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
These are open meetings and
all are welcome to attend.
If interested, please contact
Sam Gellman at gellman@chem.wisc.edu
to receive an invitation link.
Group Socials
We’ll host a group social this fall for students
interested in our group.
Join us for fun, grilling, drinks and a chance
to meet the Gellman Group!
If you plan to join us
please contact Philip Lampkin at plampkin@wisc.edu
Meet the Gellman Group
Please send an email introducing yourself to group members whose research interests you.
MK Andrews
mandrews7@wisc.edu
Joined 2017
(Graduate Student)
From:
Kansas City, MO
Undergraduate Institution:
Dartmouth College
Studying:
Foldamer Catalysis
Yareslie Cruz Rivera
cruzrivera@wisc.edu
Joined 2020
(Graduate Student)
From:
Puerto Rico
Undergraduate Institution:
University of Puerto Rico – Humacao
Studying:
GPCRs
Ruslan Gibadullin
gibadullin@wisc.edu
Joined 2017
(Graduate Student)
From:
From Russia; raised in Brooklyn, NY
Undergraduate Institution:
Fordham University
Studying:
GPCRs and Immunology
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
Jiani Niu
jniu23@wisc.edu
Joined 2017
(Graduate Student)
From:
Guangzhou, China
Undergraduate Institution:
UC Irvine
Studying:
Protein-protein interactions and liquid liquid phase separation
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
Dhaval Ghone
dghone@wisc.edu
Joined 2021
(Graduate Student)
From:
Iowa
Undergraduate Institution:
Iowa State
Studying:
GPCRs
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!
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:
- Jiani Niu
- Xinyu (Jenny) Liu
- Ruiwen Xu
- Aevi van der Stok
Foldamer Catalysis
Associated Group Members:
- MK Andrews
- Philip Lampkin
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
- Ruslan Gibadullin
- Tae Wook Kim
- Rylie Morris
- Yareslie Cruz Rivera
- Dhaval Ghone
Gellman Group Videos
Watch videos to see how we work in the Gellman Group.
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.
Can I visit the Gellman Group's research lab in-person during virtual rotations?
Yes, a short, in-person visit to our research lab can be scheduled during your rotation. If interested, please contact Sam at gellman@chem.wisc.edu.
An in-person visit is NOT expected and will not impact your chances of being invited to join our group. Your health and safety always comes first.
How many people are in the Gellman Group?
Our group consists of 12 graduate students, 2 postdoctoral researchers and several undergraduates.
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 do Gellman Group members spend as teaching assistants?
Students in our group typically work as teaching assistants for 2 years. Sam strives to support all students as Research Assistants from the third year on, and has almost always achieved this goal, but this situation cannot be guaranteed because of uncertainties in external funding.
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.