Sorin Lab Alumni

Mariell Abad (Spring 2019 - Fall 2020)

Major: B.S. Molecular Cell Biology and Physiology, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Drug Docking
Post-graduation: M.S./Ph.D in Molecular Biology
Honors, Awards, etc: University Honors Program & UROP

Edsel Abud (2010-2011)

Major: B.S. Biochemistry/B.A. Chemistry Student, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Enzyme inhibition
Post-graduation: Joint MD/PhD program at UC Irvine
Awards, Honors, etc: Women & Philanthropy Scholar (2008-09),
Marsi Fellow (2009-10) & Summer Internships at Johns Hopkins (2009, 2010)

Karel Aceituno (2021 - 2023)

Major: B.S. Biochemistry, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Drug Docking and Enzyme Inhibition
Post-graduation: PhD in Biomedical Engineering
Honors, Awards, etc: RISE Fellows Program (2021)
John Stern Physical Chemistry Summer Research Award (2021)

Karel's Moving On Statement: "As a Sorin lab member, I had the opportunity to work with an extremely talented group of individuals from various disciplines which allowed me to gain a firm foundation in computational research. My time with Dr. Sorin allowed for much growth as both a student and a scientist, and I greatly appreciate his mentorship and guidance."

Walter Alvarado (Winter 2014-Fall 2017)

Major: M.S. Physics graduate, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Docking & Enzyme Inhibition
Post-graduation: Biophysics Ph.D. program @ the University of Chicago
Honors, Awards, etc: Philip Ord Johnson Award (2014)
Margaret Heeb Summer Research Scholarship (2015)
Best Graduate Student Poster award, 2015 Far West meeting of the APS

Walter's Moving On Statement: "My research focused on the implementation of different theoretical methods to calculate and explain the relative binding affinities of inhibitors of the human butyrylcholinesterase enzyme. Through the application of molecular dynamics and clustering algorithms, we were able to identify distinct binding modes and elucidate the essential interactions between inhibitor and enzyme. During this time, I had the pleasure of working with smart and talented individuals from across different fields. This experience gave me the confidence to approach concepts outside of my primary discipline and find a common language to communicate with peers and collaborators from diverse scientific backgrounds. In addition, Dr. Sorin has been a source of encouragement and motivation. He challenged me as a researcher and showed me that I could push myself harder than I ever thought I could."

Yi An (2007-2010)

Major: M.S. student in Chemistry, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Enzyme-inhibitor interactions & drug design
Post-graduation: Ph.D. program in Chemistry at Texas A&M University
Awards, Honors, etc: Provost Summer Research Fellow (2008),
Hypercube Award for Computational Chemistry (2008),
Volunteer, CSULB International Education Week (2008, 2009),
Myrtle Graduate Research Scholarship (2010)

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John "Simba" Austin (Summers of 2011 & 2012)

Major: Irvine High School Student
Sorin Lab Research: Prion proteins, Data Analysis, and accomplished pianist & cellist
Post-graduation: Cell & Molec Biol @ Harvard, Stanford Medical School
Awards, Honors, etc: Too many to note here!

Simba's Moving On Statement: "As a high school student at the time, I was eager to discover the world of biological research and inquiry. Dr. Sorin gave me that chance, entrusting me to assist with the butylcholinesterase drug project. In my time in the lab, not only did I gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for scientific research, I also made friends that helped mentor me while still very early on in my academic life. My time in the Sorin Lab is inextricably linked to my passion for science and knowledge, and I've used the lessons I've learned to guide me in whatever academic challenges have come my way in college or med school. I am forever grateful for my time in the Sorin Lab and will never forget the people there who helped guide my first foray into academia."

