Our Team
Jonathan R. Chekan, PhD
Assistant Professor
Phone: 336.256.1080
Fax: 336.334.5402
Room: 409 Sullivan Science Bldg.
Email: jrchekan@uncg.edu
Twitter: @ChekanLab
B.S., Pennsylvania State University (2011)
Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2016)
Postdoc, Scripps Institution of Oceanography (2020)
Assistant Professor, UNC Greensboro (2020-present)
Jon was born in Pittsburgh, PA and received his BS in Microbiology at the Pennsylvania State University in 2011. He then moved to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, joining the laboratory of Satish K. Nair. As a Ph.D. student, Jon used a combination of protein crystallography and biochemical methods to study proteins involved in the biosynthesis of three different classes of RiPP natural products. In 2016, Jon graduated from UIUC with a Ph.D. in biochemistry and joined the laboratory of Bradley S. Moore at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (University of California, San Diego) as a Simons Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow of the Life Science Research Foundation. In the Moore Lab, Jon combined genomic and biochemical approaches to elucidate the biosynthesis of domoic acid and kainic acid, neurotoxins produced by eukaryotic marine algae. In Fall 2020, Jon joined the department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of North Carolina Greensboro as an Assistant Professor.
Current Members
Williamjosh Brown
Undergraduate Researcher
Senior Biochemistry
Joined Chekan Lab Fall 2022
Mit Bhatt
Graduate Researcher
B.S. Biochemistry
UNCG
1st year Ph.D. Student
Joined Chekan Lab Fall 2023
Keelie Butler
Graduate Researcher
B.S. Chemistry and Biochemistry
Campbell University
4th year Ph.D. Student
Joined Chekan Lab Fall 2020
Sanath Kavuthian Kandy
Graduate Researcher
BS-MS Chemistry
IISER-Thiruvananthapuram, India
3rd year Ph.D. Student
Joined Chekan Lab Spring 2021
Draco Kriger
Graduate Researcher
B.S. Chemistry
UNCG
2nd year Chemistry M.S. Student
Joined Chekan Lab Fall 2022
Stella de Lima Camargo
Postdoctoral Researcher
MSc (2016) & PhD (2020)
University of São Paulo, Brazil
Her thesis research was focused on the discovery and characterization of the BGC responsible for the production of the neurotoxin guanitoxin in cyanobacteria.
Joined Chekan Lab January 2022
Kirsten Little
Undergraduate Researcher
Junior Biochemistry
Joined Chekan Lab Fall 2022
Michael Pasquale
Graduate Researcher
B.S. Biochemistry
UNCG
2nd year Ph.D. student
Joined Chekan Lab Fall 2022
Anshul Rajput
Postdoctoral Researcher
B.Sc. Chemistry (2013) University of Delhi
M.Sc. Chemistry (2016) IIT Bombay
Ph.D. Chemistry (2023) CBMR
His thesis research work was focused on the development of biocatalytic methods using NADPH-dependent reductases.
Joined Chekan Lab June 2023
Ayoola Babalola Smith
Graduate Researcher
Bachelor of Pharmacy
MSc. Pharmacognosy
University of Lagos, Nigeria
3rd year Ph.D. student
Joined Chekan Lab Fall 2021
Formers Lab Members
Brigitte Ampolini (Master’s Student ’23)
Maisha Waafa (B.S. Biology ’23) – Preparing to apply for medical school
Ethan Underwood (Master’s Student ’22) – Research Laboratory Technician at Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Hsin-Yi Hou (Visiting Master’s Student)
Ajalaye Sykes (Undergraduate Researcher) – Currently at Campbell University PharmD program
Imani Khedi (Undergraduate Researcher) – Currently at NC A&T for Undergraduate degree
Adun Akinola (Visiting Summer Researcher) – Currently at UNC Chapel Hill for Undergraduate degree
Maurice Furet (Visiting Summer Researcher) – Currently at NC State for Undergraduate degree
Mackenzie Stotler (Undergraduate Researcher)
Sumaita Rahman (Undergraduate Researcher) – Currently at NC State for Undergraduate degree
