Meet our Team of Researchers
Our lab is made up of graduate students, postdocs, and undergraduates who share a passion for discovery in organic synthesis. We explore new ways to understand mechanisms, design catalysts, and develop transformative reactions. Beyond the research, we value mentorship, creativity, and building an inclusive space where scientists can thrive.
Group Photo
Dr. Andrei Popov
Postdoctoral research assistant
Dennis Skiba
2nd year graduate student
Dennis was born in Trenton, NJ and grew up in Levittown, PA. He earned his B.S. in Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. While at Pitt, he performed research under Professor Kazunori Koide, working on the total synthesis of meayamycin, an analog of FR901464. Dennis then moved to Maryland and joined the Boyle group in Fall 2024, where his research focuses on the fluorination of unactivated C-H bonds.
Outside of lab, Dennis enjoys going to the gym, playing basketball (2024 UMD 3v3 intramural champs), watching sports, and cooking.
Wenkai Zhang
2nd year graduate student
Wenkai was born in Szechuan, China. He earned his BSc Environmental Science in China University of Petroleum (Beijing) and BSc (Hons) Chemistry in the University of Edinburgh. During his time in Scotland, he developed a molecular balance for examining halogen bonding under the guidance of Prof. Scott Cockroft and Dr. Krzysztof Bąk. Following his time in Scotland, Wenkai joined the Boyle lab at the University of Maryland in Fall 2024. He is currently developing strategies for selective anionic functionalizations.
When not in lab running experiments, Wenkai enjoys classical music and playing PC games.
Mya Gaddy
2nd year graduate student
Mya was born and raised in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania. She received her B.A in Chemistry and German from Lafayette College in 2024. During her undergraduate career, she worked with Dr. Daniel Griffith on synthesizing bridged azapolycycles using tropone as a starting material. She also worked on the total synthesis of a Streptothricin F analog in the Manetsch Lab at Northeastern University during the Summer of 2022. She joined the Boyle lab at the University of Maryland in Fall 2024, with her research focusing on the generation of strained unnatural amino acids.
Mya enjoys baking and designing press-on nails when not in the lab.
Haoxiang Zhang
1st year graduate student
Haoxiang was born in Tianjin, China. He earned his B.S. in chemistry at Nankai University in 2025. At NKU, he worked on the transformation of silacyclobutanes (SCBs) and organic conjugated materials under the guidance of Prof. Dongbing Zhao. During of summer of 2023, he worked with Prof. Zhiwei Zuo at SIOC on the photocatalytic dehydroxymethyl amination. In 2024, He joined the Baran lab at Scripps Research as a visiting undergraduate researcher where he developed electrochemical methods for biaryl synthesis and redox-neutral radical coupling with sulfonylhydrazides. Haoxiang then moved on to joined the Boyle lab at the University of Maryland in Fall 2025. He is currently working on deconstructive approaches to radical generation.
When not in lab, Haoxiang enjoys playing soccer, cooking and watching movies.
Kaitlin Lupinacci
1st year graduate student
Kate was born in Abington, Pennsylvania and was raised in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. She earned her B.S. in chemistry at the University of Delaware. At UD, she researched the synthesis of the peptidoglycan structure in the bacterial cell wall and automated the process on the Liberty Blue automated synthesizer under Professor Catherine Grimes. After her undergraduate studies, she joined the Boyle lab at the University of Maryland in Fall 2025. She is currently working on accessing elusive diradical intermediates.
Kate enjoys painting, ice skating, watching movies, and cooking when she’s not in lab.
Nicolette Owen
1st year graduate student
Nicki was born and raised in Sylvania, Ohio. She received her B.S. in biochemistry and certificate in green chemistry from Grand Valley State University in 2025. At GVSU, she worked with Dr. Matthew Hart on the synthesis of novel tuberculosis antibiotics designed with computational docking chemistry. She joined the Boyle lab at the University of Maryland in Fall 2025, where her research focuses on unconventional amine migrations.
Nicki enjoys listening to music, watching hockey, and eating candy when not in lab.
Joshua Webber
Undergraduate student
Josh was born and raised in East Brunswick NJ and is currently completing his B.S. in Psychology on the pre-medical track at the University of Maryland, College Park. His long-term goal is to pursue an MD/PhD focused on drug design and biochemistry. As an undergraduate researcher, Josh investigated Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation under Dr. Cherisse Hall and analyzed EEG-based biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease in the lab of Dr. Joseph Dein. He joined the Boyle Lab in Fall 2025, where he is developing methods for the selective functionalization unreactive C–H bonds, with an emphasis on amino acids and biogenic amines.
