The Poulin research group is made up of both Chemists and Biochemists who share an interest in studying the function of polysaccharides in bacterial pathogenesis and biofilm formation.
Current Graduate Students:
Shaochi Wang
PhD student in Chemistry
Shaochi was born in Zhengzhou, China. He obtained his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Medicinal Chemistry from China Pharmaceutical University. Shaochi started working at University of Maryland in 2016. His primary project is using synthetic substrates to study the breakdown of PNAG. When not in lab, he enjoys swimming and basketball.
Alex P. Breslawec
PhD student in Biochemistry
Alex Peterson is originally from Minneapolis, MN. She completed a B.S. in Biochemistry with Honors at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, along with a minor in Science, Technology, and International Affairs with a Security Studies focus. Her projects currently focus on determination of the kinetics and mechanism of the poly-N-acetylglucosamine glycoside hydrolase Dispersin B, and the discovery of biofilm glycosidases using methods at the interface of biochemistry and organic chemistry.
Teodora Kljaic
PhD student in Chemistry
Teodora was born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia. She received her B.A. in Biochemistry from Grinnell College in Iowa (2014), and she worked in labs of Professor Mark Levandoski and Dr. Peter Storz from Mayo Clinic. She joined University of Maryland in 2014 and is currently working on projects involving development and testing of kinetic isotope effect measurements on enzymes involved in biofilm formation.
When she’s not in lab, you can probably find her at salsa and bachata dance festivals.
Laura Kuperman
PhD student in Chemistry
Undergraduate Students:
Veronica Guirguis
Cell Biology and Genetics
The Poulin Lab 