souravd@sas.upenn.edu

Sourav obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry working with Prof. Anna Krylov at University of Southern California which focused on theoretical modeling of x-ray spectroscopy in condensed phase. Prior to his graduate studies he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, Howrah, and a Master’s in Chemistry from IIT Kanpur, in India. In the Zahrt group, he works on reaction discovery using machine learning.

pritamr@sas.upenn.edu

Pritam earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Texas A&M University, working with Prof. David Powers on developing amine transfer chemistry utilizing N-aminopyridinium reagents. Before his graduate studies, he obtained an M.S. in Organic Chemistry from IIT Kharagpur, India. In the Zahrt group, he focuses on reaction discovery through high-throughput experimentation (HTE).

ptuert@sas.upenn.edu

Born and raised in the picturesque town of Innsbruck, Austria, Paul pursued a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, followed by a Master's degree, where he investigated the mechanism of Negishi cross-coupling reactions under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Peter Chen. He then joined the group of Prof. Dr. Markus Reiher, earning his Ph.D. in Theoretical Chemistry, focusing on combining quantum chemical reaction network explorations with an experimental reaction robot. Paul joined the Zahrt group as an SNSF Postdoctoral Fellow, where he is attempting to discover new reactivity in photochemistry, guided by machine learning and accelerated by automated experimentation.

Ph.D. Student (5th) slaverty@sas.upenn.edu

Scott is from Staten Island, New York. He graduated from Stony Brook University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, working under the supervision of Dr. Robert Rizzo. That same year, he joined the Department of Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania. From 2021 to 2024, he worked under the supervision of Dr. Jeffery Saven on the computational design of homo-hexamer proteins. In March 2024, he started in the Zahrt Lab, where he pursues his interest in organic chemistry, automation, and machine learning.

Ph.D. Candidate (4th) dpole@sas.upenn.edu

David grew up primarily in Ellicott City, MD. He completed dual degrees in chemistry and economics from the University of Maryland, College Park. While there, he worked in the group of Dr. Osvaldo Gutierrez on computing DFT energy barriers for organometallic reaction pathways. He spent the first 2.5 years of his PhD studies at Penn in the group of Dr. Marisa Kozlowski, developing a novel analytical platform with isotopically labeled substrates. During this period, he was awarded the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. In spring 2024, he moved into the Zahrt group to explore broader interests in automated organic synthesis. Outside the lab, he serves on the executive board of Penn Biotech Group and is passionate about the intersection of business & the life sciences.

Ph.D. Candidate (3rd) adimabua@sas.upenn.edu

Perc is from Nigeria and earned a dual degree in Chemistry and French from Lake Forest College, where she conducted research in both organic and analytical chemistry under Dr. Paul Gladen and Dr. Nilan Shah. After graduating in 2020, she worked as an Associate Analytical Chemist at PPL before joining Penn Chemistry in Fall 2022. In August 2024, Perc transferred from the Winkler Group, where she had worked for 1.5 years, to the Zahrt Group. Outside of research, Perc loves playing basketball, working out, and cooking.

Ph.D. Student (2nd) jcastan@sas.upenn.edu

Jorge was born in Manizales (Caldas) and raised in Yumbo (Valle del Cauca), Colombia. He did his undergraduate studies in Chemistry (2015 - 2020) at Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia, under the supervision of Professor Manuel N. Chaur. Then, in the same research group, he did his master studies in Organic Chemistry (2020 - 2023). In January, 2024, he joined Zahrt's research group at the University of Pennsylvania as a Chemistry PhD student.

Ph.D. Student (2nd) myalucas@sas.upenn.edu

Myaisha was born and raised in Elm City, NC, a small town in eastern North Carolina. In 2023, she graduated from High Point University with a B.S. in Biochemistry. She has previously worked on NSF-REU projects to optimize the organic synthesis of fluorogenic probes and zwitterionic sugars at UF-Scripps and Vanderbilt University respectively. She joined the Department of Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania in the Fall of 2023.