Mona Bakhom (2009-2011)

Major: B.S. Biochemistry & B.A. Chemistry, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: RNA Folding
Post-graduation: MS Program in Chemical Education

Mona's Moving On Statement: "My time in Dr. Sorin's lab has been very enriching because it has broadened my learning spectrum tremendously. I got to experience hands-on scientific research using computational methods that are not possible in wet labs and interact with many diverse, brilliant-minded individuals. My research was on ribonucleic acid (RNA) pseudoknot folding on the ribosomal frame-shifting pseudoknot of Luteovirus and the transfer-messenger RNA pseudoknot from Aquifex aeolicus. I have many great memories in my 3 years in Dr. Sorin's lab working with many partners, assisting in writing a National Institute of Health grant proposal about RNA Folding, and presenting at different symposiums. Dr. Sorin is a great PI and mentor. He allows students to take on a whole new level of researching, allowing them control over their project with his guidance, thus, allowing them to critically think on what steps to take, how to take those steps, and solve obstacles along the way. I am very glad and honored that I got to be in Dr. Sorin.s Lab. If you are looking for a fun, exciting research lab to join with a great set of brilliant minds and a great mentor, then look no further!"

Varderes "Vardo" Barsegyan (Fall 2016-Fall 2017)

Major: M.S. Computer Science student, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Data Analysis Methods (Machine Learning)
Post-graduation: Operation of Family Business
Honors, Awards, etc: Sigma Pi Sigma & Gamma Sigma Alpha Honors Societies
Internship @ Panasonic (2017), CoE Engineering Alumni Scholarship (2017)
CSULB Student Summer Research Award (2017)

Vardo's Moving On Statement: Dr. Sorin's interdisciplinary lab allows a diverse collection of minds to come together to solve challenging problems in computational biochemistry and biophysics. Within the three semesters I was there, I regularly interacted with future physicists, chemists, engineers, and computer scientists. Through these interactions, I gained a wider perspective of the scientific research process and how I can apply my computer science knowledge to problems in the field of biology. In particular, I built two high-utility software tools for the lab, one of which is summarized on the poster right outside of the lab. The skills and experience I gained from these projects helped me land multiple software internship offers, one of which I accepted. I am now operating an 18-year-old family business, and the problem solving mindset I established in the lab is helping me make important decisions everyday. All in all, I am incredibly thankful for the opportunities given to me at the lab.

Jake Bremer (2018 - 2022)

Major: B.S. Information Systems, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Systems Administration
Post-graduation: IT/Industry

Parker Bremer (Fall 2017-Spring 2019)

Major: M.S. Chemistry, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Enzyme Inhibition
Post-graduation: Industry
Honors, Awards, etc: Graduate Dean's List (2019)
CSULB Summer Research Fellow (2018)
Robert B. Henderson Memorial Scholarship (2018)

Parker's Moving On Statement: I grew a ridiculous amount, personally, professionally, academically, technically, etc., while working in the Sorin Lab. I think that this lab offers that chance to anyone who is willing, and I would highly recommend it.

Samantha Cao (2010-2014)

Major: B.S. Biochemistry student, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Enzyme inhibition & RNA Folding
Post-graduation: Occupational Therapy
Honors, Awards, etc: Women & Philanthropy Scholar (2011),
Kenneth L. Marsi Scholarship (2011) and James L. Jensen Undergraduate Research Fellow (2011),
Volunteer in St. Mary's Clinical Care Extender Program, Big Sister for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America

Sam's Moving On Statement: I met Dr. Sorin my freshmen year in undergrad. I read about his work on his webpage and was curious in learning more about computational research. During the meeting, Dr. Sorin told me about the butyrylcholinesterase drug potency project and I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. As I participated in the research project and got more involved, I was able to present at local and regional conferences, which built up my communication skills and confidence. I made life long friends during my time at the Sorin lab and enjoyed working along other members on making progress and discoveries in our research projects. I received mentorship and support from members of the lab and Dr. Sorin. They taught me to challenge myself, go out of my comfort zone, and achieve whatever goals I had for myself. I truly enjoyed my time at the Sorin lab and would not be where I am today without Dr. Sorin’s encouragement and support.

