Current Members

Edwin Alfonzo, Ph.D.

NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow

B.S. in Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Ph.D. in Chemistry, Boston University

Edwin’s doctoral studies involved the total synthesis of Lignan natural products and the development of new photoredox catalysts for their application thereof. When not in the lab, Edwin enjoys dancing, cooking, and cheering on all Boston teams.

Hometown: Lawrence, MA (USA)

Hayden Carder, Ph.D.

Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellow

B.S. in Chemistry, University of Rochester
Ph.D. in Chemistry, MIT

Hayden obtained his Ph.D. at MIT under the guidance of Prof. Alison Wendlandt. During his doctoral studies, he worked on the development of radical tools to transform biomass sugars into rare sugars. Now in the Arnold Lab, he is excited to work with a diverse team to develop new-to-nature enzymatic activity. Outside of chemistry, Hayden enjoys cooking, hiking, and building things in his spare time.

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois (USA)

Jae Kennemur, Ph.D.

NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow

B.S. in Chemistry, Texas Tech University
M.S. in Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Ph.D. in Chemistry, Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung

Jae conducted their PhD studies in Ben List’s group at the MPI für Kohlenforschung in Germany, where they developed extremely acidic chiral organocatalysts for applications in a myriad of asymmetric transformations. Inspired by the remarkable ability of enzymes to impart regio- and stereoselectivity, Jae moved to the Arnold group to learn how to use protein engineering techniques to develop new-to-nature transformations. Outside of the lab, Jae enjoys exploring LA’s prolific stand-up comedy scene and figuring out new ways to live a more sustainable, low-waste life.

Hometown: Grand Prairie, TX (USA)

Ziqi Li, Ph.D.

B.S. in Chemistry, Nankai University
Ph.D. in Chemistry, Scripps Research

Ziqi conducted her Ph.D. research with Prof. Keary M. Engle at Scripps Research, where she explored how ligand design, reagent development, and synergistic catalysis enable regio- and enantioselective alkene functionalization. As a postdoc in the Arnold lab, Ziqi is excited to unlock the biocatalysis territory for the development of selective, efficient, and sustainable synthetic methodologies. Outside the lab, Ziqi enjoys all kinds of natural fragrances, coffee and tea included.

Hometown: Heze, Shandong (China)

Ariane Mora, Ph.D.

Schmidt Science Fellow

B.E. in Electrical and Computer Engineering (Hons), The University of Queensland
Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, The University of Queensland

During her PhD Ariane developed generative models of epigenetics in development and disease. She is excited to be part of the multi-disciplinary Arnold team and aims to engineer enzymes to tackle environmental issues. In her spare time Ariane enjoys bird watching, oil painting, and rock climbing.

Hometown: Brisbane (Australia)

Julia Reisenbauer, Ph.D.

SNSF Postdoctoral Fellow

B.Sc. in Chemistry, ETH Zurich
M.Sc. in Chemistry, ETH Zurich
Ph.D. in Chemistry, ETH Zurich

Julia dedicated her doctoral years to advancing the field of nickel-catalyzed transfer hydrocyanation reactions under the guidance of Prof. Bill Morandi at ETH Zurich. Simultaneously, she actively contributed to the development of innovative skeletal editing strategies for N-heterocycles. After obtaining her Ph.D., Julia became a postdoctoral researcher in the Arnold lab, where she embarked on a journey to gain expertise in biocatalysis and molecular biology techniques. Beyond her research pursuits, you’ll often spot her outdoors, indulging in her passions for biking, hiking, and bouldering.

Hometown: Edlitz (Austria)

Casey Ritts, Ph.D.

American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellow

B.S. in University of Wisconsin–Madison, Biochemistry
Ph.D. in University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, Chemistry

During his doctoral studies, Casey researched aryne methodology and natural product synthesis under the advisement of Prof. Thomas Hoye at the University of Minnesota. He developed methods for making helical polyarenes using hypervalent main group species, and he also studied the biosynthesis of (+)-ottelione A. Casey now investigates new-to-nature biocatalytic processes for synthesizing medicinal compounds. Outside of lab, Casey explores LA’s music scene, hikes, and hones his mixology skillset.

Hometown: Minneapolis, MN (USA)

Kathleen Sicinski, Ph.D.

NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow

B.S. in Biochemistry, Moravian College
Ph.D. in Chemistry, Tufts University

Katie obtained her Ph.D. at Tufts University under the advisement of Prof. Krishna Kumar. Her doctoral work focused on chemical strategies to increase protease stability of peptide hormones for the treatment of non-communicable diseases such as type II diabetes, obesity, and Alzheimer’s disease. Now in the Arnold laboratory, Katie is harnessing the power of enzymes and directed evolution to engineer biocatalysts for chemical transformations that are hard to achieve by traditional synthetic methods. When not in the laboratory, you can find Katie teaching yoga, on the dance floor, or spending time with her four nieces and six nephews.

Hometown: Allentown, PA (USA)

Ziyan Zhang, Ph.D.

B.S. in Chemistry, Beijing Technology and Business University
Ph.D.  in Chemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas

Ziyan obtained her Ph.D. at The University of Texas at Dallas under the guidance of Prof. Vladimir Gevorgyan. During her doctoral studies, she focused on the development of denitrogenative transformations of pyridotriazoles and photoinduced palladium hydride-catalyzed reactions. Currently, as a postdoc in the Arnold laboratory, Ziyan is unlocking the power of enzymes and directed evolution for developing new-to-nature transformations. Outside of the lab, Ziyan enjoys reading, cooking, and hiking.

Hometown: Heze, Shandong (China)