Meet our lab members! 

Research Focus: He joined the Thompson lab in November 2020 to work on the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of reversible and irreversible inhibitors of the STING, PADs and SARM1 proteins.  

Scientific History: Leonard received his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a concentration in Medicinal Chemistry from the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John’s University, NY, in May 2020.  

Fun Fact: Besides lab work, Leonard likes watching soccer, reading, watching documentaries, and traveling.  

Office/Bench Location: LRB 860A

 

Learn more about Leonard in his department feature!

Research Focus: In the Thompson Lab, she works as a manager for the Small Molecule Screening Facility (SMSF) carrying out biochemical and molecular biology experiments to screen compound libraries against a variety of drug targets.  

Scientific History: Shruti received her B. Pharm degree from University of Delhi, India and her PhD in Medicinal Chemistry from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh. She did her postdoc at The Scripps Research Institute, Florida targeting disease-causing RNAs with small molecules.  

Fun Fact: Outside of lab she enjoys spending time with her cats, hiking, and finding good bakeries/dessert shops.

Office/Bench Location: LRB 860E
 

Research Focus: His work in the Thompson lab involves characterizing the kinetics and activation of SARM1, a pro-neurodegenerative NAD⁺. He is also interested in testing novel inhibitors of this enzyme as a therapeutic approach to traumatic brain injuries, peripheral neuropathies, and glaucoma. 

Scientific History: Leo graduated from Rhode Island College with a BM in clarinet performance, a BS in biology, and a minor in chemistry.  

Fun Fact: Outside of the lab, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends and continues to practice clarinet.  

Office/Bench Location: LRB 860D

 

Research Focus: Janneke’s research is focused on characterizing the molecular mechanisms of TIR-1, the worm ortholog of SARM1. Like SARM1, TIR-1 is a NAD glycohydrolase that plays an important role in neuronal cell death. These studies will aid our efforts to develop inhibitors targeting the human enzyme and thereby provide therapies for a broad range of diseases including traumatic brain injury and peripheral neuropathies.  

Fun Fact: Janneke enjoys hiking, knitting, cooking, and playing with her cat.  

Office/Bench Location: LRB 860D

 

Learn more about Janneke in her department feature!

Research Focus: Lin works in the Thompson/Xu lab to study citrullination in ALS 

Scientific History: Lin received her BS/MS degree in Peking University, China and her PhD degree in Cornell University. During her PhD, she studied gut-microbiome-associated enzymes using activity-based protein profiling.

Fun Fact: Outside of the lab, she lenjoys working out in the gym and dancing.

Office/Bench Location: LRB 860A

 

Research Focus: Her work in the Thompson lab involves investigating the structure of PAD2 and characterizing PAD6.

Scientific History: Sungwoo graduated from Smith College with a double major in biochemistry and statistics. She then graduated with an M.S. in molecular and cellular biology from UMass Amherst. During her master’s, Sungwoo worked on characterizing diterpene synthases in Medicago Truncatula. 

Fun Fact: Outside of lab, Sungwoo likes to snowboard, watch F1, and go to different breweries with her friends.

Office/Bench Location: LRB 860C

 

Research Focus: Her research focuses on examining the effects of inhibitors on protein arginine deiminases (PADs) and the stimulator of interferon genes (STING). Both PADs and STING play crucial roles in inflammatory processes, aligning with Maeve’s interest in exploring the link between inflammation and disease.

Scientific History: Maeve completed her B.S. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in May 2023. As an undergraduate, Maeve conducted research on the kinetic properties of malate dehydrogenase, an enzyme integral to cellular respiration.  

Fun Fact: When not in lab, Maeve enjoys sushi, going to the gym, and spending time with her two dogs  

Office/Bench Location: LRB 860A

 

Research Focus: Tom joined the Thompson Lab in 2024 to study PAD6, a PAD isozyme predominantly expressed in the female reproductive system.

Scientific History: Tom graduated from Brandeis University in 2017 with a B.S. in Biology and Chemical Biology. His undergraduate research focused on the protein kinase CaMKII and its role in learning and memory. In late 2017, Tom moved to New York City to join the Weill Cornell Pharmacology Ph.D. program. His thesis work, conducted in the joint laboratory of Drs. Jochen Buck and Lonny Levin, focused on developing small molecule inhibitors of soluble adenylyl cyclase for use as novel male contraceptives.  

Fun Fact: Outside of the lab, Tom enjoys spending time with his wife and children, listening to audiobooks and podcasts, and playing D&D and other tabletop games with his friends.  

Office/Bench Location: LRB 860C

 

Research Focus: In the Thompson lab, Tran’s research focuses on the cellular regulation of PAD proteins.

Scientific History: Tran graduated from Clark University. Now pursuing her PhD, it seems she will not leave the great town of Worcester and Massachusetts anytime soon. Through her research and outreach activities, she hopes to encourage local students to pursue a career in science. 

Fun Fact:   Outside of the lab, Tran enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking and going to the beach. 

Office/Bench Location: LRB 860A