Erik Carpio (2010-2014)

Major: B.S. Biology-Physiology student, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Collagen Related Disease & Apolipoprotein Modeling
Post-graduation: MD Program at UC Riverside
Honors, Awards, etc: Habitat preservation (New Zealand, Summer 2011),
Target Specialty Scholarship Award (2012) & CNSM Glenn M. Nagel Undergraduate Research Fellow (2012),
Women & Philanthropy Summer Research Scholar (2012) & John & Elizabeth Leonard Scholarships (2013),
Medical Psychosocial Education Volunteer Program (Thailand, Summer 2012)

Dennis Chen (Fall 2014-Summer 2016)

Major: Physics & Mathematics @ Bard College at Simon's Rock
Sorin Lab Research: Systems Administration/Data Analysis
Post-graduation: Graduate school in a STEM field
Honors, Awards, etc: Linux Kernel Hacker,
Office of Naval Research recognized researcher

Lynn Cherngchaosil (2010-2012)

Major: B.S. Computer Engineering & Computer Science, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Systems Administration & Web Design
Post-graduation: Doctoral studies in Computer Science
Honors, Awards, etc: Boeing Summer Intern (2011), CoE Scholarship (2010),
Switzerland Summer CS Intern (2010) & Amazon.com Summer Internship (2012),
NASA Technical Analyst @ NASA U. Research Center (2011-12)

Angela Choy (Fall 2015-Spring 2019)

Major: B.S. Chemical Engineering student, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Enzyme Inhibition
Post-graduation: Industry/Grad School
Honors, Awards, etc: Boeing Academic Scholarship (2016)
Engineering Endowed Fund Scholarship Scholarship (2017)
Study Abroad Fellow (2018)
University Honors Graduate (2019)

Danna De Boer (2019 - 2022)

Major: B.S. Chemistry & B.A. German Studies, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Enzyme Inhibition
Post-graduation: Grad School in the Chemical Sciences
Honors, Awards, etc: BUILD Scholars Program (2020)
Kenneth L. Marsi Endowed Scholarship (2020)
Dept of Chemistry & Biochemistry Scholarship (2020)
CSULB Summer Student Research Scholarship (2021)
ACS/DAAD Internship in Germany (2021)
ACS Award in Physical Chemistry (2021)

Allison DePaul (2007-2010)

Major: B.S. student in Biochemistry, B.A. student in Chemistry, Minor in Spanish, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: RNA folding, Protein folding, & Graphics Design
Post-graduation: UCSF Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) Program
Awards, Honors, etc: Women & Philanthropy Scholar (2008), Certified Pharmacy Technician (2009),
Rite-Aid Pharmacy Certified Technician (2009-2010), Member of the Golden Key International Honour Society,
Graduated Cum Laude with Department Honors in Biochemistry (2010)

Ali's Moving On Statement: "When I first started talking to Dr. Sorin about working in his lab I was excited and interested in this opportunity to conduct scientific research without having to worry about breaking glassware or over-pipetting! As I got to know Dr. Sorin better and learn about his work, I found computational biophysics to be a very intriguing and creative way to study proteins and folding. I started working on a project right away on a protein of my choice, apolipophorin III, however Erik and I were quickly diverted to an exciting GNRA study, which became a two and half year project that ended with a Featured Article publication. I never thought in a million years that I would be an author of a scientific article, let alone a Featured Article. Through my experiences in the Sorin Lab I have made lasting friendships, gained confidence in my scientific knowledge and research ability, and accomplished dreams and goals I didn't know I had. Dr. Sorin has been a great friend, mentor, advisor, and professor. He has changed my life for the better in more ways than he knows and I feel truly honored to have worked in his lab. Anyone looking to do research with genuinely wonderful and intelligent peers should considering joining the Sorin Lab. Dr. Sorin is great at finding cool people from diverse backgrounds, both culturally and academically, to work in the lab. I had so much fun at our lab meetings and hanging out with other lab members outside of school. On a more academic note, my time spent in the Sorin Lab helped me realize that if I put enough time and effort into my work I can and will succeed. This feeling of confidence contributed to my success in my academic coursework and helped me push through the difficult subjects with success. Furthermore, I can honestly say, that if it were not for Dr. Sorin's outstanding mentoring and advice I would not have the future in pharmacy school that lies before me. Thank you for everything Dr. Sorin! And thank you to all the lab members for your friendship and support!"

