Madeline Chosy, Ph.D. Email and Phone Number

Thesis advisor: Prof. Lynette Cegelski• Designed and evaluated the first vancomycin conjugates exhibiting a dendrimeric array of guanidinium groups, leading to order-of-magnitude or greater improvements in efficacy compared to vancomycin against high-priority Gram-negative pathogens and S. aureus biofilms.• Developed vancomycin conjugates with new cationic surrogate groups, including a lead compound that demonstrates the best broad-spectrum activity to-date with excellent cell killing against planktonic and biofilm-associated ESKAPE pathogens. •Conducted extensive mode-of-action studies on novel vancomycin-conjugates, demonstrating cell-surface activity and enhanced vancomycin-like killing with no acute toxicity. •Improved and expanded the activity of current-generation antibiotics through cutting-edge mode-of-action and function-oriented design studies, providing a viable solution to the urgent threat of antimicrobial resistance. •Collaborated within a multi-disciplinary team to demonstrate the promise of generalizable semi-synthetic methods as a tool to increase the potency of existing antibiotics and expand their spectrum of activity, providing a fast path to clinical candidates for addressing rising antimicrobial resistance.

Instructed general and organic chemistry courses• Led laboratory and review sessions for 20 - 200 students• Developed course review and assessment material, graded assignments

Mentored 5 high school students on year-long, curiosity-driven, original research projects in chemistry.

Courses: Introductory and Analytical Chemistry• Held semiweekly review sessions, tutored students one-on-one, created review sheets with practice problems, attended class lectures, and coordinated with professor

Department of PhysicsMentor: Prof. Marty Baylor• Conducted experiments to measure the bulk index of refraction of a photosensitive polymer resin, contributing to the characterization and optimization of the photopolymer for integrated optofluidic devices which enable optical and microfluidic features to be fabricated from a single material. • Designed and built a specialized chamber for Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy to allow for measurement of monomer-to-polymer conversion rate while photo-curing polymer samples.

Department of Chemistry Mentor: Prof. Matt Whited• Investigated reactivity of Rh(I) silyl/silylene metal complexes and their potential for cooperative catalysis and activation of small molecules, resulting in a report for the ACS-certified degree in chemistry.

Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering Mentor: Prof. Christopher Bowman • Engineered liquid crystal photopolymers by adjusting material composition, enabling enhanced shape-change programming capabilities and flexibility for micro-mechanical systems and biomaterial applications. • Developed an approach to control the shape-changing properties of liquid crystal photopolymers by utilizing dye stimulation with light rather than heat, allowing for application-specific choice of shape-change stimulus.

Course: Introductory Chemistry• Held regular tutoring hours and answered student’s homework questions

Mentor: Prof. Robert McLeod• Pioneered a new research approach to holographic photopolymers by employing multiple light exposures to amplify the refractive index contrast of a sample by a factor of 3-4, surpassing the limitations of traditional academic results and rivaling commercial formulations. • Developed an alternative route to high-contrast optical devices, opening new possibilities for advanced optical technologies and resulting in the publication of 3 peer-reviewed research articles.

Courses: Introductory and Analytical Chemistry • Assisted students during the lab period, answered questions and graded lab assignments