Principal Investigator

Andrew McShan, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Affiliate: Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences
Affiliate: Quantitative Biosciences Graduate Program
Affiliate: Bioinformatics Graduate Program
Georgia Institute of Technology
E-mail: andrew.mcshan@chemistry.gatech.edu
Office location: Molecular Sciences and Engineering Building (MoSE) G022
Office Phone #: (404) 385-6052
Pronouns: They/them

Dr. McShan's expertise spans biophysics, structural biology, computational biology, and immunology. They joined the faculty at Georgia Tech as an Assistant Professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry in Summer 2022. Previously, they were a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Dr. Nikolaos Sgourakis at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia & The University of Pennsylvania (2020-2022) studying antigen presentation of classical peptide/MHC-I molecules. Before that, they were also with Dr. Sgourakis at the University of California, Santa Cruz (2016-2020). They also worked as a biotechnology intern in the lab of Y. John Wang at Genentech (2015). They obtained their Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology at the University of Kansas in the lab of Dr. Roberto De Guzman (2011-2016) studying bacterial type III section systems. They carried out undergraduate research in epigenetics (also at KU) in the lab of Dr. Justin Blumenstiel.

Awards and Honors:
Shurl and Kay Curci Foundation Research Grant - 2024
Thank A Teacher Certificates; Georgia Tech Center for Teaching and Learning
Inclusive STEM Teaching Fellow, Georgia Tech - 2023

You may find Dr. McShan at:
Twitter
LinkedIn
Google Scholar

In their spare time they love to partake in spontaneous adventures, make curated Spotify playlists, and create music under the moniker Emo Side Project.

Miriam Simma
Pronouns: She/her
Ph.D. student, Chemistry and Biochemistry
I am from Dacula, GA and did my undergraduate degree at Oglethorpe University in Chemistry with research in the Walden lab. My research in the McShan lab involves understanding how proteins associate with lipids towards their role in immunological signaling and rare lipid storage disorders. In my free time I like lifting weights, traveling, going to Hogwarts, and eating good food.

Ruoqing Jia
Pronouns: She/her
Ph.D. student, Chemistry and Biochemistry
I completed my undergraduate study in Nutritional Science and Chemistry at Pennsylvania State University and come to continue my education here at the Georgia Institute of Technology. My research in McShan Lab focuses on studying different lipid transfer proteins towards solving their atomic structures and mechanisms of action. Outside the lab, I am a big Disney fan. I have a Little Mermaid tattoo! I have been to all of the Disney parks around the world. So far, I think DisneyWorld is the best.

Zoey Yang
Pronouns: She/her
Ph.D. student, Bioinformatics
I completed my undergrad in pharmacy at Taipei Medical University in Taiwan and pursued my Master's in computational biology at Carnegie Mellon University. My research in the McShan lab involves developing and applying computational biology methods to understand protein/protein and lipid/protein interactions, and to design new protein therapeutics. Outside of the lab, I enjoy music, surfing, scuba diving, traveling, and playing with cute animals.

Lizzie Corbin
Pronouns: She/her
Ph.D. student, Chemistry and Biochemistry
I am from Orlando, FL and completed my Bachelor's in biological sciences at Florida State University. Recently, I completed my Master's in biology here at Georgia Tech. In the McShan lab, I am using structural biology to answer fundamental questions about the adaptive and innate immune systems and towards discovery of novel antigens. Outside of lab, I enjoy sports, Disney World, and adventuring around Georgia.

Clary Fu
Pronouns: She/her
Ph.D. student, Material Science and Engineering
I completed my undergraduate study in Polymer Science and Engineering at Sichuan University in China and pursued Master’s in Material Science and Engineering at University of Pennsylvania. Now I am a Ph.D. student in Valeria Milam's lab at Georgia Tech (School of Materials Science and Engineering) where I am co-advised by Dr. McShan. I am engineering carbohydrate-modified nucleic acid aptamers that will serve as therapeutic modulators of biomolecular targets. I am also applying biochemistry, biophysics, and structural biology to characterze aptamer/protein complexes. Outside the lab, I enjoy playing the piano, reading books, watching movies, and traveling.

Uri Miles
Pronouns: He/him
Ph.D. student, Chemistry and Biochemistry
I completed my undergraduate study in Chemistry at Ariel University in Israel in the lab of Flavio Grynszpan. Now I am a Ph.D. student in "the one and only" M.G. Finn's lab at Georgia Tech (School of Chemistry and Biochemistry) where I am co-advised by Dr. McShan. I am using a combination of organic synthesis, biophysical assays, and structural biology to define mechanisms underpinning cancer lipid immunology. Outside the lab, I enjoy rock climbing and listening to ambient music.

