Faculty/Staff – Center for Molecular Engineering (CME)

Research Team

Mikell Paige

I am serving as Director of the Center for Molecular Engineering with the goal of advancing the molecular sciences at Mason.

My research interests include drug discovery for pulmonary inflammation (COPD, emphysema), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, viral infections, and bacterial infections. My work involves the design, synthesis, and chemical characterization of small molecules for modulating enzyme targets.

Suman Alishetty

My research involves the design of novel lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) in a multidisciplinary effort to develop mRNA delivery systems.

Applications of this technology include improving mRNA-based vaccines consisting of mRNAs encapsulated within LNPs that encode the target antigen. Key techniques we use include chemical synthesis of novel lipids, small molecule-biomolecule conjugation chemistry, chemical modification methods, and chemical analysis of polymers, lipids, and conjugates related to nucleic acid delivery systems.

I collaborate with structural and physical chemists for design, fabrication, and molecular biologists for the characterization of the LNPs in cells and animal models.

Kyung Hyeon Lee

I am currently working as an assistant professor at George Mason University and a research fellow at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

My work is in the field of drug discovery including protein design and engineering, enzymology, and structural biology using X-ray crystallography. My doctoral work was in the enzyme kinetics and structure determination of the leukotriene A4 hydrolase (LTA4H) enzyme. I developed a method for the complete kinetic characterization of the aminopeptidase function of LTA4H and solved several X-ray crystal structures deposited on the wwPDB.

My current research involves the modification of proteins to study the function and properties of protein conjugates using a spectrophotometry, ITC, and DSC among other structural characterization techniques.

Greg Petruncio

My research interests include total synthesis of homoseongomycin, late-stage derivatizations of FK506/tacrolimus, synthesis of small-molecule VEEV inhibitors, and the development of novel synthetic methodologies.

I specialize in designing synthetic routes, troubleshooting failed reactions, chromatography, and structure elucidation.

Michael Girgis

My research involves the use of mass spectrometry (MS) to study complex biological mixtures. WE utilize cutting-edge instruments to include a SCIEX HPLC/QTRAP, UPLC/QTOF-MS, and Thermo UPLC/orbitrap-MS.

My experience in mass spectrometry methods include the use of instrumentations to include the Bruker Ion Mobility timsTOF, Waters high-resolution TOF, and Thermo’s QExactive orbitrap instruments.

My expertise is in developing novel MS-based bio-analytical methods and derivatization strategies. I harness these innovative approaches to target endogenous compounds and drug metabolites within complex bio-fluids.

Kenneth Foreman

Information coming soon.

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