Postdoctoral Programs in the Chemical Industry
Monday, October 30th, 2023, 5:30 – 6:30 PM CST (Virtual)
Are you eager to bridge the gap between academia and the thriving chemical industry, but unsure about the journey ahead? Join us for a seminar session where we’ll learn about transitioning into an industry postdoc program through researchers’ insights, experiences, and valuable advice on navigating this unique career path.
Nabeelah Kauser, PhD
Technology Specialist, Clark+Elbing
Dr. Nabeelah Kauser joined the lab of Prof. Justin Mohr at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She earned her PhD in 2018 with a thesis detailing gamma-functionalization and its application toward total synthesis. For her postdoctoral studies, she proceeded to the medicinal chemistry group at Merck & Co. to study the synthesis and development of Nitric Oxide donors. In 2020, Nabeelah joined Mersana Therapeutics which specializes in Antibody-Drug Conjugates. In Sept 2022, Nabeelah joined Clark & Elbing, a law firm in Boston, MA, as a technology specialist.
Jahangir Alam, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Merck
Dr. Jahangir Alam is a postdoctoral fellow and associate scientist at Merck. Dr. Alam holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry and Biochemistry from Auburn University and Masters of Science from University of Louisville in Physical Chemistry. As a doctoral researcher, Dr. Alam Isolated and quantified bacterial-derived antibiotics employing chromatography and mass spectrometry and carried out bacterial genome mining, dual-plate antibiosis screening, and bacterial fermentation. In his current role as a postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Alam, designs and executes experiments to build structure-activity relationships for mass spectrometry ionization efficiency.
Yun Jiao, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Merck
Dr. Yun Jiao is a functional genomic postdoc fellow at Merck, Cambridge Massachusetts. She earned her PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Maryland Baltimore County in 2021, following her Bachelor of Science studies in Bioengineering. Dr. Jiao’s PhD work was centered on Immune-mediated mechanisms underlying diseases following Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
Frank Olechnowicz, PhD
Scientist, Behr Paint Company
Dr. Frank Olechnowicz received a BS in Chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University, where he performed bio-inorganic research in the Achim group on binding affinities of peptide nucleic acid with transition metal complexes. He then continued to the University of Chicago for a PhD in Chemistry program. His doctoral research was conducted in the Hillhouse and Jordan labs, with a focus on the synthesis, characterization, and reactivity exploration of low-valent Nickel compounds for catalysis and hydrodesulfurization processes. After graduation, Frank joined Behr Paint Company in 2017 as a Postdoc Chemist and was promoted to Senior Chemist in 2018. Frank’s role in the Applied Research department has been to develop polymers for use in paints, to improve or develop novel coatings properties, and to maintain the high quality paints and coatings that Behr is known for.