The Research Group

The Parrill research group currently consists of eight graduate students, four undergraduate students and one high school student.

• Donna Perygin - Ph.D. student - working on design of LPA receptor loop peptide mimics for NMR studies and database searching to identify new LPA receptor antagonists
• James Fells - graduate student - working on agonist binding to S1P receptors, particularly S1P₄, and development of pharmacophore models for LPA receptors
• Angela Howard - graduate student - working on NMR spectroscopic characterization of nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 6 (NPP6) as a model for Autotaxin (NPP2)
• Jeff North - graduate student - working on synthesis of Autotaxin inhibitors
• Ben Clayton - graduate student - using NMR spectroscopy to characterize peptide mimetics of the LPA receptor extracellular loops
• Louis Montedonico - graduate student - working on synthesis of covalent labeling agents of Autotaxin
• Adrienne Hoeglund - graduate student - working on structure-based and QSAR-based identification of Autotaxin inhibitors
• Jesica Williams - graduate student - modeling the LPA₅ receptor to apply in the identification of novel non-lipid agonists
• Trevor Houseal - undergraduate research student - developing and applying a pharmacophore model for S1P₃ antagonism
• Rolanda London - undergraduate research student - developing and applying pharmacophore models for PPARgamma
• Jayne Cox - undergraduate research student - working on geometrically constrained lipid tail groups
• Jacob McMillan - undergraduate research student - working on pharmacophore model of bile acid stimulation of BK calcium channels
• Nico Barowid - Briercrest High School student, 2008 - working on NPP5 model development and computational prediction of substrate preference

Former group members and affiliates:

