Junior Specialist
Jana Mitrevska earned a B.S. in Neurobiology with a minor in Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Studies from UC San Diego. Under the mentorship of Dr. William Gerwick and Dr. Nicole Avalon at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, she investigated the production of metallophores by cyanobacteria and their roles in mediating metal toxicity and shaping marine ecological interactions. Her work highlighted the ecological significance of natural product biosynthesis in cyanobacteria and its broader implications for marine ecosystems. Jana’s research interests lie at the intersection of marine natural products and neurobiology, with a particular focus on their potential applications in developing novel neurotherapeutics.
Rotating Ph.D. Student
Pharmacological Sciences
Jeremiah joins the Avalon Lab after spending five years as a scientist at Neurocrine Biosciences and PassPort Technologies. During his time in industry, he contributed to the development of several early- and late-stage clinical drug candidates targeting CNS and neurological indications. Prior to that, he earned a B.S. in Biology-Chemistry from Point Loma Nazarene University, where he conducted research under the mentorship of Prof. Katherine Maloney. His work focused on the isolation and structure elucidation of natural products from an endophytic fungi. Jeremiah's research interests lie at the intersection of marine natural product isolation/structure elucidation and neurotherapeutic drug discovery.
Rotating Ph.D. Student
Pharmacological Sciences
Adelynne joins the Avalon Lab after finishing her B.S. and B.A. in Chemistry and Psychology at UC Merced. During their undergraduate career, she contributed to multiple fields of study with their most recent being under the mentorship of Dr. Jason Sello. Their work focused on the structural importance and discovery of potential drugs to be used as anesthetics and analgesics. Adelynne’s research interests lie in neurotherapeutic drug discovery and development.
Undergraduate Researcher
Julian Masloub is a Biological Sciences major planning to pursue an MD/PhD. Julian is most interested in the chemistry underlying biological processes and thus is excited to research and uncover bioactive molecules with Dr. Avalon. Outside of the lab, Julian is involved with the BioSci Student Council and the UCI Club Rowing Team.
Undergraduate Researcher
Nayoung Chung is an undergraduate Pharmaceutical Sciences major at UC Irvine. Her research interests lie in the use of marine compounds in drug discovery. In her free time, Nayoung enjoys watching horror movies and gardening.