Group Members

Arya Arun

Postdoctoral Researcher
Email: arya.arun@chem.ox.ac.uk
Phone: +44 1865 272606
Office Rodney Porter building, 1st floor, office 20.22

Originally from India, I am a post-doctoral research associate in Patrick's lab. I obtained my DPhil in Chemistry at the University of Oxford under the supervision of Dr. Paul Beer, where I worked in the area of supramolecular chemistry involving the synthesis of interlocked structures (rotaxanes and catenanes) for applications in host-guest recognition and salt-extraction. Outside of the lab, I enjoy reading, hiking and working on my music.

Jonny Burnett

Postdoctoral Researcher
Email: jonny.burnett@chem.ox.ac.uk
Phone: +44 1865 272606
Office Rodney Porter building, 1st floor, office 20.15

I'm Jonny, a biochemistry post-doctoral reseacrh associate in Patrick's lab working on fungal luciferases. Recently I completed a Life Science PhD at the University of Warwick, studying antimicrobial resistance, and the cell wall Divisome enzymes FtsWI. In my spare time I enjoy rugby, bouldering and fantasy novels.

Johannes Lang

Postdoctoral Researcher
Email: johannes.lang@chem.ox.ac.uk
Phone: +44 1865 272606
Office Rodney Porter building, 1st floor, office 20.21

I am a postdoctoral reserach associate in Patrick's lab working on fungal bioluminiscence. I completed my PhD at Heidelberg University, Germany, where I developed novel heterocyclic inhibitors of flaviviral proteases. Beyond science, I enjoy playing football and squash, and reading. My research is funded buy the German Research Foundation DFG through a Walter benjamin fellowship.

Alexander Stead

PhD Student
Email: sasha.stead@merton.ox.ac.uk
Phone: +44 1865 272606
Office Rodney Porter building, 1st floor, office 20.21

I'm Sasha and I am studying for my DPhil in Chemistry. I recently completed my Master's in Biochemistry with Patrick and will be continuing this preliminary work during my PhD, exploring rapid O2 evolving techniques to facilitate time-resolved crystallographic and spectroscopic studies. My PhD is in collaboration with Diamond Light Source.

Emily Heller

PhD Student (co-supervised with Prof. Christopher Schofield)
Email: emily.heller@chem.ox.ac.uk
Phone: +44 1865 272606
Office Rodney Porter building, 1st floor, office 20.21

I'm Emily, a Chemistry DPhil student co-supervised by Patrick Rabe and Chris Schofield. In my DPhil, I will be working on mechanistic studies on IPNS. I completed my undergraduate degree, studying Chemical Biology, with Jay Keasling's group at UC Berkeley. With Jay, I worked on Polyketide Synthase engineering for the biosynthesis of a potent anti-cancer molecule. In my free time, I love to travel, hike, camp, and ferment my own kombucha!

Thaleesha Iynkaran

Master student
Email: thaleesha.iynkaran@lincoln.ox.ac.uk
Phone: +44 1865 275474
Office: Rodney Porter building, ground floor, office 10.23

I’m Thaleesha, a 4th year Biochemistry student at Lincoln College, Oxford. I decided to join Patrick’s group for my Part II because, as someone who’s discovered an interest in structural biology over the past few years, the technique of time-resolved crystallography is fascinating to me! I’m excited to be investigating MnCat and its rapid oxygen evolution, for use in the aforementioned time-resolved studies of oxygen-sensitive enzymes such as luciferase, as a potential alternative for the previously studied chlorite dismutase. Though my tutors may question this, I do have a life outside PyMOL, and have enjoyed trying new things during my time at Oxford like alternative ice hockey and ultimate frisbee!

Christopher Watson

Master student
Email: christopher.watson@pmb.ox.ac.uk
Phone: +44 1865 275474
Office: Rodney Porter building, ground floor, office 10.23

I’m Chris, a 4th year biochemistry student at Pembroke college. For my part II project this year, I’m studying the cyclic fungal bioluminescence pathway with a focus on the recycling enzyme, Caffeoyl Pyruvate Hydrolase. I am especially excited, not only because the system is interesting, but this enzyme is currently unreported alone in the literature! Outside the lab, I enjoy hiking, swimming and TV.