Members
2017 Summer
Professor Thomas J. Meade
Principle Investigator
- Postdoctoral Fellow CalTech 1988-1990
- NIH Fellow Harvard Medical School 1985-1987
- Ph.D.: The Ohio State University 1985
Postdoctoral researchers
Dr. Tyler Whittemore
tyler.whittemore@northwestern.edu
- Ph.D. The Ohio State University, 2018
- B.S. Chemistry, The University of New York Geneseo 2012
My project focuses on light-activating cobalt schiff base prodrug complexes and delivering these bioactive molecules using nanoscale platfroms as well as activating these prodrugs using the strategies of energy and electron transfer.
T32 NIH Cancer in Nanotechnology Trainee
Graduate students
Michael Caldwell
michaelcaldwell2013@u.northwestern.edu
- B.S. Chemistry, Michigan State University, 2013
My research involves the synthesis of MRI probes that target the progesterone and estrogen receptors. These receptors have been implicated in numerous important pathways and diseases, most notably in breast cancer, and provide clinically relevant handles for tumor imaging and biopsy-free histology.
Chemistry of Life Processes Institute Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, 2014, 2015
NIGMS Career Development Conference at Vanderbilt University, 2015
Alumnae Grant, Management for Scientists and Engineers Program, 2017
Andrew Johnson
andrewjohnson2015@u.northwestern.edu
- B.A. Chemistry, Central College, 2015
My research involves the use of nanoparticles as a delivery method for MR contrast agents and Cobalt Schiff base complexes. Currently I am developing targeted nanoconstructs that can deliver MR contrast agents to tumor cells in a receptor expression dependent manner.
National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Honorable Mention, 2016
Alumnae Grant, 2018
Christopher Brue
- B.S. Chemistry and History, The Ohio State University, 2015
My research involves the development and characterization of cobalt-schiff base complexes to be used as potential therapeutics for Altzheimer’s Disease.
Graduate Teaching Fellow 2018-2019
Shaunna McLeod
shaunnamcleod2015@u.northwestern.edu
- B.S. Chemistry and B.A. Mathematics, State University of New York at Buffalo, 2015
My research focuses on improving the sensitivity of Gd(III) MRI contrast agents for molecular imaging applications through two approaches. The first strategy reduces the background signal of activatable agents by modulating the electronic relaxation time (T1e) of Gd(III), accomplished through magnetic coupling interactions. The second strategy utilizes carbon nanodiamonds as a platform for nanoconaugate contrast agents.
National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship, 2017
Teaching Certificate Program 2017-2018
Graduate Teaching Fellow 2018-2019
Megan Kaster
megankaster2022@u.northwestern.edu
- B.S. Chemistry (Summa Cum Laude), Oakland University, 2017
My research interests are focused on the development of lanthanide-based MR-shift probes. In addition, I am developing bioactivated nanoparticle MR imaging constructs with gold and carbon nanoparticles.
Chemistry of Life Processes Institute Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, 2018
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA F31), 2018
Meghan Ward
meghanward2022@u.northwestern.edu
- B.S. (Suma Cum Laude) Chemistry, Auburn University, 2017
My research focuses on synthetic medications to our family of Co(III)-Schiff base transcription factor inhibitors to generate a platform synthon.
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA F31), 2018
National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Honorable Mention, 2019
Casey Adams
CaseyAdams2022@u.northwestern.edu
- B.A. (Summa Cum Laude), College of the Holy Cross, 2017
I am interested in the development of bioactivated MR contrast agents. I am currently working on a calcium activated contrast agent for non-invasive neuronal imaging.
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA F31), 2018
Hao Li
- M.S. Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 2016
- B.S. Chemistry (Magna Cum Laude), University of California, Irvine, 2014
The goal of my main project is to develop dual activatable MR and fluorescent probes that will enable the sensitive and selective detection of biomarkers in vivo via dual modality imaging. This approach synergistically combines the deep-tissue penetration of MRI and the high sensitivity of fluorescence imaging.
Alumnae Grant, 2019
Undergraduate researchers
Olivia Pritchard
Olivia is a second year biology student, expected to graduate in 2021. She started working in the lab in the fall of 2018 with postdoctoral researcher Tyler Whittemore on light-activated cobalt(III)-schiff base complexes.
Emma Herzog
Emma is a third year chemistry student, expecting to graduate in 2020. She started working in the lab in the summer of 2018 with graduate student Chris Brue on the impact cobalt(III)-schiff base complexes have un amyloid beta aggregation and toxicity in Alzheimer’s disease.
Lauren Lang
Lauren is a chemistry and ISP undergraduate student. She started working in the lab in fall 2018 with graduate student Shaunna McLeod on the design of electronic relaxation time modulated MRI contrast agents.
Olivia Pura
Olivia is a third year biology student, with a minor in Slavic Languages, expected to graduate in 2020. She began research in the lab in the fall of 2018 with graduate student Meghan Ward working toward intracellular delivery of Co(III)-Sb transcription factor inhibitors.
Chris Villota
Chris Villota is a third year chemistry student expecting to graduate in 2020. He started working in the lab in winter of 2019 with graduate student Andrew Johnson on developing targeted nanoconstructs for MR contrast enhancement of tumor cells.