of Theory of Joy, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the students and families of Kanaynayan Community Learning Center in the Philippines, and the author of the children's book Chemist Clara Paints the Lake through which she hopes to inspire more children to be curious about the chemical and natural sciences.  At UCI, Erin is an undergraduate research in Professor Jenny Yang's laboratory, where she studies carbon capture with amine molecules. Outside of lab, you can find Erin working with her nonprofit, planning her next vacation, or exploring the outdoors, whether it is hiking, paaddleboarding, or camping. Erin is also one of my dearest friends, and we sat down for a chat over some boba tea after a day in our labs. We talk about the importance of good mentorship, ways undergraduates can get involved in science outreach, and her new Chemist Clara books to be published in the near future! You can learn more about Theory of Joy, Erin's nonprofit here and purchase her Chemist Clara books here. You can also find the link to the ACS Career Consultants website discussed in this episode here. You can follow Erin on twitter and instagram @chemisterinjoy.