Our Team
Dr. Peter R. Andreana
Peter received his Hons. BSc in Biochemistry (heavy emphasis on Organic) from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada in 1998 under the tutelage of the late Prof. H. L. Holland. His Honors thesis is titled: “An Investigation of the Sulfoxidation of N-Protected Amino Acids by Beauvaria bassiana ATCC 7159″. He then received his PhD in 2002 from Wayne State University, Detroit, MI working in the labs of Prof. P. G. Wang. His Dissertation is titled: “Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Biologically Significant Carbohydrates”.
In 2002 he moved to Harvard University in Cambridge, MA to work first as a Post Doctoral Associate and then as an NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein Post Doctoral Fellow for Prof. S. L. Schreiber. In the Schreiber labs he studied the direction of Diversity-Oriented Synthesis (DOS) which included small molecule synthesis and asymmetric catalysis using multicomponent coupling reactions.
In 2005, he returned to his PhD granting institute to begin his independent career as an Assistant Professor and in 2012 relocated with his group to The University of Toledo where he is currently Full Professor. He is both a member of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and School of Green Chemistry and Engineering. The Andreana Group Research interests can be found on his website but in short, the group is interested in carbohydrate-based vaccine development (current directions are cancer and anti-infectious disease), small molecule synthesis (natural and natural product like synthesis) and the development of carbohydrate-based immunotherapeutics. For all existing efforts, the group operates under an NIH R37 AI 106878, a newly minted NIH NIH SCV4 R01 AI177075 both in conjunction with Dr. Ed Ryan of Harvard, and start-up monies from The University of Toledo. In 2010, the Andreana Group was bestowed the David Y. Gin New Investigator ACS Award from the Division of Carbohydrates and in 2023 was awarded the prestigious Melville L. Wolfrom Award from the ACS Division of Chemistry and Glycobiology.
Currently Prof. Andreana serves on the United States Advisory Committee for the International Carbohydrate Symposium (USACICS) as treasurer and secretary, the ACS Carbohydrate treasurer and previously held the role of ACS Immediate Chair for the ACS Carbohydrate Division.
Lab Members
Graduate Students

Mathieu Geremia
Mathieu Geremia
Parlez-vous français? Peut-être la prochaine fois!!! Coming to us from the National College of Chemical Engineering in Mulhouse, France, Mr. Mathieu Geremia is a welcomed addition to La Familia! A multi-lingual talent, including excellent spoken German, Italian and some English (aside from his native tongue), this guy really knows his chemistry as well! He has aspirations of garnering an MS degree in the Andreana Group and then Mathieu plans to eventually go back to France where he will begin his science career. Mathieu has also studied in Germany at Albert-Ludwigs Universität in Freiburg-im-Breisgau and in our group he will examine oxidation/conjugation methods for detecting rare, but important nucleotides/nucleosides. Mathieu is full of energy and we look forward to many great things from him.

Kiran Marineni
Kiran Marineni
Kiran Kumar Marineni, originally from India, is a dynamic member of Professor Peter R. Andreana's research group within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Toledo. He holds a master's degree in Organic Chemistry from Osmania University in Hyderabad and completed bachelor's in microbiology where he developed a strong foundation in synthetic organic chemistry and biology at molecular level.
Kiran's research interests lie at the intersection of organic synthesis and biochemistry chemistry, focusing on creating novel compounds with potential applications in drug discovery and development

Euclydes Neto
Euclydes Neto

Jennifer Szilagyi
Jennifer Szilagyi
Well, we've done it! The Andreana Group has landed a Romanian from Transylvania! That's right...Transylvania! You see, Jennifer was born there and then somehow found herself in Lisboa, Portugal doing undergraduate work for two special friends, Drs. Rauter and Xavier at the Universidade de Lisboa (University of Lisbon). She came to the University of Toledo having published work in the area of nucleotide bases and derivatives thereof. Even before she stepped foot on US soil, the University of Toledo granted Jennifer a very prestigious University Fellowship, which, is the highest student award the College of Graduate Studies makes and is extended only to doctoral students of exceptional ability and promise! This incredibly talented young scientist will work on establishing new glycosylation methods and total synthesis of carbohydrate natural products that are biologically validated and highly relevant. In only a short time since being in the group, Jennifer has already made an enormous impact, and many great things are yet to come!
Join Our Lab
Please contact Dr. Andreana if interested in our laboratory.
Please provide a copy of your CV.
Alumni - Postdocs

Dr. Géraud Valentin, PhD
Dr. Géraud Valentin, PhD
Currently: Clinical Research Specialist at MedX CRO, Toledo, OH, USA
The Andreana Group is very fortunate to have Mr. Geraud Valentin join us. He comes to UToledo from Lille in France with an accomplished track record of success. In 2015, he graduated with a BSc with distinction, he was in the International Chemistry Olympiads in 2016 where he ranked 27th in France and he attended the prestigious ENSCL (Ecole Nationale Superieure De Chimie De Lille). Geraud has gotten off to a great start here at UToledo with making progress towards carbohydrate conjugation. In his past time, we have come to learn, first hand, that Geraud loves to cook classic French dishes that are truly delicious! We expect big things from this young man and look forward to his many scientific accomplishments!