Felisha Eugenio (2008-2010)

Major: B.S. student Biology, Cell & Molecular Option, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Protein folding & Collagen Simulation
Post-graduation: M.D. Program @ UCLA
Awards, Honors, etc: Volunteer, King/Drew UCLA Med Center (2009-2010)
Volunteer, Milller Children's Hospital (2009-2011)

Aingty Eung (Summer 2015-Spring 2019)

Major: B.S. Computer Science, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Systems Administration
Post-graduation: Applied Computer Science/Software Development

Analisa Garcia (2014-2015)

Major: B.S. Biochemistry student, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Docking/Inhibition
Post-graduation: Pharmacy School @ USC
Honors, Awards, etc: Golden Key International Honour Society
Compound Central Pharmacy Intern (2011)
NHK Laboratories Inc., Award (2015)

Analisa's Moving On Statement: "My project focused on using computer modeling to simulate inhibitors binding to cholinesterase enzymes. After collecting scores for the best positions of the inhibitors within the binding pocket, I analyzed the relationship between the enzyme and the inhibitor, such as prominent amino acid side chain interactions. This lab allowed me to visualize and better understand what I have learned in my major courses. It is one thing to read about Biochemistry through the textbook but it is another to actually see the interactions before your eyes. This lab made me excited to learn more about the inner workings of the human body and really helped prepare me for USC. However, aside from the intellectual aspects of this lab, I had so much fun collaborating with the other members of the group. Working in the Sorin Lab is one of my favorite memories of CSULB."

David Gaskins (2012-2013)

Major: B.S. Computer Science student, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Systems Administration
Post-graduation: IBM Intern - I/T Specialist

Yessica Gomez (Summer 2014-Summer 2017)

Major: B.S. Biochemistry/B.A. Physics graduate, CSULB (2016)
Sorin Lab Research: Apolipoproteins/RNA Folding
Post-graduation: Biophysics Ph.D. program @ UCSF
Honors, Awards, etc: Women & Philanthropy Scholar (2016)
Hypercube Award in Computational Chemistry (2017)

Yessica's Moving On Statement: My time in the Sorin lab was a great learning experience and a huge influence on my post-graduate plans. Working in the lab was difficult at first, because we used methods not usually taught in the classroom, but it ended up being very rewarding. I gained many valuable skills from working in a dry lab setting, including learning how to code in Perl and Python. I also learned a lot of general lab skills, such as presenting posters & research talks, as well as drafting & editing manuscripts. One of the coolest things about being in this lab was the opportunity to make friends and work with people from diverse majors and colleges. Overall, I really enjoyed my time in the lab, and have benefited greatly from working under and learning from Dr. Sorin.

Kristin Haldeman (2008-2010)

Major: B.S. student in Mathematics, B.A. student in Economics, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Simulation analysis, Markov Models, ffAMBER ports
Post-graduation: M.S. in Biostatistics at UC Davis
Awards, Honors, etc: CSULB President's Scholar, Graduated Magna Cum Laude,
Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program at James Madison University (NSF),
Member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society, Peter Markman Scholarship for Graduate Studies,
Robert D. Rhodes Award in Mathematics and Statistics,
Outstanding Graduating Senior of the Year majoring in Mathematical Economics,
Wallace Atherton Memorial Award for Outstanding Graduating Senior in the BA Economics program

