The Gellman Group is a multidisciplinary team of researchers united by a common interest in understanding the complex molecular phenomena in biological systems, including catalysis, recognition and signal transduction. We study a broad array of topics in our lab through combination of organic chemistry, materials chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology and cell biology. Our projects focus on natural proteins as well as the creation and use of new folding molecules (“foldamers”) that display diverse functionality. Many of these projects involve collaborations with other laboratories.
The broad array of active topics in our group offers each student the opportunity to develop a unique research thrust. A primary goal of our laboratory is to provide an environment that fosters creativity and independence in young scholars. A shared sense of diligence, personal investment in one’s efforts and a regard for one’s colleagues provide the foundation for this environment. We seek to maximize diversity among group members, which maximizes our collective creativity.
We’re pleased to welcome all new graduate students to UW madison. All students, whether they are “rotators” or not, are invited to introduce themselves and make connections with our group members. An important part of a student’s first year is establishing relationships with researchers across the department. Please reach out, say hello and get to know us. We’d like to get to know you.
Group Meetings
Group Meeting
Wednesdays, 7:00 PM CST
Daniels Chemistry Building Room 9341
These are open meetings and
all are welcome to attend.
Group Socials
We’ll host a group social this fall for students
interested in our group.
Join us for fun, food, drinks, and a chance
to meet the Gellman Group!
If you plan to join us
please contact Lauren Tran at lmtran2@wisc.edu
Gellman Group Videos
Watch videos to see how we work in the Gellman Group.
Group Research Areas
Click on each research area to see selected publications and a short description of each topic.
New Foldamers
Associated Group Members:
- Dean Jarois
Novel Modes of Protein Assembly
Associated Group Members:
- Ruiwen Xu
- Aevi van der Stok
Foldamer Catalysis
Associated Group Members:
- Philip Lampkin
- Phia Gierszal
Transmembrane Protein Quaternary Structures
Associated Group Members:
- Zhen Yu
- John Mannone
Anti-viral Foldamers
Associated Group Members:
- Ariel Kuhn
Modulating and Elucidating GPCR Signaling
Associated Group Members:
- Kyle Brown
- Tae Wook Kim
- Rylie Morris
Meet the Gellman Group
Please send an email introducing yourself to group members whose research interests you.
Dean Jarois
jarois@wisc.edu
Joined 2020
(Graduate Student)
From:
Dearborn Michigan
Undergraduate Institution:
Wayne State
Studying:
Prebiotic chemistry and making brownies
Philip Lampkin
plampkin@wisc.edu
Joined 2019
(Graduate Student)
From:
Enumclaw, WA
Undergraduate Institution:
University of San Francisco
Studying:
Foldamer Photocatalysis
Lauren Tran
lmtran2@wisc.edu
Joined 2021
(Graduate Student)
From:
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Undergraduate Institution:
Boston College
Studying:
GPCRs and amino acid synthesis
Xinyu (Jenny) Liu
xliu683@wisc.edu
Joined 2017
(Graduate Student)
From:
Chengdu, China
Undergraduate Institution:
Macalester College
Studying:
De novo peptide design and peptide structural analysis using NMR
John Mannone
mannone@wisc.edu
Joined 2019
(Graduate Student)
From:
Oceanside, NY
Undergraduate Institution:
Stony Brook University
Studying:
Protein-protein interactions within cellular transmembrane domains
Rylie Morris
rkmorris@wisc.edu
Joined 2019
(Graduate Student)
From:
Dousman, WI
Undergraduate Institution:
Ripon College
Studying:
Chemical biology, GPCRs and doing lots of peptide synthesis
Eden Xu
xu588@wisc.edu
Joined 2022
(Graduate Student)
Tae Wook Kim
tkim334@wisc.edu
Joined 2018
(Graduate Student)
From:
Seoul, South Korea
Undergraduate Institution:
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Studying:
Effect of ligand binding kinetics of parathyroid hormone receptor type 1 and its associated ligands
Ruiwen (Irian) Xu
rxu64@wisc.edu
Joined 2020
(Graduate Student)
From:
China
Undergraduate Institution:
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Studying:
Liquid liquid phase separation
Phia Gierszal
gierszal@wisc.edu
Joined 2022
(Graduate Student)
Aevi van der Stok
vanderstok@wisc.edu
Joined 2021
(Graduate Student)
From:
Texas
Undergraduate Institution:
UT Austin
Studying:
Liquid liquid phase separation
Ariel Kuhn
akuhn7@chem.wisc.edu
Joined 2022
(Postdoc)
From:
Ohio
Undergraduate Institution:
University of San Francisco
Graduate Institution:
UC Santa Cruz with Jevgenij Raskatov
Studying:
Anti-viral peptides
Kyle Brown
kbrown33@wisc.edu
Joined 2020
(Postdoc)
From:
North Carolina
Undergraduate Institution:
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
Graduate Institution:
UW Madison with Ying Ge
Studying:
GPCRs and Mass Spec
Zhen Yu
zyu256@wisc.edu
Joined 2017
(Postdoc)
From:
China
Undergraduate Institution:
Nanjing University
Graduate Institution:
Ohio State University with James A. Cowan
Studying:
Single-pass transmembrane domain and G-protein-coupled receptors
Sam Gellman
gellman@chem.wisc.edu
Joined 1987
(PI)
From:
Born in Evanston, IL, raised outside of Philadelphia, PA
Undergraduate Institution:
Harvard
Graduate Institution:
Columbia with Ronald Breslow
Post-Doc:
Caltech with Peter Dervan
Studying:
All the things that members of the group want to study!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a question not on this list, please contact Sam at gellman@chem.wisc.edu.
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How do I learn more about the Gellman Group and its research?
To learn more about our group style and research, please:
- Contact Sam at gellman@chem.wisc.edu.
- Attend our group meetings.
- Participate in group socials.
- Contact group members associated with research areas you are interested in to schedule an introduction meeting.
Where is the Gellman group located?
The 7th floor of the chemistry building’s Shain tower.
What instrumentation does the Gellman Group provide?
Instrumentation our group provides includes:
- 2 microwaves for peptide synthesis.
- 2 HPLC systems for peptide purification.
- 1 FPLC system for protein purification.
- 1 LC-MS spectrometer for small-molecule research.
- 1 CD spectrometer for protein and foldamer research.
- 1 glovebox for air-sensitive chemistry.
- 1 cell culture box in a shared cell culture room.
Ample shared instrumentation, including world-class NMR, MS and X-ray crystallography facilities, are provided by the Paul Bender Chemistry Instrumentation Center.
How long does it take a Gellman Group member to graduate?
Sam encourages students to aim to complete the PhD by the end of the 5th year. On average, students graduate in 5.5 years.