• Dr. Daniel Osborne - Ph. D. December 2006 - worked on modeling S1P receptor pharmacology and synthesis of Autotaxin inhibitors, now a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center
• Dr. Truc Chi Pham - Ph.D. December 2005 - worked on characterization of solvent-exposed loops of the S1P₄ phospholipid receptor by molecular dynamics, circular dichroism and NMR spectroscopy, now on staff in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Memphis
• Mor Naor - postdoctoral research associate - quantum mechanical investigations of favorable phosphate headgroup ionization state in phospholipid receptors and pKa shifts of residue 3.28 in LPA versus S1P receptors
• Dr. Vineet Sardar - postdoctoral research associate - studied agonist and antagonist binding to lysophospholipid receptors, now at Pfizer
• Dr. Yong Zhao - visiting postdoctoral associate - worked on a three-dimensional pharmacophore to describe effects of anti-alcohol drugs on drinking behavior in mice
• Dr. Hongbin Yuan - Ph.D. May 2003 - worked on QSARs to describe HIV-1 integrase inhibition, now a postdoctoral research associate at University of Illinois - Chicago
• Dr. Debra Bautista - former Ph.D. student - worked on phospholipid growth factor receptor modeling, now teaching honors and advanced placement chemistry at Christian Brothers High School
• Dr. Gigi Ray - visiting assistant professor 1998-2000, worked on HIV integrase docking studies, now a faculty member at the State University of West Georgia
• Jun Deng - Ph.D. student in the Cundari group - worked on modeling PKC mutant interactions with tumor promoters
• Brent Roaten - M.D./Ph.D. student in the Sweatman group at UT-Memphis - worked on PKC interactions with an antitumor agent
• Christina Turner - M.S. graduate - worked on docking HIV-1 integrase inhibitors
• Adrienne Hoeglund - graduate student - worked on predicting activity and selectivity of putative S1P receptor ligands
• Mostafizur Rahman - graduate student - worked on a model of the lysophosphatidate phosphohydrolase-1 enzyme
• Amy Hirsh - B.S. graduate, December 1998 - worked on metal ion interactions with HIV-1 integrase inhibitors
• Angela Jolly - B.S. graduate, August 1999 - worked on metal ion interactions with HIV-1 integrase inhibitors
• Mohsen Abu-Khudeir - B.S. graduate, May 2000 - worked on metal ion influence on HIV-1 integrase structure
• Julie Rubio - B.S. graduate, May 2000 - worked PKC isoform model development
• Stacy Schroeder - undergraduate -  worked on PKC isoform model development
• Michael Poor - B.S. graduate, May 2000 - working on interactions between HIV-1 integrase inhibitors and metal ions
• Trey Bradley - B.S. graduate, May 2000 - worked on interactions between HIV-1 integrase inhibitors and metal ions as well as docking integrase inhibitors
• Sircrease Brooks - undergraduate - worked on PKC interactions with tumor promoters and antipromoters
• Pamela Campbell - undergraduate - worked on docking HIV-1 integrase inhibitors
• Shanta Griffin - B.S. graduate, December 2000 - worked on PKC isoform model development
• Charlie Singer - REU student - worked on adenosine receptor model development and docking
• Charlie Duke - B.S. graduate, August 2002 - worked on development of QSAR models for agonist and antagonist binding to the adenosine receptors
• Angela Polk - undergraduate - working to develop QSAR models for agonist binding to the adenosine A1 receptor
• Draper Hall - undergraduate - working to develop QSAR models for antagonist binding to the CCR5 receptor
• Darrow Chope - REU student - worked on characterization of the structure of the first extracellular loop of the EDG1/S1P₁ phospholipid receptor by molecular dynamics and NMR spectroscopy
• Pamela Smith - undergraduate - worked on development of a homology model of the sphingosine-1-phosphate phosphatase enzyme
• Erica Lewis - undergraduate- worked on development of a QSAR model for antagonist binding to the CCR5 receptor
• Tabitha Burress - B.S. student - designing and evaluating conformationally constrained peptide mimics of the LPA receptor loops
• Lacey Biles - B.S. student - worked to develop a QSAR model for immunosuppresion mediated by the S1P receptors
• Andy Drake - B.S. student - worked on QSAR and pharmacophore models for S1P receptor binding
• Patrick Allison - REU student, 2003 - worked on docking studies to evaluate binding of lysophosphatidic acid to the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) gamma
• Sethai Chea - B.S. student - worked on development of an LPA₄ receptor model
• Ken Ragland - B.S. student - worked on a QSAR model to describe lysophosphatidic acid analog activities
• Andrea Looney - REU student, 2004 - worked on design and evaluation of LPA receptor loop peptide mimics for NMR studies.
• Joe Kaminsky - B.S. student - worked on LPA₂ receptor model development and validation.
• William Slade - REU student, 2005 - worked on synthesis of ATX inhibitors
• Jeff North - REU student, 2005 - worked on synthesis of ATX inhibitors
• Louis Montedonico - undergraduate research student - modeled differences between agonism and antagonism of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) gamma
• Laura McClenaghan - undergraduate research student - developed and applyed a pharmacophore model for S1P₂ agonism
• Titilola Afolabi - undergraduate research student - quantitative structure activity relationship model development for LPA receptor activity
• Felix Nau - REU student, 2006 - worked on synthesis of precursors for ATX inhibitors
• Sarah Hockaday - REU student, 2006 - worked on synthesis of an NPP6 inhibitor
• Melissa Taylor - REU student, 2006 - worked on synthesis of precursors for ATX inhibitors
• Wendy Ross - Project SEED student, 2006 - developed binary QSAR model describing the structure activity relationship for LPA₁ antagonists
• Sapna Mistry - B.S. student - worked on synthesis of ATX inhibitors
• Brandeshia Nelson - B.S. student - database mining to identify novel S1P₂ receptor agonists
• Uniqua Echols - Project SEED student, 2007 - developed binary QSAR model describing Autotaxin inhibition
• Tran Nguyen - Project SEED student, 2007 - docked lysophosphatidyl choline species into a model of the Autotaxin catalytic domain

Back row from left:  Daniel Osborne, Dr. Hongbin Yuan, Lacey Biles
Front row (seated) from left:  Truc Chi Pham, Dr. Abby Parrill (with daughter Lindsey), Dr. Vineet Sardar