Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics
Principal Investigator
Dr. Marta Overchuk is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics at the University of Utah College of Pharmacy. A biochemist by training (BSc Hon., Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Ukraine), she earned her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Toronto, Canada.
Dr. Overchuk’s research bridges fundamental biochemistry with translational nanomedicine, shaped by the mentorship of photodynamic therapy (PDT) pioneers Drs. Gang Zheng and Brian Wilson. By leveraging light, photochemistry, and biomimetic nanoplatforms to reprogram cancer lipid metabolism, her lab develops mechanism-based photodynamic strategies that overcome chemotherapy resistance and drive clinical translation.
Beyond the bench, Dr. Overchuk empowers the next generation of scientists by sharing mentorship, career development strategies, and science communication resources via Instagram. Championing open science and accessible research tools, she also co-developed graphmatik.io—a free, no-code data visualization and statistical analysis platform engineered to streamline scientific workflows.
PhD Student, Molecular Pharmaceutics
Jiayi holds an MS in Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology from USC and a dual B.S. in Pharmacy (China Pharmaceutical University) and Biochemistry & Pharmacology (University of Strathclyde).
In the Overchuk Lab, Jiayi focuses on developing light-activatable, high-density lipoprotein-like formulations designed to enhance targeted lipid peroxidation.