PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Yang Hai, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of California, Santa Barbara
B.S. Chemistry, Peking University, 2011
Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 2016
LSRF Postdoctoral Fellow, UCLA, 2020
Email: hai[AT]chem.ucsb.edu
Postdoctoral Scholars
Jinmin Gao
Ph.D. Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, CAS (2021)
M.S. Institute of Microbiology, CAS (2017)
B.S. Ocean University of China, (2014)
Research Interests: Natural product biosynthesis and biocatalysis
Favorite Enzyme: Metalloenzyme
Science Hero: Emily Balskus
Fun Fact: Jinmin likes running. She has participated in several half marathons. She likes to tell lame jokes.
Shaonan Liu
Ph.D. Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, CAS (2021)
M.S. Sun Yat-sen University (2017)
B.S. Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (2014)
Research Interests: Natural product biosynthesis
Favorite Enzyme: Transmethylase
Science Hero: R. B. Woodward
Fun Fact: Shaonan likes eating delicious food.
Graduate Students
Darwin Lara (22′, BMSE)
B.S. University of California Santa Barbara, (2022)
Research Interest: Drug design and synthetic chemistry
Favorite Enzyme: Creatine Kinase
Science Hero: Elizabeth S. Sattely
Fun Fact: Darwin likes watching anime.
Alex Kyranos (22′, Chem&Biochem)
Zainab Batool (22′, Chem&Biochem)
Undergraduate Students
Yuki Xu (Class of 2024, Biology Major)
Research Interest: Biomedical Science
Favorite Enzyme: Cyclin-Dependent Kinase (CDK)
Science Hero: Katalin Kariko
Fun Fact: Yuki raises a little parrot and his name is Dino because Yuki believes all birds are dinosaurs.
Christopher Perucho (Class of 2023, Biochemistry Major)
Research Interest: Biomedical/Bioinformatic
Favorite Enzyme: bilirubin-UGG
Science Hero: Lily Min (first chemistry teacher)
Fun Fact: Chris liked to skateboard and collect antiques!
Silin Guo (Class of 2025, Chemistry and Mathematics double Major)
Research Interest: Pharmaceutics and biomaterials.
Favorite Enzyme: Telomerase
Science Hero: Leonardo da Vinci
Fun Fact: Silin plays some instruments, but always wants to try something new.
Group alumni:
Ryan Cheng (Biology major, Class of 2024).
Chen Zhou (Chem Major, Class of 2023), leaving for grad school at Northwestern University.
Xu Shay He (Research Assistant, 2022-2023), leaving for grad school at Caltech.
Joey Zhao (Undergraduate student, 2022-2023)
Jasper Moh (Biochem, Class of 2021, leaving for grad school at JHU )
Chris Yeh (Pharm Major, Class of 2021), leaving for grad school at UC Irvine.
Zhongrui Li (Research Assistant, 2020-2021), leaving for grad school at TSRI
Benjamin Jones (Graduate student, 2021)
Yan Jin (Graduate student, 2021).
Asish Chacko (Graduate student, 2021)
Zixuan Jiang (Undergraduate student, 2020-2021)
Chloe Reavill (Undergraduate student, 2021)
Matthew Hurtado (Undergraduate student, 2021)
Wendy Wang (Undergraduate student, 2021)
Darwin Lara (Chem Major, Class of 2022; graduate student at UCSB)
Hai Lab UCSB 