Ph.D. Student (2nd) deniel24@sas.upenn.edu

Deniel was born and raised in Moscow, Russia. After graduating from the IB program at Moscow School #45, he moved to Canada to study at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver. As an undergraduate, Deniel majored in Biochemistry and Chemistry, developing a great interest in computational chemistry. After graduating from UBC, he joined UPenn's Theoretical Chemistry PhD program under Andrew Zahrt, working at the intersection of theoretical chemistry, machine learning, and applied computational organic chemistry. In his free time, he loves "moving heavy circles around" and "kickboxing".

Ph.D. Student (2nd) woal@sas.upenn.edu

Alex is from Lowville, a small town in Northern New York. She earned her Associate of Science degree in Allied Health and Biological Science at SUNY Jefferson (Watertown, NY) in 2020, following with her Bachelor of Science degree in Organic Chemistry from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (Syracuse, NY) in 2022. There she worked with Dr. José-Luis Giner on NIH grant “Sterol Probes of Hedgehog Protein Processing”. She joined the Department of Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania in the Fall of 2023.

M.S. Student nagtode@sas.upenn.edu

Vaishnavi Nagtode is from Mumbai, India. She received her Bachelor of Technology from the Institute of Chemical Technology in India, majoring in Oils, Oleochemicals, and Surfactants Technology. During her studies, she completed an internship at Diversey where she focused on the analytical techniques for quantifying residual oil on spa towels and its removal. While pursuing her undergraduate degree, she authored two papers: "Green Surfactants (Biosurfactants): A Petroleum-Free Substitute for Sustainability - Comparison, Applications, Market, and Future Prospects" and "Emerging applications of nanotechnology in cosmeceutical health science: Latest updates". Currently, she is working as a Master's thesis student in Prof. Zahrt's lab.

Ph.D. Student (1st) jgalindo@sas.upenn.edu

Jolaine was born and raised in Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. She graduated from Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia, with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 2020 and a Master of Science in Organic Chemistry in 2023. During her studies, she conducted research projects under the supervision of Professor Manuel N. Chaur. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania, where she works in Zahrt's research group.

Ph.D. Student (1st) jq2275@sas.upenn.edu

Jin was born and raised in China. He did his undergraduate in Natural Science at Fordham University (2018-2022) and M.S. in Chemical Engineering at Columbia University.(2022-2024), while working in Prof. Jack Norton's research group. In 2025, he joined Zahrt's research group at the University of Pennsylvania as a Chemistry PhD student.

Ph.D. Student (1st) anastas@sas.upenn.edu

Coming Soon!

Chief of Staff

dkhaliun@upenn.edu

Khaliun Dorjmenchim (C’25) is an undergraduate student studying biochemistry. Outside of the lab, Khaliun is a math tutor and advocate for the FGLI (first generation limited income) community. Born and raised in Utah, Khaliun also enjoys hiking, pickleball, and Jazz basketball.

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Kaveen is a third year undergraduate studying chemistry and economics at the University of Pennsylvania. A native of Northeast Philadelphia, Kaveen joined the Zahrt lab in May 2023. In his free time, he enjoys playing the saxophone, running, and playing basketball.

nirbaanm@sas.upenn.edu

Nirbaan is current freshman at Penn who grew up in Plainsboro, New Jersey. He enjoys organic and biochemistry with a particular interest in biochemical mechanisms of action. Apart from biochemistry research, Nirbaan enjoys playing the double bass and electric bass. From playing these instruments in the jazz band to producing jazz-inspired instrumentals on Ableton DAW, he has developed a love for the genre. Nirbaan seeks to pursue his education and career in biochemistry research.

jimenao@seas.upenn.edu

Jimena is a sophomore from Guadalajara, Mexico, studying Chemistry and Computer Science under the VIPER program. She joined the Zahrt lab in January 2024 with a particular interest in computational chemistry and its applications for renewable energy. In her free time, she loves playing tennis and playing the guitar.