https://www.thenavalab.org/research daily 0.75 2024-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/1655675020553-XDCF06JL9E4DRA2Y5ZMN/Np_form.png Research - From molecules to materials The diversity of nanomaterial compositions available to researchers is influenced, and in many cases gated, by their synthetic precursors. Few strategies exist to access large swathes of the periodic table in a uniform, controllable, and predictable manner. New transition metal complexes encompassing the d- and f-block will be developed as metal (0) precursors for preparation of materials such as metastable colloidal nanoparticles, high entropy alloys, intermetallics and quantum dots. New ligand classes and utilization of redox buffering with molecular precursors will be implemented to precisely control the composition, oxidation state, and interfacial chemistry of materials. With a controllable, well-defined route to varied nanomaterials, the synthesis of materials for use in energy conversion chemistries and catalysis will be greatly aided and diversified. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/3e4f0a5c-f40d-4242-97c3-e7b0305bec79/hydride.png Research - Hydrogen Interconversion chemistry Hydrogen is the simplest atom from an electronic perspective. However, this simplicity belies the importance of this element as an energy carrier, both in biology as exemplified by proton gradients and modern life as exemplified by the hydrocarbon fuels which drive industry. Hydrogen is unique among the elements in that the (ionic) radius of its common oxidation states, the proton, the hydrogen atom, and hydride, vary by over six orders of magnitude. Such a drastic change in size may manifest as the difficult and inefficient reversable redox cycling of hydrogen. We seek to develop strategies to stabilize the redox interconversions of hydrogen atom at a molecular level. Initial targets include investigating the interconversion of hydrogen gas to hydrides; advances in this area may one day enable practical hydrogen storage. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/1655859981324-ZTXNA3OISY7OZG7Y8JKV/M0_2.png Research - Zero-valent metals in biology Transition metals fulfill varied structural, catalytic, and energy carrying tasks throughout the cell, roles which are frequently enabled by the metal’s ability to change formal oxidation states. While considerable progress has been made in understanding the role of a transition metal’s oxidation state in biological processes, this understanding has not come uniformly across all oxidation states of a given metal. The low formal oxidation states of biogenic metals such as Fe(0) and Cu(0) are largely unknown in a biological context. We seek to investigate the biological machinery that generates elemental metal nanoparticles in a bacterial model system with the goal of understanding how metal coordination environment is utilized to favor M(0) formation and how the nanoparticle surface is stabilized by proteins. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/1655160441314-TXC38T7TRRLNJ0448Y4I/zeolite.png Research - Minimalist models of heterogenous active sites Heterogeneous materials play a central role in modern catalysis, yet the active site(s) of many catalytically-active materials are often thinly dispersed or present at interfaces in inactive bulk matrices, obfuscating hypothesis-driven mechanistic analysis of these sites. While aluminosilicates are widely used catalyst supports, few readily tunable homogeneous molecular models of this class of materials exist due to fundamental challenges in synthetic chemistry. We will develop tunable, oxidation-resistant homogeneous models of silicate and aluminosilicate metal binding sites in these heterogeneous materials. Complexes relevant to C–H activation will be prepared and utilized as spectroscopic references for heterogeneous systems. Further elaboration of these platform will allow the rapid screening of catalyst motifs and identification of new targets for heterogeneous materials syntheses. https://www.thenavalab.org/contact daily 0.75 2025-06-16 https://www.thenavalab.org/members1 daily 0.75 2023-04-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/1655150962596-XL55DNYKPSZOIYNOK40H/bears.png