Kristin's Moving On Statement: "I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Sorin Lab! The camaraderie of the group members was wonderful, and the research experience has been valuable and exciting; I consider myself lucky to have been apart of the Sorin Lab. My first research project in the Sorin lab was centered on the distribution of ions in a solution around the GCAA tetraloop region in an RNA molecule. During this project I have looked to see if there were any correlations between the folding and unfolding processes of the tetraloop region and the position of ions in the solution.The data that I worked with was gathered from simulations using the Gromacs and Folding@Home software. These simulations were run using several different force field models, in able to analyze this data from all aspects. After running these simulations, I learned the Python language in order to write scripts to organize the data and perform simple preliminary calculations. I then used Mathematica to perform calculations such as the Radial Distribution Functions and make use of other data analysis techniques. This research let me be a part of the publication from Sorin Lab entitled "Equilibrium conformational dynamics in an RNA tetraloop from massively parallel molecular dynamics" that will be published in Nucleic Acids Research. After this project, I worked on porting newly found optimized values for the radii and well depth of ions into the AMBER force fields. This information will be used by both my lab and many other research groups in computational chemistry that use the Gromacs software. Being in the Sorin Lab has thoroughly prepared me for continuing on to graduate studies, and I am very glad to have been apart of the Sorin Lab as I now embark onto obtaining my PhD in Biostatistics from UC Davis."

Kimberly Helm (2011-2012)

Major: B.S. Chemical Engineering, minor in Sociology, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Enzyme Simulations
Post-graduation: Teach for America
Awards, Honors, etc: BP American Scholar (2012),
Women & Philanthropy Summer Research Scholar (2012),
Associated Student, Inc. (ASI) Woman of the Year (2012)

Nick Humphrey (Fall 2016-Spring 2018)

Major: B.S. Chemical Engineering, CSULB (2017)
Sorin Lab Research: Enzyme Inhibition
Post-graduation: Materials Science Ph.D. program @ USC
Honors, Awards, etc: CSULB Student Summer Research Award (2017)

Jocelyn Hsu (Summer 2018-Spring 2019)

Major: CAMS High School Junior/Senior
Sorin Lab Research: Drug Docking/Enzyme Inhibition
Post-graduation: BS Biomedical Engineering program @ Johns Hopkins University
Honors, Awards, etc:

"Jocelyn's Moving On Statement: Researching at the Sorin Lab was a very rewarding experience. While working on the butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) docking project, I enjoyed learning about the biochemistry behind the inhibition, its applications, and programming in Python and Perl. Through running simulations, analyzing data, and presenting at various conferences, I’ve gained a new passion in research and many friends. I really appreciate how Dr. Sorin and fellow members entrusted me with helping them with research while providing guidance along the way. Thank you for supporting and leading me to the more confident scientist I am today!"

Tae Ji (2011-2012)

Major: B.A. Chemistry, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Simplified Modeling Techniques
Post-graduation: Pharmacy Program at Western University
Awards, Honors, etc: American Institute of Chemists Baccalaureate Award

Carolyn Kusaba (2011-2012)

Major: B.S. Chemistry major/Math minor, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Mutation-based Collagen Related Disease
Post-graduation: Industry Chemistry
Awards, Honors, etc: Women & Philanthropy Scholar (2010-11),
ACS International Year of Chemistry Student Chapter Award (2011),
President of SAACS (local ACS student affiliates, 2011-12)

Phuc La (2011-2014)

Major: B.S. Biochemistry, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Data Analysis and RESP Charge Derivation
Post-graduation: PharmD program at USC
Honors, Awards, etc: American Institute of Chemists Undergraduate Biochemistry Award (2013),
Graduation with Departmental Honors (2013), Analytical Chemistry Award (2012-13)
Hypercube Award for Computational Chemistry (2013),
Robert D. Rhodes Award for Outstanding Graduating Senior (Chem & Biochem, 2013)

Phuc's Moving On Statement: "I appreciate the time that I spent working in Dr. Sorin's lab. Dr. Sorin gave me a chance to work in the lab when I took the physical chemistry courses with him. At that time, I did not have any experience in doing research [and] I gained experience that helped me at work and in pharmacy school. I [learned] how to work in team [settings] and how to promote other people to [reach] target goals. I worked on [two projects]: pseudoknot RNA folding and drug binding. I [learned] how to run simulations using the Gromacs and ICM softwares. Dr. Sorin guided me how to come up with an analysis plan. For analyzing purposes, I learned Perl and Python programing languages. I also learned to use other software such as Rasmol, Jmol, VMD, etc. Being a member in the Sorin Lab prepared me for continuing on to be a medical professional, and I am very glad to have been apart of the Sorin Lab."

