John Moses
Ph.D. (DPhil), University of Oxford, 2004
click chemistry, cancer, chemical biology, organic synthesis, natural products, biomimetic synthesis
My group uses click chemistry to study biological systems at the molecular level. We develop and exploit powerful bond-forming click reactions that enable the rapid synthesis of small functional molecules, including cancer drugs and chemical probes. We apply these novel molecular tools in multidisciplinary discovery projects spanning the fields of biology and chemistry.
Josh Homer
Dr. Josh Homer completed his Ph.D. at the University of Auckland (New Zealand), working in natural product total synthesis. He then completed a two-year postdoctoral position at the University of Edinbrugh (Scotland, UK) where he explored novel enantioconvergent catalysis methodologies. In 2021, Dr. Homer began a second postdoctoral placement at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the first chemistry laboratory, where he remains as a Research Investigator applying click chemistry to drug discovery projects related to cancer therapeutics and antibiotics.
Dharmendra Vishwakarma
Dr. Dharmendra Vishwakarma completed his Ph.D. at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, a world-leading institute in India. He has acquired experience in numerous innovative areas of synthetic organic chemistry, including the total synthesis of natural products and bioactive molecules. His long-term research interests include developing novel synthetic methodologies, drug design, and developing novel treatments for cancer and various diseases.
Shoujun Sun
Dr. Shoujun Sun originates from China and completed his Ph.D. at the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry. Dr. Sun was supervised by double Nobel Prize laureate K. Barry Sharpless and has extensive experience working in click chemistry reaction development. After moving to CSHL to start his first postdoctoral position, Shoujun has shifted focus to applying SuFEx and PFEx warheads as innovative approaches to cancer treatments.
Zifei Wang
Dr. Zifei Wang obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Auckland (New Zealand) under the supervision of Distinguished Professor Dame Margaret Brimble before joining the Moses Laboratory at CSHL in September 2022. Dr. Wang’s research interests involve derivatizing natural products as next-generation cancer treatments, mapping carbene-based protein footprints, and utilizing diversity-oriented click chemistry as a functional tool to generate diverse lead-like pharmacophores.
Soumyaranjan Pati
Dr. Soumyaranjan Pati obtained his Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. Following this, Dr. Pati pursued postdoctoral studies in glycochemistry at the Institute Charles Gerhardt Montpellier (ICGM). In 2023, he joined the group of Prof. Moses at CSHL, where his research is focused on developing click chemistry-based theragnostic scaffolds for the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Elliot Smith
Dr. Elliot Smith obtained his MChem degree from the University of Warwick and Ph.D. from the University of Nottingham, where he worked on expanding the chemistry of cubane in collaboration with SpiroChem. Elliot has broad experience in multistep organic synthesis and methodology development. His current interests lie in the discovery of new click chemistry methods and the development of novel cancer therapeutics.
Rebecca Koelln
Rebecca Koelln obtained her Master’s degree in chemistry from Stony Brook University in 2017. She joined the Moses Laboratory in late 2020 and was instrumental in establishing chemistry at CSHL. Rebecca specializes in the purification of small molecules and is interested in incorporating elements of sustainability into chemistry.
Adam Moorhouse
Dr. Adam Moorhouse gained his Master’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Oxford in 2004 and his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Nottingham in 2008. Since then, he has held senior positions in business development at several international chemistry outsourcing companies. Joining the Moses Laboratory in 2023, Adam is interested in click chemistry and its application in drug discovery.
Theresa Morales
After 10 years as a senior administrative assistant at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Theresa Morales transitioned to CSHL in May, where she is committed to providing professional and administrative support to the Moses Laboratory. Her journey from administrative assistant to senior leadership reflects a commitment to professional growth, and she is excited to contribute substantially to advancing knowledge in her role at CSHL.