Members1 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/6b692aaa-16ee-45f1-94e4-cf7060aae9ae/IMG_0172.jpg Members1 - Make it stand out The first (partial) group photo to celebrate the completion of the fall quarter! https://www.thenavalab.org/home daily 1.0 2026-01-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/d0bc410f-9c50-4b8e-ac8e-6aa242ca6929/compress.jpg Home - Make it stand out Summer group celebration at Santa Monica https://www.thenavalab.org/publications daily 0.75 2026-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/43d40f94-cb06-4f70-bf2e-7180b5c4e730/RCuNC.png Publications - 32. “On the Origin of Red Emission in Protein-Stabilized Copper Nanoparticles: Evidence for CuI-Metallothionein-like Cluster Formation.” Lin, H.; Eden, G.A.; Shafaat, H.S.; Nava, M.* J. Phys. Chem. B, 2026, 130, 1024-1034. Link https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/7fed8eec-72e5-413a-8865-f72acce4fd06/TOC+NC.png Publications - 31. “Reversible room temperature heterolytic activation of vinylic sp2 C–H bonds at a gallium center.” Liu, K.; Riu, M.L.Y.; Shan, J.R.; Zarnitsa, L.M.; Houk, K.N.; Nava, M.* J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 42441-42451. Link; ChemRxiv Link https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/a530c64c-31f0-465a-be94-1edc79ca6254/TOC.jpeg Publications - 30. Sun, J.; Lai, Y.A.; Sun, J.; Du, Y.; Jolly, B. J.; Sheng, H.; Lai, T.Y.; Chen, H.M.; Constentin, C.; Nava, M.;* Liu, C. “Automating electroanalytic experimentation accelerates the discovery of concerted proton-electron transfer.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 28993–29002. Link https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/65836d1b-d6d7-4b7a-b29c-db9debc5cbee/ja5c08388_0005.webp Publications - 29. “Solid-State Ionomer Interlayers Enable Stretchable Bulk Monolayer MoS2 Membranes with Thickness-Scalable Bright Luminescence.” Zhou, B; Li, C.; Yang, Z.; Hu, B.; Wang, R.; Zhang, Y.; Zhang, A.; Riu, M.L.Y.; Nava, M.; Huang, Y.; Duan, X. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 34466-34476. Link https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/d563b49d-a552-41b7-ab84-f3a2b36f2863/TOC+figure.png Publications - 28. “Synthesis of [Os(bpy)2(py)(OH2)](PF6)x Substituted Pyridine Complexes; Characterization of a Singly Bridged H3O2− Ligand.“ Sun, J.; Sun, J.; Jolly, B.J.; Riu, M.L.Y.; Kerr, T.A.; Lai, Y.A.; Pung, M.J.; Liu, C.; Nava, M.* Dalton Trans. 2025, 54, 5109-5118. Link https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/9d2fe4dc-96b6-4089-b790-93e7bd9b8186/TOC_MLC.jpg Publications - 27. “Metal-Ligand Cooperativity Enables Zero-Valent Metal Transfer” Riu, M.L.Y.; Shan, J.R.; Houk, K.N.; Nava, M.* Chem Sci. 2025, 16, 3888-3894. Link; ChemRxiv Link https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/e471ba5d-7e08-4963-b1cc-f3c688d01844/TOC+FIgure.png Publications - 26. “Determination of Initial Rates of Lipopolysaccharide Transport” Nava, M.;† Rowe, S. J.;† Taylor, R. J.; Kahne, D.; Nocera, D. G. Biochemistry. 2024, 63, 2440-2448. † These authours contributed equally Link https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/82c831b7-dadc-4c3d-8fdc-7ea684e9d6f8/TOC.png Publications - 25. “The Coupling of Synthesis and Electrochemistry to Enable the Reversible Storage of Hydrogen as Metal Hydrides” *Nava, M.; Zarnitsa, L. M.; Riu, M.L.Y. Precis. Chem. 2024, 2, 563-569. Link https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/c54df197-1507-4ade-bfa0-dca4c375fffe/Fig1_Science_2024.jpg Publications - 24. “Electrophotocatalytic perfluoroalkylation by LMCT excitation of Ag(II) perfluoroalkyl carboxylates” Campbell, B. M; Gordon, J. B; Gonzalez, M. I.; Reynolds, K. G.; Nava, M.; Nocera, D. G. Science 2024, 383, 279-284. Link https://www.thenavalab.org/matthew-j-nava daily 0.75 2025-08-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/1655151180804-HAPN0HS4BM7TW5OTE635/MJNava_profile.jpg Matthew J Nava - Matthew J Nava As an undergraduate, Matt worked in the lab of Christopher Reed at the University of California, Riverside exploring the chemistry of icosahedral boron clusters and reactive cations. There, he prepared for the first time, the strongest known Brønsted