Students

Carolyn Straub

Carolyn was raised in the Chicago suburbs, but has been enjoying city life since 2011. She currently lives in Pilsen with her two rabbits, Willow and Juniper. Carolyn earned her BA in Chemistry from Roosevelt University in Winter 2017 and joined the Riley lab in Spring 2020. When she’s not in the lab synthesizing natural product analogs, you can find Carolyn playing video games, managing her Poshmark business, and painting her apartment.

Fun fact: Carolyn’s got a titanium implant in her collarbone, which we’re pretty sure makes her a cyborg. 🤖
Carolyn-ism: “If this isn’t 95% clean… I will literally cut both my arms off.”

Featured in an Editorial and Front Cover in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Lisa Rusali

Lisa was born and raised in sunny Southern California, graduating with a BS in Molecular Cell Biology and Physiology and a minor in Chemistry from CSU Long Beach in Spring 2020. After deciding she wanted to experience what a real winter was like, she came to UIC and joined the Riley Lab in Spring 2021. She is working on biomimetically synthesizing natural products and evaluating their activity. Outside of the lab, you can usually find Lisa working on a Lego set or learning a new piece at the piano.

Fun fact: Lisa has an ever-growing fun sock collection and doesn’t own any plain white socks.
Lisa-ism: 🫡

Kyle Kremiller

Kyle was born and raised in northeast Ohio (Perry, OH) and graduated with a BA in Genetics from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. After spending time down at the Jersey Shore, he made his way back to his Midwest roots and landed in Chicago as an MD/PhD MSTP candidate at UIC in 2019. He joined the Riley Lab in the Summer of 2021. He is working on developing screening assays for drug discovery and the synthesis of natural products to treat addiction and manage pain. Beyond the lab, Kyle is an avid explorer of Chicago dining and gladly monopolizes his remaining time with his three dogs (Eddie, Daisy and Tater).

Fun fact: Kyle has eaten 83 chicken nuggets in one hour-long sitting.
Kyle-ism: “Oh, absofruitly.”

Ana Lopez-Hernandez

Ana was born in Chiapas, Mexico and moved to Grand Rapids, MI when she was 2. She received her BS in Biochemistry from the University of Detroit Mercy in Detroit, MI in 2021. Ana joined the Riley lab in the Spring of 2022 after deciding that Chicago would be her next adventure. She is working on developing new streamlined approaches for the synthesis and analysis of natural product analogs. When not in lab, Ana is learning to make a new Mexican dish or reading/watching anything supernatural. And everyday Ana reminds herself that Latinas belong in the STEM field (and Dr. Riley could not agree more!).

Fun fact: Ana’s elbows are double-jointed.
Ana-ism: “I could drink ranch.”

Megan Jurek

Megan was born and raised in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and has always dreamed of living in the city. She is a proud alum of Purdue University where she graduated with her BS in Chemistry in Spring 2022. Megan joined the Riley lab in Spring 2023. She is working on synthesizing and testing analogs for the treatment of pain. When not in lab, you can find Megan at home taking care of her many houseplants or out exploring the city with friends.

Fun fact: Megan is the lab’s resident Swiftie and can recognize any Taylor Swift song within the first 5 seconds.
Megan-ism: “HuuuuuH?”

Lauren Harris

Lauren was born and raised in Southern California. She completed her BS in Biochemistry at the University of California at Riverside in Spring 2021. She is currently a medical student at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and joined the Riley Lab in Spring 2023. In the lab, she explores the mechanism and treatment of neuropathic pain. Outside of the lab, she enjoys watching movies, painting, and exploring Chicago dining.

Fun fact: Lauren has never gotten a haircut.
Lauren-ism: “When’s the weather going to warm up?”

Lily Zhang

Lily was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. She is currently completing a BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences at UIC and is a part of the GPPA Pharmacy program. Lily joined the Riley Lab in Spring 2024 due to her interest in exploring the field of pharmaceutical sciences. She is working on synthesizing and testing natural product analogs for the treatment of addiction. In her free time, Lily likes to do her nails, listen to podcasts, and explore the city of Chicago.

Fun Fact: Lily has never broken a bone before.

Joseph Noel-Torres

Joseph was born and raised in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez in 2023. Wanting to pursue his passion in neuroscience, Joseph joined the Riley Lab in 2024. He is currently working on synthesizing natural product analogs and testing their effects in vitro and in vivo. When not in the lab, Joseph likes to play videogames, do arts and crafts, play the viola, cook, listen to music, and sleep.

Fun fact: Joseph has an older brother who is exactly 2 years older than him.
Joseph-ism: “I sometimes talk and make no sense.”