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Our Team

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Darkhan Utepbergenov

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 

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

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Azamat Begenov

B.Sc. in Chemistry: 2021, Nazarbayev University

Research assistant: 2022-present, Nazarbayev University

Azamat studies reactions of methylglyoxal with biological nucleophiles

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Adilkhan Yeskendir

B.Sc. in Chemistry: 2021, Nazarbayev University

Research assistant: 2022-present, Nazarbayev University

Adilkhan works on chemoenzymatic synthesis of alfa-hydroxy carboxylic acids

Alumni

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 (pharmacology and toxicology ) at Nazarbayev University

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

Raushan Nugmanova

Research Assistant - June 2017-June 2018

Currently Ph.D. student in KAUST

Nuriza Omertassova

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

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

Timur Baizhumanov

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

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

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