acid, H[CHB11F11] and used it to protonate weak bases such as alkanes. After acquiring a masters degree at UCR, Matt went on to obtain his PhD with Christopher Cummins at MIT. At MIT, he honed his synthetic inorganic chemistry skills developing and exploring the chemistry of supramolecular architectures capable of acting as anion receptors and ligands for first row-transition metals in a protected cavity. This work led to fundamental insight into the degradation processes occurring in lithium-air batteries. Besides synthetic work, he also integrated spectroscopic techniques such as Laser-Induced Fluorescence, microwave spectroscopy, and molecular beam mass spectrometry to investigate reactive and short-lived molecules including phosphinidenes and the biologically important signaling molecule, HSNO. As a postdoctoral fellow, Matt started a new collaborative effort between the labs of Daniel Nocera and Daniel Kahne at Harvard to study the rate of formation of the outermost membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. https://www.thenavalab.org/david-gygi daily 0.75 2024-02-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/1662520761231-76TKPD9HGZO2AD8IP4ZM/DGygi_2022.jpg David Gygi - David Gygi David is a California native having completed his undergraduate at the College of Chemistry at UC Berkeley. He then went East to complete his PhD with Prof. Daniel G. Nocera at Harvard. Following his Ph.D. studies, he went to work for Bristol Myers Squibb as a Process Chemist specializing in base metal catalysis and large scale enabling synthesis. Missing decent avocados and California burritos he is now back West in San Francisco working as a medicinal chemist for a Stealth Mode Biotech. He is passionate about chemical synthesis and is always up for a discussion on new chemistry or novel chemical modalities. As a part-time affiliate of the Nava lab, David will assist the lab with career and coursework advice. https://www.thenavalab.org/jjung daily 0.75 2023-11-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/c112d348-8a0e-4251-8d83-5704a1d08ae9/JJung_2023.jpg Jaehoon Jung - Jaehoon Jung Jaehoon was born and grew up in Suwon, South Korea. In 2007, he moved to Cupertino, California with his family and has been living in California ever since then. He graduated from UCLA in 2023 with a Bachelor of Sciences in degree in chemistry. During his fourth year at UCLA, he joined Dr. Nava's group and worked on the synthesis of atom insertion reagents and scaffold hopping reactions in the context of medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. Continuing from his undergraduate degree from UCLA, Jaehoon is pursing a master of applied chemical sciences degree at UCLA. Currently, he is working on the synthesis of new osmium metal complexes to study PCET reactions. In his free time, he enjoys playing video games with friends, playing badminton, and video editing. https://www.thenavalab.org/instrument-sops daily 0.75 2026-04-02 https://www.thenavalab.org/jiangtian-sun daily 0.75 2023-04-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/284ba702-65dc-4711-a44b-9691f3b8739f/JSun_2022.jpg Jiangtian Sun - Jiangtian Sun Sun grew up in Shanghai, China. He graduated from Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in 2022 with a B.S. degree in chemistry where he did primarily organic synthesis in Prof. Dawson's group. He's currently a student in the Master of Applied Chemical Sciences program in UCLA and planning to apply for a PHD after that. Outside the lab, he likes hiking and watching Lakers games. https://www.thenavalab.org/anne-nguyen daily 0.75 2023-09-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/8b5fd866-a0cc-4298-a43b-eccee986403a/ANguyen_2022.jpg Anne Nguyen - Anne Nguyen Anne is a biochemistry major (Class of 2025) from Anaheim, California. Her free time is spent playing volleyball, swimming, and baking. She aspires to attain a PharmD/PhD to look at a career in research for medicinal chemistry and drug development. anneknguyen@g.ucla.edu https://www.thenavalab.org/kevin-liu daily 0.75 2023-04-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/517cf02e-6db2-4dac-840a-9e91f444bee7/KLiu_2023.jpg Kevin Liu - Kevin Liu Kevin grew up in Qingdao, China. In 2012, he moved to Houston, TX with his family and have spent his life in the state ever since. