Our Laboratory

Our laboratory joined the Institute of Pharmaceutical Science at King's College London in 2021. We are located at the Franklin-Wilkins Building in the heart of London.

The laboratory has all the facilities for cloning, expression, and purification of a wide range of proteins. The lab is equipped with an anaerobic glovebox to work with oxygen-sensitive iron-sulfur proteins, a state-of-the-art system for running western blots, and a dedicated LC-MS system to study enzyme reactions. We have access to state-of-the-art research facilities including a fully equipped cell culture lab, modern protein and western blot imaging system, UV-visible spectrophotometers, and NMR facility.

Our laboratory leads a European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action crossing boundaries of bioinorganic chemistry and immunology (read more). We collaborate with various groups in the United Kingdom and across Europe.

Our Stories

Our team is dynamic and multicultural. We are driven by our passion and desire to reveal the secrets of life and use the knowledge to treat diseases like cancer.

Kourosh H. Ebrahimi

Principle Investigator

I was born in Iran. After finishing my undergraduate and graduate studies in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, respectively, I did my PhD in Bioinorganic Chemistry under the supervision of Prof Wilfred R. Hagen (TU Delft). As a postdoc, I had the privilege to work with Prof Michael Farzan (Harvard Medical School), and Prof Fraser A. Armstrong, Prof William S. James, and Prof James McCullagh (all at the University of Oxford). In October 2021, I joined the Institute of Pharmaceutical Science as a Lecturer. Painting with oil on canvas is my hobby.

Yujie Sheng

PhD Student

I am from China. I got my master's degree in Drug Discovery and Development (UCL). My research interest lies in the interface of nanotechnology and therapeutic developments. In my PhD studies, I work on developing a new nanotechnology platform and its use to make nanobots to make new antiviral preventives. Cycling and listening to music are my hobbies.

Thao Nghi Hoang

PhD Student, Vietnam Ministry of Education Fellow

I come from Vietnam. I have an MSc degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences. My research focuses on elucidating the emerging role of iron-sulfur clusters and proteins like the antiviral enzyme SAND in immunometabolism and oncometabolism. I am a movieholic and also have a crazy passion for food.

Mengdi (Luna) Wu

PhD Student, CSC scholarship

I'm from China. I have a bachelor's degree in acupuncture-moxibustion and a master's degree in TCM. My PhD research focuses on investigating the emerging role of iron-sulfur proteins in the immune response and their potential for developing novel biocatalysts for preventing viral infections. I am fond of anime and reading psychology books.

Zayed Shalim

MRC Doctoral Training Program, Rotation

I am from London and hold an MSc in Molecular Biology and the Pathology of Viruses from Imperial College London. My academic interests lie in immunology and virology, and I am currently an MRC PhD student on a rotation year. My current project focuses on purifying an iron-sulfur ([FeS]) cluster protein (SAND). Outside the lab, I practice Muay Thai in my free time.

Shujie (Jasmine) Li

PhD Student, CSC scholarship

I am from China. I got my M.Sc. degree in biology (Tongji University). My academic interests lie in Immunology and Cancer Sciences. My PhD project focus on how Fe-S proteins impact oncogene expression and oncometabolism. I like animals and enjoy playing video games in my free time. Currently, I am learning some sports like swimming and tennis

Anya Krishnamurti

M.Sci Biochemistry Student

I am from Kent and am currently a Biochemistry Msci student at King’s College London. My academic interests lie in protein structure, function and design as well as genetics. My Msci project involves the application of a novel ‘plug and play’ molecular assembly platform to the encapsulation of anticancer drugs. In my free time, I play the violin. I also have an interest in ancient history and mythology.

Past members

Yuao Gao, M.Sc. student

Elçin Su Karavelioğlu, M.Sc. student

Marco Gjonaj, M.Sc. student

Sara Ahmad, Exchange M.Sc. student

Pei-Hsi Tai (Peggy), M.Sc. student

Zheng Chen, M.Sc. student

Yingxin Liu, M.Sc. student

Theo Situmorang, M.Sc. student

Astrid Maluta, M.Sc. student

Mohammed Hakil, M.Sc. Student