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Our Team

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Darkhan Utepbergenov

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The laboratory is led by Dr. Darkhan Utepbergenov, assistant professor in the department of Chemistry, Nazarbayev University. After graduation from the Department of Natural Sciences of Novosibirsk State University in 1996 Dr. Utepbergenov was awarded a scholarship from Daimler-Benz Foundation and moved to Germany to work on his Ph.D. in Research Institute of Molecular Pharmacology in Berlin and Institute of Chemical Kinetics and Combustion in Novosibirsk. After obtaining Ph.D. degree in 2000 from Institute of Bio-organic Chemistry (Novosibirsk) he worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Germany for two years and later moved to United States where he continued his research in top public universities (University of North Carolina and University of Virginia).

Dr. Utepbergenov joined Chemistry Department of Nazarbayev University in August of 2015.

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Aizhan Tkirova

M.Sc. in Biotechnology: 2017, Eurasian National University (Astana).

Ph.D. candidate in life sciences: 2019-present, Nazarbayev University 

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Aizhan studies the metabolism and role of methylglyoxal in cancers driven by K-Ras mutations.

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Adilkhan Yeskendir

B.Sc. in Chemistry: 2021, Nazarbayev University

Research assistant: 2022-present, Nazarbayev University

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Adilkhan works on characterization of cyclic phosphoglyceric anhydride and its biological adducts

Evelina Shkraba

B.Sc. student (class of 2025, Biology) at  Nazarbayev University

Research assistant: June 2023-present, Nazarbayev University

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Evelina characterizes enzymatic activity of pathogenic DJ-1 mutants, performs molecular cloning and works with cell cultures

Adilet Bekmagambetov

B.Sc. student (class of 2024, Biology) at  Nazarbayev University

Research assistant: June 2023-present, Nazarbayev University

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Adilet characterizes enzymatic activity of pathogenic DJ-1 mutants.

Alumni

Nelly Dey

Research Assistant - February 2023-August 2023

Currently M.Sc. student (pharmaceutical sciences), Paris-Saclay University

Azamat Begenov

Research Assistant - June 2022-June 2023

Currently Research Assistant in the laboratory of V. Peshkov (Dept. of Chemistry, NU)

Mussa Yedigenov

Research Assistant - June 2022-September 2022

B.Sc. student (Chemistry) - November 2019-June 2021

Currently M.Sc. student (life science) at Max Planck School Matter to Life

Aizat Abdirassil

B.Sc. student (Chemistry) - February 2020-June 2022

Currently M.Sc. student, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburg

Tomiris Mulikova

Research Assistant - June 2021-June 2022

B.Sc. student (Chemistry) - November 2019-June 2021

Currently Ph.D. student (biochemistry) at University of North Carolina

Zhanibek Bekkhozhin

B.Sc. student (chemistry) - June 2019-June 2022

Currently Ph.D. student (chemistry) at Dartmouth University

Timur Baizhumanov

B.Sc. student (Chemistry) - September 2018-June 2020

Currently M.Sc. student (pharmaceutical technology) at Tubingen University 

Nuriza Omertassova

B.Sc. student (Biology) - June 2017-June 2020

Currently M.Sc. student (molecular medicine) at Nazarbayev University Medical School

Raushan Nugmanova

Research Assistant - June 2017-June 2018

Currently Ph.D. student in KAUST

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