Dr. Ross Thyer

T. N. Law Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Ross earned a B.Sc. (Hons) in Biochemistry from The University of Western Australia. He obtained his PhD at the Western Australian Institute of Medical Research (renamed the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research) in the laboratory of Dr. Oliver Rackham and Dr. Aleksandra Filipovska. Ross carried out postdoctoral research in the Ellington research group in the Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology at the University of Texas at Austin working primarily on protein engineering with non-canonical amino acids. In the Summer of 2020, he joined the faculty at Rice University in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Ross enjoys growing pitcher plants in his office.

Email: ross.thyer@rice.edu

Graduate Students

Qiyao Wei

Qiyao is a 2020 graduate of the East China Normal University (ECNU) with a B.Sc. in Biotechnology. She is a Ph.D. student in the Bioengineering and Biomedical engineering program. Her research focus is on developing and designing novel tools for engineering proteins and metabolic pathway based on high throughput screening and sequencing technology. When not being a protein engineer, she enjoys watching anime, doing weightlifting and working out at the gym, and hiking and fishing.

Email: qw18@rice.edu

Abdulaziz Alameri

Abdulaziz earned his B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) in 2019. He joined Rice in 2022 enrolling in the MS program in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and graduated in Fall 2024. He is now a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering with a research focus on developing novel genetic tools and refining the cultivation protocols for autotrophic and diazotrophic bacteria. He is dedicated to advancing sustainable practices, particularly in pharmaceutical manufacturing, where he aims to leverage biocatalysis to transform 1-carbon compounds into valuable products. Outside of the lab, Abdulaziz likes to unwind by whipping up some baked goodies. It's his way of letting loose and getting creative!

Email: ama31@rice.edu

Xuan Le

Xuan 🦢 graduated from The University of Nebraska-Lincoln with dual B.Sc. degrees in Chemical Engineering and Mathematics. Xuan is currently a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice University. Her research is focused on establishing novel bacterial systems that enable the conversion of industrial waste into value-added products. In her free time, Xuan likes to relax, exploring new food, and spending time with family.

Email: xl152@rice.edu

Katie Leonard

Katie graduated from Auburn University in 2023 with B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering and two minors: Kinesiology (Sports Coaching) and Dance (Theater). Currently, Katie is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice University. Her research focuses on evaluating selenocysteine biosynthesis pathways and diselenide bonds for production of selenoprotein therapeutics. Outside of the lab, Katie enjoys performing all forms of dance and spending time outdoors with her dog, Kova.

Email: kl125@rice.edu

Elena Mujica

Elena graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.Sc in Bioengineering. She is now pursuing her Ph.D. in Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology (SSPB) at Rice University. Her research focuses on functionalizing genetically intractable microbes for novel biomaterials/biocementation and developing novel technologies to select for non-canonical amino acid incorporation. In her free time, she loves to run with and spend time with friends, explore the thriving food & beverage scene in the city, and train as a sommelier!

Email: em110@rice.edu

Undergraduate Students

Liz Lee - ChBE 2027

Graduate Student Alumni

Dr. Zachary Jansen

Zach graduated from Michigan State University in 2018 with a B.Sc. in Microbiology and went on to work as a research assistant at Michigan State for another two years. He graduated with a Ph.D. in the Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology (SSPB) Program in Fall 2025 and took a post-doctoral position at the University of Chicago.

Dr. Devon Kulhanek

Devon is a 2020 graduate of Texas A&M University (Gig'em!) with a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering and a minor in Materials Science. He graduated with a Ph.D. from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in Spring 2026 and took a post-doctoral position at the Air Force Research Laboratory.

Dr. Andrew Gilmour

Andrew is a 2020 graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a B.Sc. in Biochemistry. He graduated with a Ph.D. from the Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology (SSPB) Program in Spring 2026 and took a positon as a Professor of Biotechnology at Solano Community College.

Undergraduate Student Alumni

Sophie Reilly - CHBE - Honeywell

Matan Lieber-Kotz - CHBE - Merck

Andrew Li - STAT - UPenn Medicine

Zainab Niaz - CHBE - AbbVie

Caleb Solorzano - Chemistry - NIH

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