Strongin Lab Members

Dr. Robert Strongin

Professor of Organic Chemistry
Ph.D.| University of Pennsylvania, 1995

Professor Robert M. Strongin directs an internationally recognized academic research program, is a successful biotech startup founder and he is highly regarded for his work in STEM education. He received his B.A (honors) in Chemistry from Temple University, and worked as an industrial chemist at FMC Corporation in Princeton, NJ and as a medicinal chemist at SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals (now GlaxoSmithKline) in King of Prussia, PA. He received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania in the laboratory of Professor Amos B. Smith, III, where he co-authored 33 peer-reviewed research papers. Upon graduation, he directly joined the tenure-track faculty at Louisiana State University where he rose through the ranks to Philip and Foymae Kelso West Professor of Chemistry. While at LSU, Professor Strongin received an Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation Young Investigator Award for enabling new avenues of research in chemistry and biology. He joined the faculty at Portland State University in 2007, and additionally received affiliate appointments in both Physiology and Pharmacology and the Center for Spatial Systems Biomedicine at the Oregon Health and Sciences University, where he has several ongoing research collaborations. In 2009, he served as a Sigma Xi National Lecturer. He has earned several awards and honors since joining the faculty at PSU, including the John Eliot Allen Teaching Award, Outstanding Researcher Award in the Physical Science from the Sigma Xi Columbia-Willamette Chapter and the PSU Presidential Career Research Award.

Group Members

Tafadzwa Chitepo

PhD Candidate

I am a first year graduate student in Dr. Strongin's lab. My research is on synthesizing xanthene-based intraoperative contrast agents for PDAC margin assessment.

Michael Fernando

PhD Candidate

Michael was a biochemistry major and an honor student at Portland State University. He was an NSF-funded S-STEM scholar and a U.S. Department of Education Ronald E McNair scholar. His primary research focus is elucidating and quantifying degradant toxicants formed from vaping cannabis and tobacco derived products.

Megha Gupta

PhD Candidate

Megha Gupta (she/her) is a 4th year PhD student in Dr. Strongin's research group. She received an Honors Degree in Chemistry from University of Delhi, India and Masters in Drug Chemistry from Newcastle University, UK. Her current work is focused on identifying a role for the interaction of homocysteine and copper in promoting cardiovascular damage.

Kaelas Munger

PhD Candidate

Kaelas Munger is a first year graduate student in the Strongin group. The focus of my research consists of looking at the chemistry of cannabis vaping, specifically looking at various types of terpenes.

Mohana Sengupta

PhD Candidate

Paragraph coming soon.

Lab Alumni

Dr. Oluyemi Alo

Ph.D. Chemistry | Portland State University, 2022

Dr. Tendai Mafireyi

Ph.D. Chemistry | Portland State University, 2021

Dr. Leroy Sibanda

Ph.D. Chemistry | Portland State University, 2021

Dr. Jiries Meehan-Atrash

Ph.D. Chemistry | Portland State University, 2021

Dr. Ian Munhenzva

Ph.D. Chemistry | Portland State University, 2020

Dr. Shawna Vreeke

Ph.D. Chemistry | Portland State University, 2019