Dr. Debasish Pal, PhD
Dr. Debasish Pal, PhD
Debasish Pal, originally from India, obtained his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata in 2022, under the mentorship of Prof. Balaram Mukhopadhyay. His doctoral research focused on advancing the field of carbohydrate chemistry, exploring novel synthesis methodologies for oligosaccharide synthesis and their applications.
In 2023, Debasish joined the research group of Professor Peter Andreana at The University of Toledo as a postdoctoral researcher. Currently, he is dedicated to the chemical synthesis of oligosaccharides for a PS A1 Conjugate Vaccine, aiming to contribute significantly to the development of novel vaccine candidates. Dr. Debasish Pal is passionate about organic synthesis and the application of carbohydrate chemistry in medicinal contexts, striving to make impactful contributions to the field.

Dr. Samir Ghosh, PhD
Dr. Samir Ghosh, PhD
Currently : Postdoctoral fellow in the Rozners lab, Department of Chemistry, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, 13902 USA
Dr. Ghosh came to us from Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Samir worked on the total synthesis of tumor associated carbohydrate antigens (TACAs) Gb3 and Globo H. He developed stereoselective chemistries as well as chemistries to facilitate the incorporation of aminooxy functionality that allowed for expedited conjugation to carbonyls. His hard work and concerted efforts landed him a number of publications.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/samir-ghosh-93b24b39

Dr. Mengchao Shi, PhD
Dr. Mengchao Shi, PhD
Currently: Senior Principal Scientist at Ionova Biosciences, Pudong, Shanghai, China
Dr. Shi comes back to us after completing a Postdoctoral Fellowship at The Broad Institute in Boston, MA. Mengchao graduated in 2016 from the Andreana Group and since his return has been focused on developing methods for glycosylation reactions.

Dr. Sharmeen Nishat, PhD
Dr. Sharmeen Nishat, PhD
Currently : Associate Professor, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET)
https://bd.linkedin.com/in/sharmeen-nishat-173b7634

Dr. Ahmad A. Shaik, PhD
Dr. Ahmad A. Shaik, PhD
Currently : Advanced analytics team at USAA, San Antonio, TX, USA
Ahmad came to the Andreana Research Group in 2011/2012. His diverse skill-set allowed the group to explore new avenues of research interest including ITC, SPR and new chemical entities that include(d) sugar hydrazides and triazoles. In 2014 Ahmad left the group to move into an industrial position.

Dr. Srinivas Boga, PhD
Dr. Srinivas Boga, PhD
Currently : Professor at Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies RGUKT-Basar, Nirmal District, Telangana State, India
https://in.linkedin.com/in/srinivas-gajjela-a9a11317

Dr. Yuanyuan Yuan, PhD
Dr. Yuanyuan Yuan, PhD

Dr. Gopinath Tiruchinapaly, PhD
Dr. Gopinath Tiruchinapaly, PhD
Currently : Senior Scientist at Genedit, Brisbane, CA, USA
Dr. Tiruchinapaly developed some chemistry that was used to synthesize a very challenging tetrasaccharide repeating unit of the immunogenic polysaccharide PS A1. Some of his methods are currently employed in the group.

Dr. Fengling Song, PhD
Dr. Fengling Song, PhD
Currently : Professor at Institute of Frontier Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shangdong University, Qingdao, China
Dr. Song synthesized a naturally occurring substrate for the tuberculosis enzyme MshC. Aside from his excellent work, Fenling contributed in many positive ways to the group that really set in place our current group mantra.
Alumni - PhD Students

Géraud Valentin
Géraud Valentin
Currently: Clinical Research Specialist at MedX CRO, Toledo, OH, USA
The Andreana Group is very fortunate to have Mr. Geraud Valentin join us. He comes to UToledo from Lille in France with an accomplished track record of success. In 2015, he graduated with a BSc with distinction, he was in the International Chemistry Olympiads in 2016 where he ranked 27th in France and he attended the prestigious ENSCL (Ecole Nationale Superieure De Chimie De Lille). Geraud has gotten off to a great start here at UToledo with making progress towards carbohydrate conjugation. In his past time, we have come to learn, first hand, that Geraud loves to cook classic French dishes that are truly delicious! We expect big things from this young man and look forward to his many scientific accomplishments!

