Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
Sudeshna Roy
About Sudeshna
Sudeshna is the fundraiser, cheerleader, and the chief executive officer of The Roy Laboratory. She thinks and dreams about making new discoveries and often in the company of caffeine and Spotify! She enjoys spending time and mentoring her students. Outside the lab, she enjoys hiking, exploring new places, savoring new cuisines, and listening to music.
Postdoctoral Scholars
University in Leuven, Belgium
About Sampad
Publications
Jana, S.; Thomas, J.; Dehaen, W. “A One-Pot Procedure for the Synthesis of “Click-Ready” Triazoles from Ketones” J. Org. Chem. 2016, 81, 12426.
Jana, S.; Iram, S.; Thomas, J.; Liekens, S.; Dehaen, W. “Synthesis and anticancer activity evaluation of novel (aza)artemisinin derivatives” Med. Chem. 2017, 25, 3671.
Jana, S.; Iram S.; Thomas, J.; Hayat, M. Q.; Pannecouque, C.; Dehaen, W. “Application of the Triazolization Reaction to Afford Dihydroartemisinin Derivatives with Anti-HIV Activity” Molecules 2017, 22, 303.
Thomas, J*.; Jana, S*.; Liekens, S.; Dehaen, W. “A single-step acid catalyzed reaction for rapid assembly of NH-1,2,3-triazoles” Commun. 2016, 52, 9236. *equal contribution
Thomas, J.; Jana, S.; Sonawane, M.; Fiey. B.; Balzarini, J.; Liekens, S.; Dehaen, W. “A New Four-Component Reaction Involving Michael Addition and Gewald Reaction, Leading to Diverse Biologically Active 2-Aminothiophenes” Org. Biomol. Chem. 2017, 15, 3892.
Thomas, J.; Jana, S.; John, J.; Liekens, S.; Dehaen, W. “A General Metal-Free Route Towards the Synthesis of 1,2,3-Triazoles from Readily Available Primary Amines and Ketones” Commun. 2016, 52, 2885.
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Graduate Students
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Sweta AdhikariM.S. Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2019; Next Position: Research Chemist, Obiter Research
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Tomayo Berida5th year PhD student
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Hamdan AlrefaeiM.S. Pharmaceutical Sciences
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Mario Djugovski3rd year PhD student
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Destinee Manning2nd year PhD student
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Tzu-Yu Huang2nd year PhD student
If you want to shine like a sun, first burn like a sun.
Sweta Adhikari
University of Mississippi
About Sweta
Sweta comes from the roof of the world, Nepal, where the Mt. Everest resides. After high school, Sweta ventured all the way to the US where she went to the University of Mississippi. While there, she worked in an organic synthesis lab under Dr. Davita Watkins on the modification of an HDAC inhibitor to increase in its therapeutic potential. Outside the lab, Sweta enjoys singing R&B, eating out, and traveling new places.
Sweta graduate with an M.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2019.
Next Position
“If we don’t take the risk failing we don’t get the chance to succeed” — John Mason
Tomayo Berida
University of Ibadan, Nigeria
About Tomayo
Tomayo was born and raised in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation. He received his Bachelor of Pharmacy degree and Master of Science in Pharmacognosy degree from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. His major interest is in the isolation, characterization, and testing of natural agents with anti-infective and neuroprotective properties. His desire to search for solutions to human health challenges locked up in natural agents led him to join the Roy laboratory as a graduate student. He will be joining the infectious diseases team in search of novel narrow-spectrum antibacterials. His pastime includes playing the guitar, listening to the news, and walking.
Hamdan Alrefaei
Al-Jouf University, Saudi Arabia
About Hmadan
Hamdan graduated with MS in Pharmaceutical sciences with an emphasis on Medicinal Chemistry in December 2021.
" Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." –– Winston S. Churchill
Mario Djugovski
The Mississippi University of Women, Columbus
About Mario
Mario was born and raised in Skopje, Macedonia, a small country on the Balkan peninsula full of wonders. He first came to the States as an exchange student during his senior year of high school and while finishing my studies he decided to apply to a few colleges to continue his undergraduate studies in the States as well. I received my Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from The Mississippi University for Women (The W). His interests include the improvement of old and finding new therapeutic agents that will help and be used in drug discovery.
Destinee Manning
University of the Ozarks, Clarksville, AR
About Destinee
Tzu-Yu Huang
About Tzu
“If we don’t take the risk failing we don’t get the chance to succeed” — John Mason
Tomayo Berida
University of Ibadan, Nigeria
About Tomayo
Tomayo was born and raised in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation. He received his Bachelor of Pharmacy degree and Master of Science in Pharmacognosy degree from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. His major interest is in the isolation, characterization, and testing of natural agents with anti-infective and neuroprotective properties. His desire to search for solutions to human health challenges locked up in natural agents led him to join the Roy laboratory as a graduate student. He will be joining the infectious diseases team in search of novel narrow-spectrum antibacterials. His pastime includes playing the guitar, listening to the news, and walking.
