Department of Chemistry

 Pauline Olsen, a third-year undergraduate biochemistry-chemistry major, has been recognized as one of the 2013 UCR Chancellor's Research Fellows. Pauline's research, conducted under the guidance of Dr. Jack Eichler in the department of chemistry, generally aims to investigate the potential anticancer properties of gold(III) coordination complexes. Her previous research in the lab focused on investigating the serum albumin binding of a five-coordinate gold(III) complex, and her work revealed that binding with this protein may limit the in vivo antitumor efficacy of this compound. Pauline has presented her research at the Fall 2012 Southern California Undergraduate Research Conference, the Spring 2013 Southern California Undergraduate Chemistry Research Symposium, and most recently at the Spring 2013 UCR Undergraduate Research Symposium. Her findings are also included in a paper that has recently been submitted to the Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry. Pauline's proposal for the Chancellor's Research Fellowship described her plans to make new gold(III) coordination complexes that have weaker binding to serum albumin proteins, and potentially enhanced antitumor activity.