Shivudu Godhulayyagari

Shivudu completed his Ph.D. in Biotechnology at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), India. He also worked as a visiting scholar at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Copenhagen. Shivudu's expertise is in enzymology, molecular biology, and cell culture techniques. In his postdoctoral training, Shivudu aims to develop next-generation DNA and protein based probes that allow the detection and study of molecules in living cells. Outside of science, he enjoys music, cooking, jogging, playing chess, cricket, and traveling the world.

Subrata Pandit

Subrata received his Ph.D. in Chemistry (2021) from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore under the mentorship of Dr. Mrinmoy De. His dissertation was focused on the synthesis and functionalization of carbon and sulfur-based nanomaterials, with an emphasis on how their structures can be tuned for molecular recognition. Subrata is developing novel methods of characterizing the activity of proteases dysregulated in diseases.

Seungheon Lee

Seungheon received his B.S. in Nanoscience and Engineering from Inje University in 2017 and M.S. in Chemistry from Gyeongsang National University in 2019. He joined the Samanta Laboratory in the Fall 2021. He is currently interested in the synthesis of materials based on DNA and proteins for live-cell chemical analysis. In his free time, he enjoys swimming and plogging for the environment. Check out Seungheon's website to learn more about him!

Dylan Snider

Dylan is a chemistry graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin. He is originally from Wisconsin where he also completed his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Dylan is currently developing innovative chemical probes for biological and cellular analysis. He is interested in research involving the detection of protease activity in live cells for use in disease screening. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, oil painting, and tending to his plants.

Imonkanta Phukan

Imon joined The Samanta Laboratory in Fall 2022 after completing her M.Sc. in Chemistry from Arya Vidyapeeth College at Gauhati University. She completed her B.Sc. in Chemistry from Handique Girl’s College at Gauhati University in 2020. Imon hails from a northeastern state of India, Assam. In The Samanta laboratory, her research focuses on synthesizing hybrid DNA-protein structures. Outside of research, she enjoys traveling, listening to music, and volunteering in social service activities. She is an alumna of YLESA and Women in STEM projects of the US Embassy in India.

Atri Bhattacharya

Atri completed her dual BS-MS degree in Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal in 2022. In her final year, she worked on the characterization of novel fluorogenic probes for detecting potential tumor biomarkers under the guidance of Dr. Apurba Lal Koner. She joined The Samanta Laboratory in Fall 2022. She is currently trying to detect the activity of proteases, which are often dysregulated in various diseases, using synthetic and analytical techniques. In her free time, she likes cooking, dancing, and reading novels.

Gabriel Pohlman

Gabriel graduated from Texas State University with a dual bachelor's in chemistry and computer science. He interested in developing new tools and techniques for the detection of diseases. His hobbies are reading, hiking, and board/card games.

Sara Nixon

Sara received her B.A. in Chemistry and Economics from Kalamazoo College in 2020. She is interested in the development of DNA-based probes to detect compounds in cells. In her free time Sara enjoys hiking, reading, and playing video games.

Soumyashree Sahoo

Soumyashree completed her B.S. and M.S. from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore with a major in Chemistry and a minor in Biology in 2023. She joined The Samanta Laboratory in Fall 2023. She is from Odisha, India. As an undergrad, she worked on designing and deciphering the antibacterial activity of the functionalized nanomaterials under the supervision of Prof. Mrinmoy De. During her M.S., she worked on a peptide functionalized phthalocyanine for the photoacoustic imaging of pancreatic cancer with Dr. Sanhita Sinharay. Currently, she is developing nanoprobes based on DNA and peptides which can be used to detect disease markers intracellularly. In her free time, she likes to sketch and to cook new dishes.

Neha Satish

Neha graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S in Biochemistry and research honors from UT Dallas in December 2023. Her undergraduate research focused on the surface modification of dendrimers for the slow release of active ingredients under the direction of Dr. Jeremiah Gassensmith. She is a graduate student at The University of Texas at Austin pursuing a PhD in Chemistry. She is currently interested in the growing field of chemical biology and her current research focuses on the intracellular delivery of antibodies. Outside of the lab, she enjoys going on runs and pilates!

