ABOUT US
Our group is focused on glycomics, glycoproteomics, and proteomics. We work not only on the bioinformatics and bioanalysis that comes from these methods, but also on developing methods that enhance the current capabilities of these research fields.
Working with us is working with a diverse, multinational group that is familiar with global collaboration.
Dr. Yehia Mechref
Prof. Yehia Mechref is a Paul W. Horn Distinguished Professor in the department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Texas Tech University. He is also the Chairman of the department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Director of the Center for Biotechnology and Genomics. He received a B.Sc. in chemistry from the American University of Beirut (Beirut, Lebanon) and a Ph.D. with an honorable mention from Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK, USA). Dr. Mechref is a world-renowned scientist.
He is a nationally and internationally recognized scientific leader in the development of sensitive biomolecular mass spectrometry methods enabling qualitative and quantitative assessments of the roles of proteins, glycoproteins, and glycans in biological systems. He has developed a fast, highly sensitive chromatographic method that efficiently separates and distinguishes among gangliosides in blood samples from patients with different diseases of the esophagus, including adenocarcinoma, high-grade dysplasia, and Barrett's Esophagus. His method for analyzing N-linked glycans, using multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, permits quantitative comparison of the expression of N-glycans in brain-targeting breast carcinoma cells and metastatic breast cancer cells. The permethylated N-glycan MRM method he developed yields rapid, reliable identification and relative abundances of glycans from varied, complex biological samples. He has further refined MRM to minimize the tissue needed and optimize the process, making it possible for the first time to profile glycans on the surfaces of tissues and cells, rather than whole-tissue samples, thus conserving limited tissue samples for other studies.
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He pioneered a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer (LC-MS) system to analyze glycomic samples in conventional proteomic laboratories, eliminating the need for more specialized facilities and making glycomic analysis more accessible to the broader scientific community. Dr. Mechref has, as well, completed a comprehensive characterization of bovine collagen glycosylation that may be foundational in developing the biochemical modifications necessary for its use in treating human diseases.
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Over the past eight years, Dr. Mechref’s research program has received over $9M in funding from the NIH, CPRIT, and CH Foundation, and he currently has five active NIH grants (3R01s, U01 and S10). Dr. Mechref is a prolific writer who has published 29 review articles, 14 book chapters, and 185 peer-reviewed research papers. He has guest-edited 7 journal special issues and he is a member of the editorial boards of numerous journals.
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Currently, Dr. Mechref’s Google Scholar h-index is 60, with 10,936 citations. He has 11 US patents. He has organized and co-organized numerous symposia and conferences, and is a standing member of the NIH EBIT study section. Dr. Mechref is the recipient of the 2019 TTU President’s Academic Achievement Award, the 2019 TTU Nancy J. Bell Faculty Excellence in Mentoring Award, the 2016 Barnie E. Rushing, Jr. Faculty Distinguished Research Award, and the 2015 Barnie E. Rushing, Jr. Faculty Outstanding Research Award.
Group Members
Mona Goli, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Lab Manager
Mona grew up in Sari, a city near the Caspian Sea in northern Iran. She got her Bachelor’s degree in Pure Chemistry from Shahid Beheshti University and her M.Sc degree in Analytical Chemistry from Mazandaran University. Moving forward, Mona worked as a college lecturer. She joined Texas Tech University in the Fall 2016 to pursue a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry. Her desire to conduct research on biomedicine and cancer has been satisfied since joining the Mechref Lab. The main focus of her research is the development of LC-MS/MS methods and their application to the identification and quantification of proteins and glycans for the discovery of potential biomarkers. Upon completion of her doctorate, she continued her research as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the group.
Peilin Jiang
PhD Candidate
Peilin Jiang received her bachelor's and master's degrees in Materials and Engineering from Donghua University, China. She is pursuing a PhD in Analytical Chemistry under the supervision of Dr. Mechref. Currently, her research focuses on method development for the characterization and quantification of glycomics, proteomics, and glycoproteomics by LC-MS/MS.
Mojgan Atashi
PhD Candidate
Mojgan Atashi received her master's in Analytical Chemistry from Iran, the country she was born and raised. She has earned working and doing research experiences in environmental protection agency as a chemist. After coming to Texas Tech, she was absorbed in research on Dr. Mechref's group and is now working on the detection and separation of glycans and glycopeptides on biological systems and biomarker discovery on liver cancer. In her spare time, Hiking and camping in nature are her favorite activities, as well as cooking and gardening.