Ji Won Lee (2014-2015)

Major: B.S. Biochemistry student, CSULB (Class of 2015)
Sorin Lab Research: Docking/Enzyme Inhibition
Post-graduation: Industry/Graduate School
Honors, Awards, etc: Departmental Honors, Magna cum laude (2015)
Americal Institute of Chemists Baccalaureate Award: Biochemistry (2015)

Justin Mabutas (Spring 2019 - Fall 2020)

Major: B.S. Computer Science, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Systems Administration, Data Processing & Analysis
Post-graduation: Software Engineering/Development

Jia Mao (2019 - 2022)

Major: B.S. Chemical Engineering, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Drug Docking & Enzyme Inhibition
Post-graduation: Industry
Honors, Awards, etc: Women & Philanthropy Research Scholarship (2020)
CSULB Summer Student Research Scholarship (2021)
SoCalGas Student Research Assistantship (2021)

Xavier Martinez (Fall 2015 - Spring 2018)

Major: B.S. Computer Science student, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Systems Administration & Distributed Computing
Post-graduation: Industry/Software Development
Honors, Awards, etc: RISE Fellow (2016-18)

Sean McCoy (Spring 2015 - Summer 2016)

Major: B.S. Biochemistry student, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Molecular Recognition
Post-graduation: Master's Nursing program @ Azusa Pacific
Honors, Awards, etc: Kenneth L. Marsi Scholarship (2015),
Departmental Honors (2015-16)
AIC Biochemistry Student of the Year (2015-16)

Jessie Moore (Spring 2019 - Spring 2021)

Major: B.S. Biomedical Engineering, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: BChE Inhibition & Collagen
Post-graduation: Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering @ UC Irvine
Honors, Awards, etc: CSULB President's Scholar (2018)
UROP Health Research Peer Group (2019)
BUILD Fellows Program (2020)
Engineering Honors Scholarship & Mike Niggli Honors Scholarship (2020)

Soriya Ngo (2020 - 2021)

Major: MS Computational Physics, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: QM/MM, Docking
Post-graduation: Doctoral studies in the physical sciences

Khai Nguyen (Fall 2012-Fall 2017)

Major: B.S. Biochemistry/minor in Computer Science (Class of 2015)
Sorin Lab Research: Enzyme Inhibition, RNA Folding, SysAdmin (and Lab Master!)
Post-graduation: Currently working in industry as a Software Engineer
Honors, Awards, etc: CSU Future Scholar's Awardee (2013),
James L. Jensen Undergraduate Research Fellowship (2013), CSULB Summer Research
Fellowship (2014), Hypercube Award for Computational Chemistry (2014 & 2015)

Nguyet Nguyen (2018 - 2023)

Major: B.S. Chemical Engineering, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: RNA Folding, Apolipoproteins, Docking
Post-graduation: US NAvy, PhD in Physical Sciences
Honors, Awards, etc: Supplemental Instruction Leader (CHEM 111)
College of Engineering Boeing Academic Scholarship (2019)
Women & Philanthropy Research Scholarship (2019)
SoCalGas Student Research Assistantship (2021)

Sarav Patel (2009-2010)

Major: B.S. student in Biochemistry, CSULB
Post-graduation: Joint DDS/PhD Program at UCLA
Sorin Lab Research: Simulation analysis, RNA & Protein folding, NIH grant writing
Awards, Honors, etc:CSULB President's Scholar & Valedictorian, Class of 2006, Nevada Union High School,
John H. Stern Award in Physical Chemistry (2009), David L. Scoggins Memorial Award in Biochemistry (2009),
Organic Chemistry Award (2008), Graduated Summa Cum Laude with Department Honors and 4.00 GPA,
Member of Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society, Provost's Summer Student Research Fellowship (2008, with Dr. Malcomber),
Ranked Top 750 (2006) and Top 1000 (2007) nationally in William Lowell Putnam Mathematics Competition

