Group Members

Principal Investigator

Sean D. Moran

Assistant Professor, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 2014-present.

Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2009-2013

Ph.D., Columbia University, 2008

M.Phil., Columbia University, 2006

M.A., Columbia University, 2003

B.Sc., McGill University, 2001

Sean Moran is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at SIUC (2014-present). He received his B.Sc. in Biochemistry from McGill University in 2001. He did his graduate work at Columbia University in biophysical/bioinorganic chemistry with an emphasis on thermodynamics and protein design. Afterwards, he did his postdoc with Martin Zanni at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, focusing on vibrational labeling and 2D IR spectroscopy of proteins. The Moran lab at SIUC combines these interests in a wide range of projects aimed at understanding the structures and dynamics of complex biopolymers, including enzymes, DNA/RNA, and biomaterials.

Post Docs and Visiting Scholars

Visiting Master's Student

Thandie Boudreaux

Thandie is from Memphis, Tennessee. She received her B.S. in Biological Sciences from Arizona State University and is now a Master's student at SIU School of Medicine. In her free time, she enjoys birdwatching, painting, and making music.

Post Doc?

Interested in doing a post doc in our lab?

Email Dr. Moran at smoran@siu.edu for more information.

Graduate Students

Graduate Student

Zafeiria Nikolaidi

Zafeiria is from Athens, Greece. She received her bachelor's in Chemistry from the University of Crete in 2021. She's currently pursuing her PhD. She enjoys aerial silks, traveling, baking, and swimming.

Graduate Student

Riley Knierim

Riley was a former undergraduate of the lab and received her B.S. in Chemistry with a minor in Mathematics from SIUC in 2024. She likes to spend her free time reading and playing with her two kittens, Athena and Pandora.

Graduate Student

Haley Rice

Haley went to Southeastern Illinois College and finished her Bachelor's in Biology with a minor in Chemistry at Illinois State University. She is from Marion and came home to pursue her Master's at SIUC. She loves sewing, art, hiking, traveling, and spending time with her dog, Arlo.

Graduate Student

Riya Krishnan

Riya is from Kerala, India. She went to IISER Thiruvananthapuram and received her BS-MS in Chemistry with a minor in Physics in 2022. She is currently pursuing her PhD. Hobbies include photography and hiking.

Graduate Student

Sunil Babu Basnet

Sunil is from Jhapa, Nepal. He received both a B.S. and M.S. in Chemistry from Tribhuvan University. He joined the lab in Fall 2018. Some of his hobbies include sketching with charcoals and reading/writing literature.

Interested in joining our group?

Email Dr. Moran for more information or click here to apply to our graduate program.

Undergraduate Members

Undergraduate Student

Iga Antoniak

Iga is from Deerfield, Illinois, a part of the Greater Chicagoland area. She is a senior pursuing a BS in Chemistry and a minor in Mathematics, joining the Moran lab her freshman year in January 2024. Iga aims to go to graduate school for her PhD in biochemistry after her studies at SIUC. Outside of research, music is her greatest passion, as she plays bass, guitar, and keyboard, as well as sings, as the president of rock band RSO Musicians United. She is also involved in the SIUC Honors College, the sustainability RSO SENSE as treasurer, and is an avid attendee of SIUC Pickleball club.

Undergraduate Student

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Giroux

Lizzie is a junior pursuing a degree in biochemistry on the premed track. At SIU, Lizzie is involved in the Saluki Science Ambassador program and the Saluki Scholars in Action. In her free time she like to workout, play pickleball, and golf.

Undergraduate Student?

Interested in research in our lab?

Email Dr. Moran at smoran@siu.edu for more information.

Alumni

Katherine (Katie) Helme

Katie defended her Ph.D. thesis in Fall 2026. She is currently a physics teacher at Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School.

Alison Randla

Alison graduated as a pre-vet animal science major in 2024. She will be attending University of Oklahoma for Veterinary Medicine.

Tayler D. Hill

Tayler graduated in Summer 2020 with her PhD. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the SIU MedPrep program.

David A. Price

David graduated in Summer 2020 with his PhD. He is currently a Post Doctoral reseracher at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

Joanna (Asia) Hughes

Joanna was a postdoctoral researcher in Moran lab from 2018 to 2020.

Hannah Lepird

Hannah graduated in Summer 2021 with her Masters. She is now a chemical consultant at Minnesota.

Poornima Wedamulla

Poornima graduated in Summer 2021 with her Masters. She will be moving on to her PhD at University of British Columbia.

Ria Patel

Ria was a REU student in Summer 2021. She is completing her senior year in Illinois Wesleyan and applying to dental school.

Blaze Rightnowar

Blaze graduated in May 2019 with B.S. in Chemistry. Blaze is currently attending graduate school at Oregon State University for PhD.

Kaitlyn Hutson

Kaitlyn received her B.S. in Microbiology May 2019.

Brian Kettell

Brian graduated in May 2018 with B.S. in Chemistry. He is currently attending graduate school at the University of Tennessee Knoxville for PhD.