Gabriel Gilman

Gabriel graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a bachelor's degree in chemistry. In his final year, he worked under the guidance of Dr. Alex Ayzner on purifying and characterizing novel polymers for use in light-harvesting applications. Gabriel is passionate about developing new tools and techniques for detecting dysregulated protease activity. In his free time, he enjoys running, baking, and knitting.

Yuanjie Sun

Yuanjie is originally from China and obtained her B.S. in Chemistry from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and her M.Sc. in Chemistry from Tsinghua University. She is interested in exploring new possibilities for DNA materials in bioapplications such as sensing and diagnostics. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, listening to music, and sleeping.

Shria Chatterjee

Shria was born and raised in India. She completed her Bachelor's degree from Presidency University in 2021 and her Master's degree from the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Kolkata, in 2023. During her Master's, she worked on probing intra-chain hydrogen bonding of hetero-telechelic polyurethanes using FRET as a spectroscopic tool. Shria joined the Samanta Laboratory in 2024 and is currently interested in the emerging field of chemical biology. Outside the lab, she enjoys reciting poems, reading novels, and traveling, especially to the mountains.

Sanjeev Medam

Sanjeev is an undergraduate student pursuing a B.S.A in Neuroscience with a minor in Ethics and Leadership in Healthcare at the University of Texas at Austin. After his time at UT, he hopes to attend medical school and pursue a career in healthcare. He is interested in developing hybrid DNA-protein structures that target various types of cells. Sanjeev is from Austin, Texas and enjoys hanging out with friends, dancing, and traveling.

Raaz Patel

Raaz is an undergraduate student in the Health Science Scholars Honors Program majoring in Chemistry with a certificate in Social Inequality, Health & Policy at the University of Texas at Austin with aspirations to attend Medical School after his undergraduate. He is interested in research in chemical biology and detecting protease activity as well as being involved in both clinical and laboratory research. Raaz is from Houston, Texas and loves to laugh, have fun, watch movies, and hang out with friends.

Siri Boinapalli

Siri is an undergraduate student majoring in Business and pursuing the Pre-Health Professions Certificate at the University of Texas at Austin. After her time at UT, she aims to attend medical school and pursue a career as a physician. She is interested in the detection of protease activity which can lead to more precise and earlier recognition of cancers and diseases. Siri is from Dallas, Texas and enjoys traveling, baking, and hanging out with friends.

Ishita Dua

Ishita is an undergraduate student in the Polymathic Scholars Honors Program majoring in Biochemistry with a minor in Business Administration at the University of Texas at Austin with aspirations to attend medical school after her undergraduate. She is interested in exploring chemical biology research and is excited to learn through her experiences in the lab. She enjoys trying new foods and coffee shops, working out, and winding down with a good book!

Haren Cherivi

Haren is an undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. in Neuroscience at the University of Texas at Austin. He is passionate about translational research at the intersection of biochemistry and medicine, with a particular focus on protease detection and its clinical applications. His interests lie in developing diagnostic tools that enhance early disease detection, including cancer and COVID-19. Haren is eager to contribute to innovative research and deepen his understanding of medical advancements. He is from Texas and enjoys learning about medicine, making bad jokes, and loves annoying his friends.

Nishi Soni

Nishi is an undergraduate student pursuing a major in Neuroscience at The University of Texas at Austin. She hopes to attend medical school after graduation to pursue a career as a physician. Nishi is interested in using DNA nanostructures to detect disease-related molecules. Nishi is from Dallas, Texas and enjoys trying new coffee shops, dancing, and painting.

Shadler Nguyen

Mackenzie Coffin

Ryan Khetan

Rupali Chowdhry

Brian Armijo

Nikith Pingili

Will Hurley

Pramati Madugula

Jackson Jacobi

Jasmine Lu

Sarah Ravdel

Steven Lu

Carolyn Waldie

Devna Cherukuru

Wilson Chao

Rodger Rivera

Panhapich Chea