Mohammed Abdul Hakim
PhD Candidate
Muhammad Abdul Hakim is a PhD student in Analytical Chemistry at Texas Tech University, working under the supervision of Dr. Yehia Mechref. His research focuses on the development of LC-MS/MS-based methods for glycomics and glycoproteomics analysis. Currently, he is working on the characterization of glycan and glycopeptide isomers using Ultraviolet Photodissociation (UVPD) fragmentation as well as Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry (FAIMS). He has also been working on developing a method for 16-plex LC-MS/MS analysis of permethylated N-glycans using stable isotopic iodomethane and heavy water. Previously, he worked on isomeric profiling of N-glycans derived from low abundant serum glycoprotein in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients to find possible biomarkers. Before joining Texas Tech, he worked in a pharmaceutical industry for a few months. He earned his Master’s in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Bachelor’s in Pharmacy from Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh.
Andrew Bennett
PhD Candidate - Lab Safety Captian
Andrew Bennett graduated from Brigham Young University with a BS degree in Biochemistry. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Biochemistry. His work is focused on utilizing and developing LC-MS techniques to investigate glycomics and glycoproteomics in a variety of samples. He is particularly interested in neurodegenerative diseases.
Sherifdeen Onigbinde
PhD Candidate
Sherifdeen Onigbinde is a Ph.D. Student in Chemistry at Texas Tech University. He earned his BS in Biochemistry from the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Nigeria. Sherifdeen is working as a Research Assistant under the supervision of Dr. Mechref. His research focuses on developing and employing LC-MS/MS techniques to analyze complex biological samples. Currently, he is working on improving the digestion-efficiencies of O-glycoproteases for efficient identification and characterization of O-glycopeptides in a variety of biological samples.
Mojibola Fowowe
PhD Candidate
Mojibola earned his bachelor's and master's degree in Biochemistry from the Federal University of Technology, Akure and the University of Lagos, Nigeria respectively. His research is focused on the study of small extracellular vesicles and their potentials as biomarkers for cancer, neurotrauma, and neurodegenerative diseases. He has also worked on enhancing the ionization efficiency of glycans and glycopeptides for better identification in LC-MS/MS-based systems. Besides research, Mojibola enjoys computing and learning new skills.
Oluwatosin Daramola
PhD Candidate
​Oluwatosin earned his BS degree in Industrial chemistry and MS degree in Analytical chemistry from Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria. He is currently a PhD student of Analytical chemistry and working in Dr Mechref research group. His research is focused on the development of MS based glycomics method.
Akeem Sanni
PhD Candidate
Akeem got his bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Nigeria. He is a Ph.D. Student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Texas Tech University, and a member of Dr. Mechref's research group. He focuses on developing and applying LC-MS/MS techniques for glycomics and proteomics of life-threatening human diseases, and he's presently working on the identification of candidate serum biomarkers in patients with narcolepsy type I. Akeem likes to play football.
Waziha Tasnim Purba
PhD Candidate
Waziha is from Bangladesh. She has completed her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Shahjalal University of Science & Technology and also obtained her M.Sc. degree in Chemistry (Specialization in Analytical Chemistry) from the same university. She received NST (National Science and Technology) Fellowship 2019 under the Ministry of Science & Technology (Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh). After that, she joined Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Ltd. as a Quality Control Officer and was serving there for more than 1.5 years. She joined Texas Tech University to pursue her Ph.D. in analytical chemistry in the fall of 2021. She joined Dr. Mechref’s research group to ameliorate her research knowledge in the bioanalytical field. Her work is focused on LC-MS/MS-based proteomics and glycoproteomics analysis for detecting peptides and glycopeptides. She is mostly interested in working on the detection, separation, and method development of glycans and glycopeptides on different cancer biomarker discoveries. Traveling, and watching movies are her favorite activities in her leisure time.
Md Mostofa Al Amin Bhuiyan
Graduate Student
Alamin achieved both his bachelor's and master's degrees in chemistry from Shahjalal University of Science & Technology in Bangladesh. Currently, he is a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Texas Tech University, where he is a member of Dr. Mechref's research group. Alamin has practical experience in the pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh. He worked diligently in the Quality Control Department of Square Pharmaceuticals Limited, an FDA-approved pharmaceutical company, demonstrating his expertise in ensuring product quality and safety. He is currently involved in the exciting field of CBD and Hemp commercial products, exploring their percentage in different products with different methods of LC-MS/MS. Additionally, he is working in the field of proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics study of different diseases and treated samples.
Judith Nwaiwu
Graduate Student
Judith Nwaiwu earned a bachelor’s degree from the Federal University of Technology Owerri and a master’s degree from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. Both degrees were in Biochemistry. Currently, she is a Ph.D. student in Chemistry and Biochemistry at Texas Tech University under the supervision of Dr. Mechref. Her research interests are neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and drug resistance.
Moyinoluwa Adeniyi
Graduate Student
Moyinoluwa was born and raised in Nigeria. He completed his bachelor’s and master’s degree in Biochemistry from Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, and the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, respectively. He is currently a Ph.D. student in Chemistry at Texas Tech University. He has some work and research experience in biomedical research, and he joined Dr. Mechref’s Lab to acquire and apply the knowledge of analytical chemistry in researching and providing a solution to diseases.