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 2022 with a B.S. degree in chemistry where he did primarily synthesis of heterogenous bimetallic Ni complexes in Dr. Darensbourg’s group. Tired of the scorching sun of Texas, Kevin moved to LA to continue his science career in UCLA as a PHD student. In his spare time, he enjoys video editing, cooking and video games. https://www.thenavalab.org/lina-zarnitsa daily 0.75 2023-09-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/a9090ea7-ce21-46fb-b05c-b47f525a3f1a/LZarnitsa_2023_2.jpg Lina Zarnitsa - Lina Zarnitsa Lina grew up in the harsh winters of Columbus, Ohio. She graduated from the Ohio State University with a B.S. in chemistry while working on copper complexes for C-H functionalization under the guidance of Dr. Shiyu Zhang. Lina moved to sunny UCLA to pursue her PhD in inorganic chemistry. Any free time she has, she devotes to crafting, particularly knitting and ceramics. https://www.thenavalab.org/safety-minutes daily 0.75 2023-03-18 https://www.thenavalab.org/safety-documents daily 0.75 2023-04-18 https://www.thenavalab.org/tutorials daily 0.75 2025-05-02 https://www.thenavalab.org/chem210 daily 0.75 2024-06-03 https://www.thenavalab.org/tania-peymany daily 0.75 2023-09-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/9adaf22f-8384-4684-8322-8080a7930279/TPeymany_2023.jpg Tania Peymany - Tania Peymany Tania Peymany is a second-year biochemistry undergraduate student (class of 2025). In her free time, she likes to skate and listen to music. Her goal is to obtain a Ph.D./M.D. after completing her undergrad. taniapeymany03@gmail.com https://www.thenavalab.org/members daily 0.75 2026-03-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/1655150962596-XL55DNYKPSZOIYNOK40H/bears.png Members - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/1655151180804-HAPN0HS4BM7TW5OTE635/MJNava_profile.jpg Members - Matthew J Nava (PI) MSB 1505A mnava@chem.ucla.edu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/4e1e5e66-5649-4fa3-b2cb-c78b09225f00/MRiu_2023.jpg Members - Dr. Martin-Louis Riu mriu@g.ucla.edu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/aed9332c-d47d-4424-a382-248f0a4f162c/QYou_2025.jpg Members - Dr. Qiulin You qiulin223@ucla.edu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/026bdccf-9189-4585-8fc7-56df36989b9d/HLin_2023.jpg Members - Haoding “Vito” Lin (G4) haodinglin@g.ucla.edu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/f6cfe944-979c-41b8-badc-b80f23054156/OGarcia_2024.jpg Members - Make it stand out Oliver Garcia (G3) oliveregarcia13@g.ucla.edu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/922ecd66-9a98-4c01-864d-7a4d2c20d071/ATrinh_2025.jpg Members - Make it stand out AuDuyen Trinh (G2) auduyen@g.ucla.edu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/0b0fe5ca-414c-46dd-bc08-84a2d281bca5/KLiu_2023.jpg Members - Kaiyang “Kevin” Liu (G4) kevinliu0629@g.ucla.edu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/1bb7a96a-789a-4f34-9ea1-8fca768c1544/CPierno.jpg Members - Make it stand out Chris Pierno (G3) cpierno@g.ucla.edu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/35cce595-899b-45ec-9df3-74dadc54e421/ZWu.jpg Members - Zhefei (Jeff) Wu (G2) zwu16@g.ucla.edu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/3d5cc92a-5f11-4c8f-92c3-69b72e53d388/LZarnitsa_2023_2.jpg Members - Lina Zarnitsa (G4) linazarnitsa@g.ucla.edu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/8da02a5d-b16b-4827-b273-bd1aeb409969/JSun_2022.jpg Members - Jiangtian Sun (G2) williamsun99@g.ucla.edu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/33c0a489-a032-40bd-972f-274801c5eb79/CChang_2024.jpg Members - Make it stand out Claire Chang (2027) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/e4a9e95d-6dd6-4674-a160-c0b01ba7b75a/KOkada.jpg Members - Keira Okada (2026) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/a211d1b8-ac6f-4b8a-8bf9-b03c1f2cc403/GMaurandy_2025.jpg Members - Make it stand out Virginie (Ginny) Maurandy (2026) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/ce785255-4f35-4c49-8b32-79677cf77ce7/LLIang_2026.jpg Members - Make it stand