Sarav's Moving On Statement: "The time that I spent working in Dr. Sorin's lab was some of the most challenging and fulfilling of my academic career. Unlike other PIs, Dr. Sorin truly was willing to let me take on as much responsibility as I could prove to be able to handle. For those with the assertiveness, initiative, and scientific wherewithal, Sorin Lab provides the best opportunity to become familiar with all aspects of the scientific process, from primary research and design, to data collection and analysis, and manuscript writing and publication. If you are truly interested in molecular modelling and have the scientific curiosity and self-motivation to delve into complex problems in RNA folding, drug binding, lipid membranes, collagen stability, etc. you'll find Sorin lab to be an ideal fit. The learning curve is often steep, especially in the beginning, but keep up and it truly is an experience where you can get back everything you put in and more."

Benjamin Pham (2010-2013)

Major: M.S. student in Chemistry, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Enzyme inhibition & RNA Folding
Post-graduation: Entered the CSULB Science Education Program in Fall '13

Amethyst Radcliffe (2011-2014)

Major: B.S. Physics/Minor in Chemistry, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Enzyme inhibition & RNA Folding
Post-graduation: R&D at PPG Aerospace
Honors, Awards, etc: JPL Student Independent Research Internship (Spr 2012)
Hypercube Computational Chemistry Award (2012), MARC Scholar (2012-2014)

Emilio Robles (2012-2014)

Major: B.S. Biochemistry, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Apolipoproteins
Post-graduation: Medical School
Awards, Honors, etc: Wynston Award in Biochemistry (2013)

Dakota Rochelle (Summer 2014-Summer 2016)

Major: B.S. Biochemistry, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: RNA Folding & Apolipoproteins
Post-graduation: Dental School @ UCSF
Honors, Awards, etc: Valedictorian - Big Bear High School 2012
2015 Women & Philanthropy Scholar

Mariel Sanchez (Fall 2015 - Summer 2017)

Major: B.A. Chemistry graduate, CSULB (2017)
Sorin Lab Research: Enzyme Inhibition/Docking
Post-graduation: Chemistry Teaching Cred Program @ CSULB

Bryan Skorka (2020 - 2022)

Major: B.S. Chemistry, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: RNA Folding, Drug Docking & Enzyme Inhibition
Post-graduation: Grad School/Teaching
Honors, Awards, etc: UROP, MARC*STAR Scholar

Jessica Servin (2008-2010)

Major: B.S. Mathematics & Statistics & M.S. student in Chemistry, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Lipid Membrane Modeling & Monte Carlo Simulation of RNA
Post-graduation: Medicinal Chemistry PhD program at UC Irvine
Awards, Honors, etc: John H. Stern Award in Physical Chemistry (2010)

Brian Song (Fall 2015-Summer 2016)

Major: M.S. Applied Math student, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Data Analysis
Post-graduation: Industry/Big Data Science

Erik Thompson (2007-2010)

Major: B.S. student in Chemical Engineering, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Systems Administrator & Data Analysis
Post-graduation: Industrial position in IT/Web Development
Awards, Honors, etc: Provost Summer Research Fellow (2008), NCEES "Engineer-in-Training" certification,
Sorin Lab Most Valuable Researcher (2008, 2009), Hypercube Award in Computational Chemistry (2010)

Erik's Moving On Statement: "During my time in the Sorin Lab I worked on several projects involving the simulation of biological molecules. I really liked learning about the theories behind molecular dynamics as well as the hands on aspect of using the software to perform simulations. Our area of research depends on so many different disciplines and this is reflected by the diversity of majors represented by our lab members. That aspect of working in the lab is great because we were all able to help each other and contribute in different ways. My major contributions were with helping to maintain the lab computers and writing scripts to plot and analyze our simulation data. I participated in the publication of two research papers during my time in the lab, which was exciting and well beyond my expectations when I started working in the lab almost three years ago."

