Research Team
Principal Investigator
May H. Abdelaziz, BPharm, MS, PhD
Dr. Abdelaziz received a BPharm and MS in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from Cairo University (Egypt), and a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has completed two postdoctoral research fellowships in drug discovery of neurologic agents at the University of Utah and in cancer research at the University of California, San Francisco. She teaches Medicinal Chemistry for PharmD students and has a passion for mentoring students in biomedical research. She is an active member in several professional associations, including the American Chemical Society, the American Society of Microbiology, and the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. She enjoys reading and spending time with her family.
Lab Members
Reagan Shofner (Undergraduate Student)
Reagan is a senior at UT Tyler majoring in biochemistry. After securing her degree,
she is planning on attending Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy. In her free
time she likes to workout and play volleyball with friends.
Saif Ullah, PhD (postdoctoral Fellow)
Saif earned his PhD in Microbiology from Zhejiang University, China. He then completed postdoctoral training at the University of Maryland and the University of New Mexico, where his research focused on host-pathogen interactions and selective autophagy. Saif recently joined our lab and is excited to investigate the role of tw-component systems in Staphylococcus aureus survival strategies and identify potential therapeutic targets. He is also involved in studying th emolecular mechanisms of selective inhibition of HER2 dimerization and downstream signaling pathways in breast cancer. Outside the lab and research, Saif can be found camping, hoking, or playing pickleball.
Benjamin Root (Undergraduate Student)
Ben is an undergraduate biochemistry major. He is interested in joining a PhD program after graduation to pursue a fulfilling career in teaching. Aside from doing research, he is currently a supplemental instruction leader, where he organizes sessions to help undergrad students. His favorite activities include cooking, writing stories, reading history, playing games, and being active, but above all else, he enjoys building connections with others.
Motunrayo (Mo) Abegunde (PharmD student)
Mo has finished her undergraduate education and starting as a pharmacy student at Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy. She aspires to pursue a career as a pharmaceutical scientist after graduation. Her long-term goal is to contribute to research and drug discovery efforts that drastically improve patient care and health outcomes. In her free time, she loves to work out and spend quality time with friends.