out Linda Liang (2029) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/e38a1559-090a-4ad1-9d72-97dced2b9fe8/ALorber.jpg Members - Make it stand out Allison Lorber (2026) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/ea2b436a-3766-44ee-8bc9-eea8918b7378/THsu_2025.jpg Members - Make it stand out Tyler Hsu (2028) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/151ab156-a13a-4fc0-a260-da87d02aa7a8/RChoi_2025.png Members - Make it stand out Reena Choi (2027) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/c74659be-decb-47f3-895f-500c6f6e4c96/TPeymany_2023.jpg Members - Tania Peymany (2025) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/5d2ba016-aeb1-487b-947c-48c3444447d7/PSzeliga_2025.jpg Members - Make it stand out Piper Szeliga (2025) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/65858be2-f4ca-444d-a55c-71b2e71c53c1/KBorsa_2026.png Members - Make it stand out Karchy Borsa (2028) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/1662520761231-76TKPD9HGZO2AD8IP4ZM/DGygi_2022.jpg Members - Dr. David Gygi https://www.thenavalab.org/vito-lin daily 0.75 2023-04-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/f5415bb2-0c07-4321-96f1-286a9078dbaa/HLin_2023.jpg Vito Lin - Haoding “Vito” Lin Vito was born and raised in Zhongshan, Guangdong, China. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. chemistry degree where he worked for Prof. Emily Que with nanoemulsion probes for 19F MRI. Vito is also a professional photographer, and he likes to swing his golf clubs at all the beautiful courses in southern California during weekends. https://www.thenavalab.org/miguel-medina daily 0.75 2023-09-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/8ada09ac-6fc2-451d-8825-7affd6d7ef33/MMedina_2023.jpg Miguel Medina - Miguel Medina Lopez Miguel is a second-year Biochemistry undergraduate (Class of 2025). He is working towards getting a Ph.D and working in research. Some of his internets are plants and exploring the city. migueljr03@g.ucla.edu https://www.thenavalab.org/fellowships daily 0.75 2024-10-08 https://www.thenavalab.org/alumni daily 0.75 2026-03-13 https://www.thenavalab.org/dpan daily 0.75 2023-09-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/269b433e-9c28-4859-abae-7a44f90d4658/DPan_2023.jpg Daniel Pan - Daniel Pan Daniel grew up traveling between his hometown, Arcadia, California, and the bustling city of Taipei, Taiwan. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a B.S. degree in chemistry, where he worked with Prof. Gabriel Ménard on using carboranes for the electrochemical biphasic capture and release of uranyl to process spent nuclear fuel. In his spare time, he enjoys rock climbing, watching movies, and playing board games with friends. https://www.thenavalab.org/mriu daily 0.75 2023-09-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/4e1e5e66-5649-4fa3-b2cb-c78b09225f00/MRiu_2023.jpg Martin Riu - Dr. Martin-Louis Riu Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology B.S., Emory University Martin was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He earned his B.S. degree at Emory University where he studied photoredox catalyzed carbon-carbon bond forming reactions under Prof. Nate Jui. He went on to obtain his Ph.D. in chemistry under the guidance of Christopher “Kit” C. Cummins at MIT. At MIT he developed new reagents and reactions for the synthesis of phosphorus-containing tetrahedranes, heterocycles, and materials. Upon completion of his doctoral degree, he underwent postdoctoral training at Caltech with Prof. Hosea Nelson where he investigated organocatalytic methods of generating and controlling the reactivity of two-coordinate carbocations. In his free time, he enjoys bouldering, listening to jazz, and taking his fluffy tuxedo cat on walks. https://www.thenavalab.org/jingmei-zeng daily 0.75 2024-03-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/2c6626d9-7323-430e-86e5-83ce59be87bd/JZeng.jpg Jingmei Zeng - Jingmei Zeng Jingmei grew up in Zhuhai, China. She graduated from University of California, Irvine in 2022 with a B.S. degree in chemistry where she did primarily organic synthesis in Prof. Shea group. Outside the lab, she likes exploring good restaurants around LA. https://www.thenavalab.org/zhefei-wu