Honolulu ARCS Scholar Christopher Kang is lead author on the cover article of the February 2024 issue of the American Chemistry Societyʻs Journal of Physical Chemistry.
Chris uses simulation methodologies to study chemical properties and compounds related to permeability of medications — the passage of drugs from the gut through cell membranes into the bloodstream. Identifying molecules that could be added to improve permeability aids in development of new drugs, such as diabetes therapies that don’t require injection.
The 2024 Ellen M. Koenig ARCS Award recipient is a chemistry PhD student under Professor Rui Sun in the University of Hawai‘i at Manoaʻs College of Natural Sciences. Chris is a graduate of Moanalua High School and earned his BS in biochemistry and MS in chemistry at UH Manoa.Since 2021, he has been lead author on three additional papers and co-author on five more since 2021—a strong start toward his aspiration to become a college professor. He plans to use his $6,000 ARCS Scholar Award grant on international travel for collabortion and computational resources.
Read the abstract for his article Interaction between Permeation Enhancers and Lipid Bilayers