Meet the Meanwell Lab Members

The Meanwell Lab welcomes students from across the world. We value hard work and creativity and teamwork. Check out current and past members below and see just some of the fun activities we get up to. We don't just work hard, we play hard too!

Photo: (From left to right) Jacinth, Soumik, Dinithi, Subhojit, Ryan, Mike, Jason, Thirupathi and Gautam at a group lunch.

Ping Pong Tournament

Soumik and Subhojit battle it out for bragging rights on the ping pong table.

Postdoctoral Fellows and Research Assistants

Dr. Gautam Kumar

Postdoctoral Fellow

Gautam hails from India where he was born and raised. He completed his Doctorate at the Indian Institute of Technology Ropar (IIT Ropar, INDIA), where he worked on the Main Group Lewis Acid catalyzed reactions for the functionalization of unsaturated compounds under Dr. Indranil Chatterjee. Gautam joined the Meanwell lab in the summer of 2023 as a Postdoctoral Fellow. For his Postdoc research work, he is working on development of novel nucleosides analogues using Synthetic Organic Chemistry techniques. Outside of chemistry, Gautam likes playing Badminton and being active on social media.

Dr. Thirupathi Nuligonda

Postdoctoral Fellow

Thirupathi is from India, where he was born and raised. He completed his Ph.D. from Central Drug Research Institute Lucknow, India, where he worked on the synthesis of medicinally interesting heterocycles via electrophilic cyclization of functionalized alkynes. Before joining the Meanwell research group, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto, on the design and synthesis of metalloporphyrin catalysts and their applications for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide. His current research focuses development of practical and concise synthetic routes for the synthesis of nucleoside analogs. Outside of chemistry, he is fond of listening to music and playing badminton.

Jason Wang

Lab Manager

Jason comes from Vancouver, British Columbia, where he conducted research in Biochemistry at SFU, UBC, and UVic. His work spans a range of topics, including the characterization of histone variants and their impact on gene expression, the development of chimeric antigen receptors for HIV targeting, lipid membrane systems for drug delivery, immunotherapy for breast cancer, and key pathways in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. After recovering from a life-changing cycling accident, Jason joined the Meanwell Lab in January 2023. His current research focuses on developing efficient synthetic routes for nucleoside analogs. Outside of work, Jason enjoys community involvement and spending time with his fiancée.

Graduate and Undergraduate Students

Subhojit Mondal

PhD Student

Subhojit was born and raised in Belur, West Bengal, India. In 2020, he received his B.Sc. in Chemistry from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, where he worked with Prof. Sujoy Baitalik and explored the field of ligand synthesis. He then joined Prof. Samaresh Bhattacharya's group at the same university for his Master's Dissertation Project, which focused on Ru-based catalyst synthesis and its application. Following this, he began his Ph.D. studies at the University of Alberta in the Meanwell lab in Fall 2022, where he is concentrating on electrochemical organic synthesis via C-F activation. He has a passion for photography, so you might just happen to see him around town searching for the perfect picture. Outside of the lab, his hobbies include playing cricket, football (soccer), and table tennis. He is also an excellent chef, and you may just be lucky enough to try one of his many delicious, authentic Indian dishes.

Soumik Sarkar

PhD Student

Soumik hails from Kolkata, India. He completed his B.Sc. with Honours in Chemistry from the University of Calcutta and then pursued his Masters in organic chemistry at Savitribai Phule Pune University. Later, he joined the University of Calcutta as a Junior Research Fellow, where he worked on the design and synthesis of Photoswitchable Antibiotics under Dr. Subhas Samanta. Soumik joined the Meanwell lab in the Fall of 2022 as a Ph.D. student and is currently focused on the electrochemical reduction of organic molecules. Outside the lab, you may find Soumik enjoying the views from atop mountain peaks.

Dinithi Rajapaksha

PhD Student

Dinithi Rajapaksha was born and raised in Sri Lanka. She completed her BSc at the University of Peradeniya, where she conducted her undergraduate research on the biological activity evaluation of Exacum trinervium under the supervision of Dr. Dimanthi Uduwela. Upon joining the Meanwell lab in the Fall of 2022, she began working on the de novo synthesis of nucleoside analogues for her PhD project. Dinithi enjoys traveling and nature photography in her spare time. She is particularly captivated by Edmonton's Aurora Chasing!

Jacinth Frederick

MSc Student

Jacinth is from the "Helen of the West," Saint Lucia. She completed her BSc in Chemistry with a Specialization at the University of the West Indies. For her BSc thesis, she studied various synthetic methods of Azetidines under Professor Gurdial Singh. Jacinth joined the Meanwell lab in the fall of 2022 as a Master's student in Organic Chemistry. Her current research focuses on developing new nucleoside analogs and exploring their applications in the anti-viral and anti-cancer industries. Her hobbies include reading, watching Korean dramas, and occasionally engaging in nature photography.

Rohit Malik

PhD Student

Rohit was born and raised in Haryana, India. In 2021, he received his B.Sc. in Chemistry from University of Delhi, New Delhi and then pursued his Masters in chemistry at Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. Rohit was working with Prof. Baskaran, S. for his Master's Dissertation Project, which focused on Stereoselective synthesis of Nitro-cyclopropane. Following this, he began his Ph.D. studies at the University of Alberta in the Meanwell lab in Fall 2023. Outside of the lab, his hobbies include playing cricket, Reading books and Cooking.

Joseph Erdei

401/403 Student

Joseph was born and raised in Edmonton. Currently, he is finishing his BSc double majoring in Chemistry and Biology. Previously, Joseph was working on the Co-functionalization of Silicon Quantum Dots in the Veinot lab here at the University of Alberta. Joseph joined the lab as an NSERC-USRA student in the Summer of 2024. His current research focuses on the synthesis of nucleoside analogs and exploring their properties as therapeutic agents. When he is not in the lab you can find him fishing, playing guitar or coaching the University of Alberta Fencing Team.

Past Members

Undergraduate Students

Boris Stevanovic - BSc Student, CHEM 401 Honours Project. Now: PhD student in the Stryker Lab (UAlberta Chemistry)

Eric Butler - BSc Student, CHEM 399

Ryan Qiu - BSc Student, CHEM 401/403. Now: PhD student in the Stephenson Lab (UBC Chemistry)

High School Students

Bailey Anderson - WISEST Program

Elizabeth Chen - HYRS Program