Undergraduate Students
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Work for a cause, not for applause. Live life to express, not to impress. Don't strive to make your presence noticed, just make your absence felt.
Vu Bui
University of Mississippi
About Vu
This quote is Vu Bui’s life mantra. Since his birth at Biloxi, Mississippi, he strives to follow this phrase and he strives to accomplish his goals/dream. His life goal is to complete medical school and become a medical doctor in the field of pediatrics. Another goal of his is to travel and do as much good in the world as he can.
After graduating from Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Vu went to study at The University of Mississippi. Currently, he is a 3rd-year undergraduate majoring in B.S. Biology. During his years at Ole Miss, he volunteered at Baptist Hospital, became an Emergency Medical First Responder, and worked as part of the E-board of the Vietnamese Student Association. His time with these associations made him into a leader and cemented his dream of becoming a medical doctor.
In his spare time, Vu enjoys singing, dancing and hanging out with his friends. He would occasionally go back home to Florida and go relax at the beaches with his family.
Vu spent 2 semesters working in the Roy lab learning about the techniques in synthetic organic chemistry and also helping in the lab set up. Good luck on the next step chapter of your career!
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Seek to be worth knowing rather than to be well known.
Lily Nguyen
University of Mississippi
About Lily
Lily is also active in the Vietnamese Student Association in her role as secretary as well as the American Medical Student Association. She is eager and excited to be working the Roy Laboratory and hopes to gain much knowledge during the duration of her research.
Lily spent 2 semesters in the Roy laboratory doing research on the tuberculosis project. Good luck with your future endeavors, Lily!
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"Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgment." --Rita Mae Brown
Matt Saucier
University of Mississippi
About Matt
Next Position
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“Live as if you were to die tomorrow, learn as if you were to live forever”—Mahatma Gandhi
Peggy McCluggage
University of Mississippi
About Peggy
Since the time she was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, Peggy has had a passion for learning and for people. Peggy moved to Columbia, Tennessee early in her life and graduated from Columbia Central High School in 2016. She then came to Ole Miss to pursue a career in the medical field but found many more opportunities. Peggy was a mentor for the Early Entry Pharmacy program, is involved with the Honors College, and is now ready to be a part of the Roy Laboratory.
Outside of school, Peggy enjoys Ole Miss football and basketball, visiting her family and dog in Tennessee, and being around friends. Additionally, she enjoys doing art and hopes to find inspiration by seeing as much of the world and its art as possible.
Next Position
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It always seems impossible until it's done.
Galina Ostrovsky
University of Mississippi
About Galina
Born in Connecticut but raised in Mississippi, Galina Ostrovsky graduated from St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Ridgeland, Mississippi and is currently a third-year undergraduate at the University of Mississippi. Combining her passions for science and foreign languages, Galina is pursuing majors in Biochemistry and Spanish as well as a minor in Biology. She is in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and hopes to attend medical school after graduating. Beyond studying and researching, Galina serves as an Ole Miss ambassador, and you can frequently find her walking backwards on campus giving tours to prospective students. Additionally, Galina is an Associated Student Body Senator and serves as the Chair for the Committee on Inclusion and Cross-Cultural Engagement. In her spare time, Galina enjoys traveling, listening to podcasts (especially Spanish ones), frequenting coffee shops, playing with puppies, trying new restaurants, and spending time with friends and family. As a researcher in the Roy Laboratory, Galina is excited to gain lab experience and make new discoveries in the field of medicinal chemistry.
Galina spent 2 semesters in the Roy laboratory doing research on the Fluorine project. Good luck with your future endeavors at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine!
Next Position
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“The Universe is under no obligation to make sense to you.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson
J.D. Olivet
University of Mississippi
About J.D.
Next Position
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“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” - William Faulkner
Micah Stewart
University of Mississippi
About Micah
Micah was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and after moving around the state, now resides in Olive Branch. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do when he first came to the University of Mississippi, but eventually discovered a passion for medicine. He now hopes to go on to medical school and pursue a career as a physician where he can make a mark on the world. Outside of class, Micah works as a Supplemental Instruction Leader, spends two days a week working at Oxford Elementary School through a literacy program, and spends a lot of time in the Honors College. As a researcher in the Roy Laboratory, Micah is excited to gain experience in fluorine chemistry.
Micah graduate with a B.A. Biochemistry in 2020.
Next Position
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“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” - Mark Twain
Emmanuel Ross Hodges
University of Mississippi
About Ross
Ross spent one semester in the Roy laboratory doing research on the fluorine project. Good luck with your future endeavors.