Matthew Lohman
Matthew Lohman
Currently : R&D Chemist at YSI, Yellow Springs, OH, USA
Welcome the very newest addition to our group, Mr. Matthew Lohman, who comes to Toledo, Ohio all the way from Edwardsville, Illinois. Matt is a De Meo alumni and very well trained in the art of carbohydrate assembly, especially in utilizing sialic acid. Matt received his B.S. degree from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville in 2018. He is currently working on understanding carbohydrate binding to proteins. He is also utilizing his synthetic skill-set to generate sugar donors and acceptors for stitching together biologically significant oligomers. Matt always brings a positive attitude to the group and we all look forward to seeing him excel over the next few years.

Amendra Liyanarachchi
Amendra Liyanarachchi
Currently : Senior Lecturer at University of Kelaniya, Western, Colombo, Sri Lanka
All the way from Colombo, Sri Lanka, we find this wonderful scientist who came to the US to garner her PhD. Having graduated from the top academic institute in Sri Lanka, we are very excited to witness what the very ambitious Amendra will accomplish. Given two great projects, she should excel beyond her wildest of dreams and certainly carve-out an amazing career in carbohydrate chemistry. We look forward to her success and if you listen carefully, she has an amazing singing voice that will certainly brighten up the lab by putting smiles on all our faces!

Shanika Gamage
Shanika Gamage
Currently : Working as Senior Scientist, TCG Greenchem

Vinod Kumar Gattoji
Vinod Kumar Gattoji
Currently : Postdoctoral position in Dr. Rahul Kupse's lab at Findlay University

Kris Kleski
Kris Kleski
Currently: Senior Chemist at Anactisis, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
If there is one word to describe KK it would be bold. His addition to the Andreana Group will allow for expansion and growth in three areas of research interest to include biologically validated small molecule DOS, methodology development in sugar chemistry and the synthesis of tumor associated carbohydrate antigens. There is no glass ceiling that KK cannot break through!

Farzana Hossain
Farzana Hossain
Currently: Scientist II analytical R&D, Hikma, Columbus, OH, USA
The Andreana Group welcomes Farzana to our research environment. Coming to us from Bangladesh, Farzana will work towards our many ideas centered around glyco-peptides and glyco-peptide conjugates. Although limited in her synthetic experience, we all know that she will be a wonderful success as her ambition and motivation are captivating.

Pradheep Eradi
Pradheep Eradi
Currently: Postdoc in Chaikov Lab at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MS, USA
Pradheep comes to us from India with extensive research experience working for GVK BIO Science. To his credit he already has a BMCL paper while he worked on a synthesis project for Lund beck (Sweden). Although only early in his graduate career, Pradheep has courageously taken on one of our most challenging projects which requires a substantial synthetic undertaking requiring extensive knowledge of carbohydrate chemistry. To his further credit, he has already made great progress and we all look forward to many great things from him.

Nasim Esmati
Nasim Esmati
Currently: Senior Scientist, Amgen, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
Nasim began her scientific career in Iran before relocating to the USA and ultimately in the Andreana Group. She has been working on developing chemistries that enable the facile construction of focused libraries entailing a DKP core. Her work extends our Green Chemistry program and will allow us to explore exciting and important roles that small molecules play in plant biology. Furthermore, she has undertaken a very unique project where small molecule peptides are being examined as anti-tumor compounds.

Krishnakant Patel
Krishnakant Patel
Currently: Senior Chemist at Anatrace, Toledo, OH, USA
Krish came to us via Hyderabad/Anand, India with a BS and MS in Organic Chemistry from Osmania University. While in the group he worked on designing and synthesizing substrate-based inhibitors and testing their activity against enzymes found in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The compounds Krish synthesized are what we call pseudo-carbohydrate-based in that they contain 6-membered rings and are poly-hydroxylated but do not contain furanose or pyranose rings. Krish also worked on developing biologically active small molecules using multicomponent coupling reactions.

Kevin R. Trabbic
Kevin R. Trabbic
Currently: Study Director at NAMSA, Toledo, OH, USA
Kevin started his tenure in the Andreana Group in 2011 and was an integral member of the group's immunology division. Kevin's main focus was on understanding immunological responses towards entirely carbohydrate vaccine constructs using murine models. Early in his second year with the group, Kevin contributed to the assembly of a TF-PS A1 immunogen, which work was only most recently published. He followed that up with a first authored manuscript in which he and a former PhD graduate of the group, Dr. De Silva, deciphered structural variation of the Tn-PS A1 construct using CD and fluorescent labeling. Most recently his efforts have been focused on developing mAbs using a novel strategy for immunotherapeutics.

