Principle Investigator
Brenda is a proud Latinx chemist from Los Angeles, California. As a first-generation college graduate, her academic journey began at Los Angeles Trade Technical College and Los Angeles City College, where she balanced part-time studies with full-time employment. During her time in the CSULA Bridges to the Future, Brenda discovered her passion for research, prompting her to pursue further education at California State University Los Angeles. Under the mentorship of Dr. Linda Tunstad-Gutierrez, she delved into the development of covalent molecular capsules, ultimately earning both her bachelor's and master's degrees at CSULA. Eager to continue her scholarly pursuits, Brenda pursued doctoral studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, working closely with Dr. Steven C. Zimmerman. During her time there, she focused on developing amphiphilic polymeric materials and their potential applications in industrial and biomedical settings. Brenda collaborated with Dr. Michael Gilson at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, San Diego. Her lab started in the Fall of 2022 and is working on innovative methods to capture molecules from complex environments selectively.
Hanna joined Dr. Andrade's lab in the spring of her 2nd year after discovering a passion for organic chemistry. She aims to pursue a PhD in Organic Chemistry after completing her B.S. in Chemistry at CSULA. She is supported by the NIH U-RISE program and Honors College. She is also a Chemistry and Biochemistry Club officer and a chemistry tutor at the Center for Academic Success. Her research interests are to explore different branches of organic chemistry research, but she is particularly interested in polymer chemistry. Outside the lab, she enjoys baking, painting her nails, reading, and playing games (Minecraft, Stardew Valley).
Valerie Campos is a fourth-year Natural Sciences major at California State University, Los Angeles. After a two-year gap, she's interested in going to graduate school to study environmental sciences. During my third year, I joined Dr. Andrade's lab after an REU NSF internship, where she mentored me while I aided in her research on Cyclodextrins. Outside of the lab in her free time, she likes to bake for her friends, read books, listen to music, and spend time with friends.
Anthony Vuong is a second-year Biochemistry major at Cal State LA. During the fall of his second year, he joined Dr. Andrade’s lab and is currently synthesizing cyclodextrin derivatives and utilizing spectroscopy to characterize and study their interactions. Outside the lab, he enjoys listening to music, playing competitive volleyball, playing games (Valorant, Overwatch, etc.), and eating good food.
Christina Hurtado is a Biology major with a focus on physiology. Christina's long-term goal is to obtain her medical degree and open a general practice clinic.
Cesar Varela is a chemistry major. Cesar will investigate the partition behavior of hydrophobic molecules in the presence of amphiphilic cyclodextrins.
Former Group Members
- Jae Weon Ahn (CSULA, Class of 23)
- Samantha Englebrecht (CSULA)
- Elyce Velasquez (Summer Chemistry REU)
- Bianca Jaramillo (Summer Chemistry REU)
- Monet Pedrazzini (Summer Geology REU)
- Elise Hastie (Summer Chemistry REU)
- Saba Moghaddamneshat (Summer Geology REU)
- Isabela Nieblas (CSULA, Caitlin Scott Lab)