Lab Members

CURRENT MEMBERS

 

Principal Investigator

Yulia V. Gerasimova

Dr. Gerasimova has graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry from Novosibirsk State University (Russia) and with a PhD in Bioorganic Chemistry from the Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. She joined the University of Central Florida in 2010 for her Postdoctoral Training and then served as an Adjunct Lecturer and Visiting Assistant Professor at the UCF Chemistry Department. In 2016, Dr. Gerasimova started her independent research at UCF as an Assistant Professor, and she was promoted to an Associate Professor in 2022.

 

Graduate Students

A woman with straight, light brown hair and a light sweater sits in a restaurant with framed black-and-white photos on the wall and green plants behind her. Justine Monsalve

Chemistry PhD Student

Justine holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Berry College and a M.S. in Chemistry from UNC Chapel Hill. Previously, Justine worked as a Senior Scientist at GSK to develop tapinarof (Vtama), and as an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Seminole State College. Justine’s research focus is developing multicomponent deoxyribozyme assays to interrogate single nucleotide substitutions in nucleic acid sequences. Justine looks forward to having her own research group as a university professor.

A simple outline of a generic user icon featuring a circle for a head and curved lines suggesting shoulders within a square frame. Harun Kapidzic

Chemistry PhD Student

Harun has graduated from UCF with a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences and a minor in Chemistry. Harun’s research interests are in the field of aptamers, with an emphasis on fluorescent light-up aptamers and their function as signal reporters in biosensing assays. Upon graduation, Harun plans to continue to work in academia as a researcher.

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Shaleh Alazmi

Chemistry Master Student

Shaleh holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Al-Qassim University (Saudi Arabia). He is currently working on optimization of DNA fluorescent light-up aptamers for label-free biosensing applications. Shaleh plans to pursue a research-driven career in biosensing and molecular diagnostics, leveraging nucleic acid technologies.

 

Undergraduate Students

A person with curly dark hair, wearing a black top, dangling earrings, and a necklace, smiles at the camera against a plain light background. Laila Ghasseminia

Forensic Science

Laila is working on her B.S. in Forensic Science on the Biochemistry track. Her research project involves developing a molecular deoxyribozyme-based fluorescent assay for the detection of clinically relevant mycobacteria. Laila plans to go medical school and specialize in Pathology.

A woman with long curly hair wearing a white and black striped shirt sits indoors in front of shelves and a doorway, smiling slightly at the camera.AnnaMarie Knowles

Chemistry/Biochemistry

AnnaMarie is completing her B.S. in Chemistry on the Biochemistry track. Her research focuses on developing multicomponent hybridization probes using slit light-up aptamers for sequence-selective nucleic detection. After graduating, she will continue her studies in the Integrated Biomedical Sciences PhD program focusing on microbiology at the University of Kentucky. AnnaMarie hopes to become a college professor and combine her passion for teaching with a research-driven career in the sciences.

A young woman wearing a white and black striped shirt stands outside in sunlight, with large white columns and steps in the background.Vera Zavadskaya

Chemistry/Biochemistry

Vera is completing her B.S. in Chemistry. She is currently developing a molecular assay to detect single nucleotide substitutions in potential molecular markers for cancer diagnostics. Vera is planning on getting a PhD in Chemistry.

 

A person stands and smiles in front of a railing with a large waterfall and mist in the background on a sunny day.Samuel Veleke

Chemistry/Biochemistry

Samuel is working on his B.S. in Biochemistry. In the lab, he is involved in the development of molecular diagnostic assays for cancer diagnostics. Samuel plans to earn a PhD in Biochemistry or a related field.

 

A young woman with long brown hair wearing a yellow-green collared shirt smiles at the camera outdoors, with a blurred green background.Andrea Hernandez Gomez

Chemistry/Biochemistry

Andrea is an undergraduate student dual majoring in Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences. She participated in a summer research internship at MIT, focusing on the osteogenic properties of gold nanocolumn-coated titanium surfaces. Currently, she is working on selection of light up aptamers enhancing fluorescence of red emitters using Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX). Andrea aspires to become a physician who integrates research with translational medicine to bridge the gap between scientific research and patient care.

A simple outline of a generic user icon featuring a circle for a head and curved lines suggesting shoulders within a square frame.Marina Tsukanova

Chemistry

Marina is in the process of getting her B.S. in Chemistry on the Biochemistry track. She is pursuing her Honors Undergraduate Thesis on the structure-function relationship of fluorescent light-up aptamers. After graduation, Marina plans to obtain a Master’s degree in Biochemistry in the medicinal chemistry field.

A simple outline of a generic user icon featuring a circle for a head and curved lines suggesting shoulders within a square frame.Evangelia Brisby

Forensic Science

Evangelia is doing her internship in the lab. She a part of the team working on the development of molecular diagnostic assays for cancer diagnostics.

ALUMNI

Former Postdoctoral Scholars

Dr. Bidhan C. Dhar – currently a Research Scientist at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
Dr. Evgeny S. Morozkin – currently at the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Russia

Former Graduate Advisees

PhD in Chemistry

  • Dr. Ryan P. Connelly – currently at Meso Scale Diagnostics

Master’s in Chemistry

  • Harun Kapidzic – currently a PhD student at the University of Central Florida
  • Abryana Fergus – currently at Meso Scale Diagnostics.
  • Ryan J. Sapia – currently a PhD student at the Ohio State University
  • Mark A. Reed
  • Adam J. Reed – currently a PhD student at the Ohio State University

Former Undergraduate Advisees

Bachelor’s in Chemistry

  • Christopher Linter
  • Mark Richards
  • Nicholas Raddi
  • Pedro Madalozzo – Honors Undergraduate Thesis; accepted into the PhD program at Yale University
  • Gavin Dunton
  • Anwar Rahaman
  • Nolan Bennett
  • Kazuma Rodriguez
  • Shannon Beaton – Honors Undergraduate Thesis
  • Rohit Karnati – Honors in the Major
  • Tamar Yishay – Honors in the Major
  • Mary Gomez
  • Tyler Lawson
  • Nicholas Mandel – currently a PhD student at Tufts University
  • Courtney Failla
  • Emily Freer
  • Shane Palmer – currently at Molecular Diagnostic 
  • Liam Canning
  • Colin Campbell – currently a PhD student at the University of Utah
  • Kendra Nixon
  • Patricia Rodriguez Sanchez
  • Thomas Berhane
  • Serena Farnell – Pharmacy Intern
  • Renan Paredes
  • Charles Verduzco – PharmD
  • Maithi Tran –  Pharmacy Resident

Bachelor’s in Biology

  • Sheila Solarez – Honors in the Major
    Allison Williams

Bachelor’s in Forensic Science

  • Jiyeong Hong
  • Velda Iskandar

Bachelor’s in Biomedical Sciences

  • Jaehyun Ahn
  • Hafsa Ali
  • Jack Mordeson – Honors Undergraduate Thesis
  • Michael Greenberg – Honors Undergraduate Thesis, Honors in the Major
  • Charles Dowis – Honors in the Major
  • Anna Balenko
  • Silvana Sidhom
  • Rebecca Basch
  • Alexander Mabel

Bachelor’s in Health Sciences

  • Dima Mutawe
  • Nicole Abedrabbo