January 2024: Blessing Ogboo

Blessing Ogboo, 4th year PhD student in Dr. Heppner's lab.

Publications:

• Wittlinger, F.*, Ogboo, B.C*., Shevchenko, E., Damghani, T., Pham, C.D., Schaeffner, I.K., Oligny, B.T., Chitnis, S.P., Beyett, T.S., Rasch, A. and Buckley, B., 2024. Linking ATP and allosteric sites to achieve superadditive binding with bivalent EGFR kinase inhibitors. Communications Chemistry (Just Accepted) ChemRxiv 10.26434/chemrxiv-cs3xn-v2 (*Co-first authors)
• Hoyt, K.W, Urul, D.A., Ogboo, B.C., Wittlinger, F., Laufer, S.A., Schaefer, E.M., May, E.W. and Heppner, D.E., 2024. Pitfalls and Considerations in Determining the Potency and Mutant Selectivity of Covalent Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitors: Miniperspective. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2024 67 (1), 2-16
• Ogboo, B.C., Grabovyy, U.V., Maini, A., Scouten, S., van der Vliet, A., Mattevi, A. and Heppner, D.E., 2022. Architecture of the NADPH oxidase family of enzymes. Redox Biology 2022, 52, p.102298.
• Heppner, D.E., Wittlinger, F., Beyett, T.S., Shaurova, T., Urul, D.A., Buckley, B., Pham, C.D., Schaeffner, I.K., Yang, B., Ogboo, B.C. and May, E.W., 2022. Structural basis for inhibition of mutant EGFR with Lazertinib (YH25448). ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2022, 13(12), pp.1856-1863.

Oral presentation:

• Buffalo Science Seminar, University at Buffalo, NY, USA, November 2022.

Poster presentations:

• Gordon Research Conference on NADPH Oxidases, West Dover, Vermont, United States, May 2022.
• Gordon Research Seminar on NADPH Oxidases, West Dover, Vermont, United States, May 2022
• 39^th Annual chemistry Graduate Students Symposium, University at Buffalo, NY, USA, May 2022.
  

My research focuses on understanding the molecular factors that enhance a compounds activity against a protein in drug discovery and development. Specifically, I develop and study inhibitors of NADPH Oxidases and Epidermal growth factor receptor, to understand the structural features that enable the development of potent inhibitors against these enzymes for the treatment of several diseases.

I love the diverse community at UB, which helps me experience several cultures. In addition, I enjoy the supportive system around me, my PI, lab mates and the chemistry department at large.

I enjoy watching movies and reading books on biblical theology.