Mengchao Shi
Mengchao Shi
Currently: Senior Principal Scientist at Ionova Biosciences, Pudong, Shanghai, China
Mengchao came to the Andreana Group in 2011 from Nankai University, Tianjin, China as an organometallic and catalysis guru. Since his inception he worked on natural product and natural product-like synthesis of immunogenic carbohydrates, more specifically tumor associated carbohydrate antigens. His efforts accumulated into published papers including his piece du resistance which was just published in JACS.

Sharmeen Nishat
Sharmeen Nishat
Currently: Associate Professor, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET)
Sharmeen began her PhD in 2011 in the Andreana Research Group. Since that time she she was able to determine immune response(s) of glycopeptides conjugated to PS A1 as an immune stimulator (adjuvant). Her ever expanding skill-set included the synthesis of peptides, natural product synthesis (glyco-amino acids) and she was certified by the DLAR to work with mice to test immune responses. Her efforts have now amounted into published works and more are still to come!

Amarendar Maddirala
Amarendar Maddirala
Currently: Senior Research Investigator at IFF, NJ, USA
Amar cames to us from India. After obtaining his BS from Osmania University in Telangana in 2004 he then completed an MS in Chemistry from Kakatiya University also in Telangana. He joined the Andreana Research Group in 2011/2012 and made seminal contributions to the groups in the small molecule synthesis. Amar's contributions to our current research efforts in the lab were most recently noted in his first publication. Amar just completed a very successful PhD defense, accepted a post doctoral position at WashU and to top it all off he most recently became a father to a healthy and happy baby boy! Congrats Amar...you deserve all the success in the world. You will be greatly missed for being a quiet but very strong leader in the group!

Jean-Paul Bourgault
Jean-Paul Bourgault
Currently: Scientist II at Cayman Chemical, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Jean-Paul worked on the synthesis of carbohydrate tumor antigens (specifically the TF antigen), conjugation thereof to zwitterionic polysaccharides PS A1 and PS B, testing the activity of his vaccine constructs in mice. He was instrumental in designing and implementing a one-pot, two-step process for the synthesis of natural product Thaxtomin A. His diverse training skill-set will surely catapult him towards success in the future.

Soumava Santra
Soumava Santra
Currently: Associate Professors at Lovely Professional University, Chaheru, Punjab, India
Dr. Santra worked on developing cascade coupling reactions as well as the total synthesis of carbohydrates. His work entailed the understanding of the generation of molecular complexity, solvents effects on multicomponent coupling reactions and diastereoselective glycosylation reactions. Much of Dr. Santra's work is continuing in the Andreana Research Group and due in part to his diligence it has now taken on an environmentally benign role.

Ravindra D.B. Ajith de Silva
Ravindra D.B. Ajith de Silva
Currently: John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Dr. Ravindra De Silva is an Instructor in the Johns Hopkins Medicine Department of Radiology and Radiological Science and a member of the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. He specializes in molecular imaging, carbohydrate chemistry, small molecule synthesis and clinical development and manufacturing of imaging and therapeutic agents. In the Andreana Group, Dr. De Silva worked on
the development of an entirely carbohydrate immunogen. He is skilled in the art of total synthesis of carbohydrates, natural product isolation and testing of immune responses thereof. His work is entrenched in ongoing efforts in the Andreana Research Group.
Alumni - Master Students

Hannah Rowe
Hannah Rowe
Currently : LC-MS/MS Technologist at Actalent, Indianapolis, IN, USA

Andhina Satriani
Andhina Satriani
Currently : Mental Health Practitioner in Brisbane, Australia
Welcome our newest addition to the group, Ms. Andhina Satriani, who comes to us from Inonesia. Andhina received her BS from the Universitas Mataram in West Nusa Tenggara and then came to the USA to join our research program. In 2017, Ms. Satriani received the very prestigeous Fulbright Scholarship and in the Andreana Group she has already made substantial progress with her chemistry. We are all very excited to see Andhina grow with her science and make substantial contributions.

Gurdat Premnauth
Gurdat Premnauth
Curently : Research engineer at Pulsalys, Lyon, France
Parlez-vous francais? Well, if not then let Gurdat teach you! While a MS student in the Andreana Group he undertook the important task of deciphering the message(s) of the 6th base in nucleotide assembly. Gurdat worked hard towards completing a very important story for the group that entailed the understanding of 5-hmC and the chemistry that lurks behind it. His work has accumulated into a manuscript that is currently under preparation. Stay tuned as there is more to come from this young scientist.