daily 0.75 2024-03-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/6d269018-b1d7-4a95-9528-da7fd86c0a2c/ZWu.jpg Zhefei Wu - Zhefei “Jeff” Wu Jeff grew up in Wuxi, China. He graduated from UCLA in 2022 with a B.S. degree in chemistry and is currently a student in the Master of Applied Chemical Sciences program. During his graduate study, Jeff joined the group and is currently working on new bioconjugation strategies. Outside the lab, he enjoys cooking and video games. zwu16@g.ucla.edu https://www.thenavalab.org/chris-pierno daily 0.75 2024-03-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/b09cc278-6ebe-4946-ae8a-625e31bd7f54/CPierno.png Chris Pierno - Christopher Pierno Chris is originally from Palo Alto, California. He obtained his BA in Chemistry from Occidental College in 2023 where he worked for Prof. Emmanuelle Despagnet-Ayoub on synthesizing novel electroactive compounds for redox flow batteries, developing alkene oligomerization catalysts, and studying the decomposition of compounds used for future Mars rover missions. He is now excited for the future and pursuing a PhD in inorganic chemistry at UCLA. In his free time, Chris likes to do recreational drone photography, brew beer, and explore Los Angeles. https://www.thenavalab.org/keira-okada daily 0.75 2024-03-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/b5639302-1efd-4e78-9a1b-2e8ed7ebd8ba/KOkada.jpg Keira Okada - Keira Okada Keira Okada is a second-year Physiological Science major (Class of 2026) from Torrance, California. She enjoys trying new coffee drinks, attending concerts in LA, and playing flute for the UCLA Marching Band in her free time. She aspires to obtain an M.D. or M.D./Ph.D. following graduation while currently indulging in biochemistry research in the Nava Lab. keiraokada@g.ucla.edu https://www.thenavalab.org/alliso-lorber daily 0.75 2024-03-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/9c6f0ba4-d115-4ce7-a11b-e27b6622b772/ALorber.jpg Allison Lorber - Allison Lorber Allison is a Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology major (Class of 2026) from Woodland Hills, California. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, reading, and gardening. allisonlorber280@gmail.com https://www.thenavalab.org/oliver-garcia daily 0.75 2024-03-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/8f4205f8-3475-42d7-a4ec-a7b2879ccba4/OGarcia.jpg Oliver Garcia - Oliver Garcia Oliver was born and raised in Passaic, NJ. He earned his B.S. and M.S. from Willam Paterson University, where he studied the dehydrogenative coupling of silanes using Pt-nanoparticle catalysts under the guidance of Prof. Bhanu Chauhan. In his free time, he enjoys sleeping, painting, playing the saxophone, and resting his eyes. https://www.thenavalab.org/anneke-talke daily 0.75 2024-04-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/38498536-9387-43ee-95d6-0781b4426611/Atalke_2024.JPG Anneke Talke - Anneke Talke Anneke Talke is a chemistry major (Class of 2027) from San Luis Obispo, California. Her goal is to get a PhD in chemistry. In her free time, Anneke sings with the UCLA Chamber Singers and trains in classical vocal performance, specifically opera. She also enjoys a variety of high-adventure activities, including rock climbing, hiking, backpacking and skiing. atalke@g.ucla.edu https://www.thenavalab.org/photosnews daily 0.75 2025-06-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/d9c11744-55a2-4ee0-8a44-d561d473e846/IMG_9504.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/69e6b82f-1425-4a96-948f-280fca672b05/departmental_award_2024.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/56372b9f-e6e0-43ed-a81c-50bfb9235ce0/All_Photoshopped.