Richard Wang (2010-2013)

Major: B.S. student in Computer Science, CSULB
Sorin Lab Research: Systems Administration & Data Analysis
Post-graduation: Associate Software Engineer at Thales Avionics
Awards, Honors, etc: CSULB Computer Science Tutor (2008-2011), Switzerland Summer CS Intern (2010),
Software Engineering Intern at THALES Avionics (Summer 2011), Hypercube Award in Computational Chemistry (2011),
Contributing programmer to the Htop process viewer (2011),
Creator of the Remote Bandwidth Analyzer: an application that monitors network traffic remotely (2011)

Richard's Moving On Statement: "During my stay at the Sorin Lab, I have worked on a little bit of everything. My first research activity was to develop an analysis tool for the RNA Pseudoknot project and then later on developed several more tools for the BChE and Collagen research projects. My Linux background enabled me to be responsible for the well being of all the lab computers as well as the lab's computing cluster. Working with the other lab members in the Sorin Lab showed me the importance of diversity in terms of academic background. I could not complete the analysis scripts without the scientific expertise of my lab mates. I was very fortunate to work with really bright and kind people and to explore fields that can benefit from having someone with a strong computing background."

Short Term Alumni

Matt Runyon (2007-08), B.S. Chemistry		Lluvia Zuniga (2008), M.S. Physics
Lucheng Shao (2008-09), M.S. Chemistry		Richard Hua (2008-09), B.S. Biochemistry
Diana Vu (2008-09), B.S. Biochemistry		Bryn Horst (2009), B.S. Chemistry
Tuyen Tran (2009-10), B.S. Biochemistry		Santos Bermejo (Summer 2010), Bridges to the Baccalaureate
Christine Kim (Summer 2010), Bridges to the Baccalaureate		Yanneth Bravo (Summer 2010), Bridges to the Baccalaureate
Chetan Mukhopadhyay (Fall 2010), M.S. Computer Science		Anomitro Bhowmick (Fall 2010), M.S. Electrical Engineering
Zeke Gonzalez-Fernandez (Spring 2011), B.A. Chemistry student		Michelle Dietz (2011), B.S. Biochemistry
Mutaz Alsayegh (Summer 2011), M.S. Applied Mathematics		Eugenia Maravilla (Fall 2011), B.S./M.S. Biochemistry
May Zimmerman (2011-12), B.S. Biological Sciences		Nguyen Nguyen (2012), B.S. Biochemistry
Vivian Huang (2012), B.S. Biochemistry/Design		Linh Nguyen (2012-13), M.S. Chemistry
Walter Alvarado (2012-13), B.S. Physics		Micha'ly Hall (Summer 2013), Bridges to the Baccalaureate
Thuong "Julie" Trieu (2013), B.S. Chemistry		Khue Nguyen (2013), B.S. Chemistry
Karen Tran (2013), B.S. Computer Science		Lynn Nguyen (2013), B.S. Biochemistry
Nicole Hanson (2013), B.S. Biochemistry		Kelly Auch (2014), B.S. Chemical Engineering
Raghu Immaneni (2014), B.S. Computer Science		Danou Veasna (2014), B.S. Chemical Engineering
Cayla Rodia (2014), B.S. Biochemistry		Jonathan Garcia (2015), B.S. Chemical Engineering
Mitchell Miller (2014-15), M.S. Chemistry		Naomy Marrufo (2015-16),B.S. Physics
Omega Nnoham (2016-17), B.S. Biological Sciences		Kimberly Padron (2016-17), B.S. Chemistry
Christine Chung (2017), B.S. Biochemistry		Kevin Trinh (2017), B.S. Biological Sciences
Thomas Hoke (2017), B.S. Chemical Engineering		Jennifer Nguyen (2017-18), B.S. Biochemistry/Computer Science
Yumeng Cheng (2017-18), B.S. Biochemistry		Abi Castro (2018), B.S. Computer Science
Junho Lee (2018), B.S. Biological Sciences		Paola Pepitone (2018), B.S. Electrical Engineering
Trevor Chapman (2019), B.S. Biochemistry		Italia Dutton (2019), B.S. Biological Sciences
Will Epton (2020), B.S. Chemical Engineering		Lydia Neguse (2020), CAMS (High School)
Daniel Figueroa (2020-21), B.S. Chemistry		Jessica Purwanto (2020-21), B.S. Cell & Molec Bio