Vidya
Pronouns: She/her
Ph.D. student, Chemistry and Biochemistry
I completed both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Bhopal, India, and am now pursuing my graduate studies at Georgia Tech. I am a Ph.D. student in Vinayak Agarwal's lab at Georgia Tech (School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and School of Biology) where I am co-advised by Dr. McShan. My research dives into the fascinating world of Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP) biochemistry, where I explore how substrate peptides interact with modifying enzymes. Outside the lab, I’m passionate about swimming, dancing, and experimenting in the kitchen—always looking for a new recipe to try!

Lily Capeci
Pronouns: She/her
Ph.D. student, Chemistry and Biochemistry
I completed my undergraduate in Biochemistry at Brandeis University while interning for a structure-based drug discovery team in Cambridge, MA as a member of their biophysics group. I am now a Ph.D. Student in the McShan lab, and my project combines computational and structural biology for the de novo design and characterization of lipid binding proteins. In my free time I love hiking, running, and listening to live music.

Lauren Mullininx
Pronouns: She/her
Master's student, Bioinformatics
I completed both my bachelor’s degree in Biology at University of Georgia, Athens where I did research in the Computational Drug Discovery lab. I am now a Bioinformatics Master's student in the McShan lab. My project involves developing and applying computational biology methods to characterize and predict lipid/protein interactions. Outside of the lab I enjoy playing tennis, video games, cosplaying, and learning new languages.






Undergraduates

Prashanth Rathakrishnan
Pronouns: He/him
Undergraduate student, Biology major
I am from Duluth, GA. I am interested in the biology of the immune system at the molecular level. In the McShan lab, my research involves characterizing antigen repertoires of CD1 immunoreceptors using computational biology approaches. Outside of the lab, I love to volunteer at healthcare facilities, explore the city, and listen to music.

Claire Tharp
Pronouns: She/her
Undergraduate student, Biochemistry major
I am from Decatur, GA. In the McShan lab, my research involves examining how certain proteins associate with lipids in relation to their role in immunological signaling. Outside of the lab, I enjoy reading, volunteering in animal shelters, and bingeing TV shows.

Aashi Inani
Pronouns: She/her
Undergraduate student, Biochemistry major
I am from Suwanee, GA! In the McShan Lab, my research involves protein design and characterization to inhibit microbe pathogens. Outside of lab, I enjoy traveling, going to concerts, and binge-watching TV shows.

Tori Daniels
Pronouns: She/her
Undergraduate student, Neuroscience major, Chem/Biochem Minor
In the McShan lab, I'm researching proteins involved in epilepsy and their potential as a therapeutic target. In the future, I hope to study the glymphatic system or uterine health while pursuing a career in medicine. Outside of the lab, I volunteer at the Children's Hospital and play in the Yellow Jacket Marching Band. Through music organizations at Tech, I've been able to create events that highlight our musicians and support our students. I created "Jazz Dessert," which promoted our Jazz ensembles, brought back alumni, and fundraised scholarships for our music organizations. Although having leadership in two music organizations takes a lot of my time, I love binging shows, playing games, and being pulled into interesting side quests.

Cara Dougan
Pronouns: She/her
Undergraduate student, Biochemistry major
I am from Covington, GA. In the McShan Lab, my research involves the characterization of de novo designed proteins. Outside of the lab I enjoy trying new restaurants and going out with friends.

Morgan Zitsch
Pronouns: She/her
Undergraduate student, Biochemistry major
I am from Marietta, GA. In the McShan lab, I study the interaction between de novo proteins and their targets. Outside the lab, I enjoy baking, volunteering with medical clinics, and exploring national parks.

Avani Nagireddy
Pronouns: She/her
Undergraduate student, Biomedical Engineering major
I'm from Chesterfield, New Jersey. In the lab, I am involved with characterizing the interactions of de novo designed proteins with their molecular target to validate computational binding modes. Outside of the lab, I enjoy reading, travelling, and binge-watching TV shows.

Shreyas Gupta
Pronouns: He/him
Undergraduate student, Biology major
I am from Marietta, GA. In the McShan Lab, my research focuses on evaluating the performance of physics-based and machine learning-based docking and structure prediction tools in modeling lipid/protein interactions. In my free time, you’ll likely find me enjoying Taco Bell or cheering on the Atlanta Falcons.


Previous Members / Alumni
Klara Choi, Undergraduate Student (Biology major), Spring 2023–Spring 2025

Marielle Frooman, Undergraduate Student (Biochemistry major), Fall 2023–Spring 2025

Shreyaa Srinivasan, Master's student (Biomedical Engineering), Spring 2023–Spring 2024

Ji Yoon Jung, Master's student (Biomedical Engineering), Spring 2023–Spring 2024

Maya Z. Kahn, Undergraduate Student (Biochemistry major), Fall 2022–Spring 2024

Aubrielle Cunningham, REU Student from Savannah State University (Forensic Science major), Summer 2023

Jenna RisCassi, Undergraduate Student (Chemistry major), Spring 2023