Elya Kandahari, 2nd Year, Chemistry, 2023

Research Program: MURPPS
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David E. Olson
Research Title: The Total Synthesis of Ibogaine through a Cascading Sequence
Hometown: Fairfield, CA
Three words to describe me: Resilient, Intuitive, Curious

What are your future plans and/or goals?

I plan to earn my PhD in organic chemistry, pursue a postdoctoral position, and secure a tenure track faculty position at a 4 year university.

In what ways has engaging in undergraduate research impacted your future goals and plans?

Academic research in synthetic chemistry has provided me with a versatile learning opportunity and a breadth of experience. By designing a synthetic route, I am developing command in critical thinking and effective communication skills, both of which are essential characteristics top chemistry graduate programs seek in their applicants. With experience in natural product synthesis, I will be prepared to tackle the world's most challenging synthetic questions in my graduate studies and eventually advance on to a tenure track faculty position.

What contribution(s) will your research make to your field of study?

Recently, our lab discovered that certain structural analogs of ibogaine are exceptionally potent plasticity-promoting compounds that show potential to alleviate depression, anxiety, and addiction. Access to useful quantities of ibogaine has previously relied on isolation from natural sources, which has shown to be greatly environmentally taxing. As a result, total synthesis has become a necessary means to access sufficient quantities of this molecule however, due to ibogaine’s complex structure, existing synthetic routes are severely hindered by high step counts and low yields. With this, my goal in the Olson Lab is to create a short and efficacious synthesis of ibogaine and related analogs. If successful, my synthetic route will represent a significant step forward in the availability of biologically important natural products.

What preparation and research experience did you have before applying to your research program?

During the summer of 2019 I conducted studies on the use of deep eutectic solvents for redox flow battery applications and chemical education under Dr. John C. Goeltz at the California State University, Monterey Bay. In the following fall, I began my undergraduate studies at UC Davis and joined the Olson Lab.

Personal achievements/accomplishments or other news and information:

In 2020 I was awarded the ACS Hach Land Grant Undergraduate Scholarship, Provosts Undergraduate Fellowship, and Maureen Belletini Memorial Book Award.

What advice do you have for other undergraduate students seeking research experiences?

Confidence is key! Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself. Pursue your curious impulses, ask questions, make mistakes, and most importantly, be persistent. Passion and drive are traits that PI’s specifically seek in prospective student researchers.

What else would you like us to know about you?

I love the outdoors! In my free time I am almost always on a hike or traveling to a national park.