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/f0d2fa1d-e25d-496b-90bd-7b5b76fe9028/IMG_0172.jpg https://www.thenavalab.org/claire-chang daily 0.75 2024-11-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/33c0a489-a032-40bd-972f-274801c5eb79/CChang_2024.jpg Claire Chang - Claire Chang Claire Chang is a chemistry major (Class of 2027) from Chino Hills, California. After graduation she plans on pursuing a PhD in chemistry. In her free time she enjoys going to the beach and reading. claire0707@g.ucla.edu https://www.thenavalab.org/ugradapp daily 0.75 2025-04-27 https://www.thenavalab.org/tyler-hsu daily 0.75 2025-03-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/ea2b436a-3766-44ee-8bc9-eea8918b7378/THsu_2025.jpg Tyler Hsu - Tyler Hsu Tyler is a first-year chemistry student (Class of 2028) from Seattle, Washington. Before coming to UCLA, he studied electroanalytical chemistry in Prof. Bo Zhang’s research group at the University of Washington. Interests include outdoor recreation such as hiking, bird watching, and skiing. tylerhsu@g.ucla.edu https://www.thenavalab.org/piper-szeliga daily 0.75 2025-03-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/5d2ba016-aeb1-487b-947c-48c3444447d7/PSzeliga_2025.jpg Piper Szeliga - Piper Szeliga Piper Szeliga is a chemistry major (Class of 2025) from Ontario, California. Her goal is to acquire her Ph.D. after undergraduate degree in order to become a professor. When not in the lab or studying she enjoys photography, reading, and visiting with family and friends. pszeliga@g.ucla.edu https://www.thenavalab.org/auduyen-trinh daily 0.75 2025-03-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/8302337d-63fa-49af-a58a-48a888c73ed0/ATrinh_2025.jpg AuDuyen Trinh - AuDuyen Trinh AuDuyen grew up in Washougal, WA and earned her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Washington. There, she worked on synthesizing semiconductive porous cocrystals under the guidance of Prof. Douglas Reed. In her free time, she enjoys reading and going to concerts. https://www.thenavalab.org/teaching daily 0.75 2026-03-27 https://www.thenavalab.org/tutorials-ext daily 0.75 2025-07-01 https://www.thenavalab.org/ginny daily 0.75 2025-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/fb408360-3edb-4164-b456-8e04a421c052/GMaurandy_2025.jpg Ginny Maurandy - Ginny Maurandy Ginny was born in New York City and raised in London. She came to UCLA to pursue a BS in Biochemistry and trains and competes with the UCLA Figure Skating team. She hopes to pursue a PhD in Chemistry to either teach or conduct research. In her free time, she enjoys watching English Premier League, and her favorite team is the Tottenham Hotspurs. vmaurandy@g.ucla.edu https://www.thenavalab.org/rchoi daily 0.75 2025-11-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/db032f0a-c789-42d2-8826-46ac0cc82983/RChoi_2025.JPG Reena Choi - Reena Choi Reena Choi is a third-year Chemistry major (Class of 2027) from Seoul, South Korea. She is deeply interested in exploring the intersection of chemistry and medicine, with plans to pursue an M.D. after graduation. Outside of the lab, she enjoys training and competing in triathlons as part of the UCLA Triathlon Team. rchoi0802@g.ucla.edu https://www.thenavalab.org/abagchi daily 0.75 2025-11-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/1ec2f44c-6e59-4062-8e8d-1aece83fc227/ABagchi_2025.jpg Abhi Bagchi - Abhi Bagchi Abhi (O.B.) obtained his B.A. in molecular synthesis from UCSD in 2023 where he worked for Prof. Joshua Figueroa on synthesizing novel m-Terphenyl Isocyanide complexes using Manganese for reversible white phosphorus storage, small molecule activation, and catalysis. He recently obtained his M.S. by working with a variety of highly air sensitive and pyrophoric compounds. In his free time, he enjoys going to concerts, playing bass and exploring the L.A scene. https://www.thenavalab.org/kborsa daily 0.75 2026-01-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/20d3fbfb-7a50-47ce-bee5-2c3997c51b90/KBorsa_2026.png Karchy Borsa - Karchy Borsa Karchy (2028) is a chemistry student from La Jolla, California who plans to earn a PhD in chemistry. He is especially passionate about environmental research. His hobbies include photography, hiking, and playing the piano. https://www.thenavalab.org/lliang daily 0.75 2026-01-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6297aaa0148b933701eec624/680d0e0f-3d2a-473d-8adb-0349659f9ef0/LLIang_2026.jpg Linda Liang - Linda Liang Linda Liang is a Chemistry/Materials Science major (Class of 2029) from Beijing, China. After graduation she plans on pursuing a PhD in Chemistry. In her free time, she likes running, dancing, and getting boba. https://www.thenavalab.org/red-calc daily 0.75 2026-03-30