Joy Solomon
Graduate Student
Joy Solomon earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Bowen University, Osun state, Nigeria. She is currently a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Texas Tech University, under the supervision of Dr. Mechref. Her goal is to make remarkable contributions in the study of diseases and their progression, which would be a useful tool for developing treatments and therapeutic agents. She enjoys baking during her leisure time.
Favour Chukwubueze
Graduate Student
Favour earned her bachelor's degree in Pure and Industrial Chemistry from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria. She is currently pursing her doctorate degree in Analytical Chemistry at Texas Tech University under the supervision of Dr. Mechref. Her research focuses on employing LC-MS/MS techniques in proteomics and glycoproteomics analysis of complex biological samples.
Odunayo Oluokun
Graduate Student
Odunayo hails from Oyo state, Nigeria. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in Biochemistry with first class honors and distinction from the Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria, respectively. Odunayo discovered her passion for scientific research during her undergraduate research project at the functional food and nutraceutical unit of the department and has since improved on her research skills and scholastic ability as a graduate research assistant. She joined the lab in Fall 2023. She is currently working on biomarker discovery for neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Besides academia, she is a talented fashion designer, movie scriptwriter, actor and a volunteer with different NGOs where she carries out community development services.
Vishal Sandilya
Graduate Student
Vishal got his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Texas Tech University in 2023. He worked as a supplemental instruction (SI) leader for organic chemistry II for multiple semesters during his undergraduate studies, where he helped tutor students in challenging concepts from organic chemistry II. Vishal joined the Mechref Omics Lab in 2022 as an undergraduate research assistant where he discovered his passion for mass spectrometry. Currently, he is pursuing a PhD in analytical chemistry under Dr. Mechref in Mechref Omics Lab. Vishal’s research focuses primarily on understanding the proteomic and glycomic alterations in the human body brought upon by diseases such as cancer, narcolepsy, and many other medical conditions.
Ayobami Oluokun
Graduate Student
Ayobami Oluwaseun Oluokun earned her Bachelor of Technology degree in Industrial Chemistry from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, graduating with a first-class honor and as the overall best-graduating student in her department and faculty. She received the National Association of Science Students (NASS) Best Student of the Year Award and various scholarships. Currently, she is pursuing a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry at Texas Tech University under the guidance of Dr. Mechref, focusing on identifying and quantifying glycans and proteins for biomarker discovery using LC-MS/MS and developing novel research methods.
Former Group Members
Yunli Hu, Ph.D (2010 - 2014 in group).
Senior Principal Scientist
Regeneron
Email: huyunli1986@gmail.com
Yvonne Ehwang Song, Ph.D (2010 - 2015 in group).
Senior Application Scientist
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Email: yvonne.song@thermofisher.com
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Shiyue Zhou, Ph.D (2011 - 2016 in group).
Principal Scientist
AbbVie
Email: shiyue.zhou@abbvie.com
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Rui Zhu, Ph.D (2011 - 2016 in group).
Senior Scientist II
AbbVie
Email: rui.zhu@abbvie.com
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Jingfu Zhao, Ph.D (2014 - 2019 in group).
Scientist
Adimab, LLC
Email: jingfu.zhao@adimab.com
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Alireza Banazadeh, Ph.D, Research Assistant Professor (2016 - 2020 in group).
Senior Scientist
AbbVie
Email: a.banazadeh1982@gmail.com
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Xue Dong, Ph.D (2014 - 2020 in group).
Principal Scientist
Amgen
Email: snow.dongwww@gmail.com
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Andrew Cho, Ph.D (2016 - 2021 in group).
Senior Scientist
Magenta Therapeutics
Email: Andrew.cho.0223@utexas.edu
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Yifan Huang, Ph.D (2015 - 2021 in group).
Senior Scientist I
AbbVie
Email:
Jieqiang Zhong, Ph.D (2016 - 2022 in group).
Senior Scientist
Regeneron
Email:
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Aiying Yu, Ph.D (2015 - 2022 in group).
Scientist
Genentech
Email:
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Sakshi Gautum, Ph.D (2017 - 2022 in group).
Research Scientist
Gilead Sciences
Email:
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Wenjing Peng, Ph.D, Research Assistant Professor (2015 - 2022 in group).
Senior Scientist
Regeneron
Email:
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Kaitlyn Donohoo, MS, (2019 - 2022 in group).
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Junyao Wang, Ph.D, (2018 - 2023 in group).
Scientist I
Tessera Therapeutics
Email:
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Cristian Gutierrez-Reyes, Ph.D, (2019 - 2023 in group).
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Parisa Ahmadi, MS, (2021 - 2023 in group).
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