Principle Investigator
Rheem Totah
Rheem A. Totah, PhD. Rheem received her Bacholor’s degree from Birzeit University in Palestine and her PhD from the University of Kansas in Lawrence Kansas under the supervision of Dr. Robert Hanzlik. As a result, she is a Jayhawk and a Chief’s fan. Her PhD thesis focused on utilizing peroxidases as model systems to study the mechanism of cytochrome P450 mediated N-dealkylations. She then moved to Seattle, WA where she was an Elmer and Joy Plein Fellow for Excellence in Pharmacy Education and worked under the direction of Dr. Allan Rettie and Kenneth Thummel. She is currently an Associate Professor in the Medicinal Chemistry Department in the School of Pharmacy, Adjunct Associate Professor in Oral Biology, School of dentistry and an investigator at the Cardiovascular Health Research Unit. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, a good book and gummy bears.
Research Scientist
Maxwell Zeigler
Maxwell received his Bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and his PhD in chemistry from the University of Washington. Max’s work focuses on the relationship between cardiovascular health outcomes and arachidonic acid metabolites in blood as well as the effects of endogenous H2S on cardiovascular health and diabetes. In his free time, he enjoys running, cycling, rock climbing, and spending time with his wife and children.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Drake Russell
Drake is interested in endogenous gasotransmitters and how they influence cardiovascular health. Originally from North Idaho, he completed his undergraduate at the University of Washington receiving a B.S. in Biochemistry and a B.A. in Medical Anthropology. Outside of lab Drake enjoys DIY projects and sampling a new hobby every other month.
Graduate Students
Alex Wiley
2023-2024 Magnuson Scholar
Alex graduated from Black Hills State University with a B.S. in Chemistry and Physical Science in 2019. She has eclectic interests but all relate back to different disease states in the human body. Her thesis work focuses on elucidating the role of a complex G-protein-coupled receptor system in cardiovascular disease and further targeting this system with novel designed cyclic peptides. Outside of work, she enjoys reading and doing anything active. Her favorite food is Cheetos.
Marvin Chau
Marvin is originally from Southern California and received his B.S. in Chemistry from UC San Diego. He is currently investigating TMT1A/1B with genetic tools to discover their roles in cancer progression, particularly cancer types characterized by a fatty deposition. Both enzymes target lipid droplets and both are a part of the mammalian lipid droplet proteome. Marvin aims to figure out why this is important in hepatocellular carcinoma and renal cell carcinoma. Outside of the lab, Marvin enjoys hiking, snowboarding, kayaking, watching shows, and playing video games.
Jade Yang
Jade graduated from University of Washington with a B.S. in Biochemistry. As a second year graduate student, Jade is interested in researching the impact of CYP2J2 metabolites in mediating biological processes in disease like angiogenesis. In her free time, Jade enjoys ceramics, film photography, checking out cafes/coffee shops.
Megan Ling
Megan graduated from UC San Diego with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Chemistry. After living in California all her life, she is excited to explore more of Washington’s parks and scenery. She hopes to research drug metabolism and relate her research to life-threatening diseases. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading fiction, and doing science in the kitchen (cooking and baking)!
Kailun (Harrison) Hu
Harrison completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Washington, earning a B.S. in Biochemistry. As a first-year graduate student, Harrison aims to utilize tools from enzymology and analytical chemistry to conduct research aimed at mitigating drug side effects. Outside of the lab, he is a member of the UW Kendo Club. He also likes watching movies and playing video games.
Rotating Graduate Students
Undergraduate Students
Alison Fullington
Mary Gates Research Scholarship, 2023
WSU SURF, 2023
Allison is a senior majoring in Chemistry. Her project focuses on working with ferroptosis and seeing how APJ and Apelin can inhibit it. After graduation, she hopes to attend graduate school. In her free time, Allison loves to cook, read, and spend time with friends.
Suhyeon Kim
Suhyeon is a senior majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Modern Hebrew. In the lab, she focuses on CSE/CBS knockdown with HepG2 treated with siRNA as well as measuring cell viability with prestoblue and cck-8. Suhyeon is also gaining lab experiences from different areas to find the cause and treatment of keratoconus in the future. After graduation, she plans on working and eventually attending graduate school. When she is not in the lab, you can find Suhyeon hanging out with friends, jogging, or watching the sunset.
Carson Stafford
Mary Gates Research Scholarship, 2024
Carson is a senior majoring in both Chemistry and Biochemistry. His project focuses on methyltransferases. After graduation, he hopes to attend graduate school and earn a PhD. Outside of the lab, Carson enjoys mountain biking.
Eileen Son
Eileen is a junior majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Data Science. Her project focuses on investing the protective roles of hydrogen sulfide and methanethiol against cellular stress in hepatic cells and ventricular cardiomyocytes. After graduating, she hopes to attend medical school and become a pediatrician. Outside of the lab, Eileen enjoys spending time with her family and friends, binging shows, and improving her design skills.
Rivcka Madhani
Rivcka is a sophomore majoring in Biochemistry. Her project focuses on CYP 2J2 inhibition. She is interested in studying drug interactions and metabolic mechanisms. Rivcka hopes to attend graduate school to earn a masters in computational and applied chemistry. In her free time, Rivcka enjoys reading, watching F1 and hockey, exploring the city, discovering new restaurants, and drinking good coffee.