Principal Investigator

Dr. Amanda Stockton has been with the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Georgia Institute of Technology since January 2015. Her research includes (1) instrument development for in situ organic analysis in the search for extraterrestrial life, (2) microfluidic approaches to experimentally evaluating hypotheses on the origin of biomolecules and the emergence of life, and (3) terrestrial applications of these technologies for environmental analysis and point-of-care diagnostics.
Postdoctoral Fellows and Staff
Mike, Nick, and Anna have moved on. Check out our Alumni page!
Doctoral Students

Chloe N. LeCates is from Roswell, GA and enjoys traveling, reading, and playing video games. She has worked with the Stockton Lab since 2018 as an undergraduate student and began pursuing her Ph.D. in Chemistry in Fall 2022. She plans on pursuing research into the how the microbial primary succession pathway affects the nutrient content of Martian and lunar analogs with the goal of learning how they transform into a viable agricultural medium. Chloe plans to continue research in Astrobiology and biogeochemical cycling with the eventual goal of becoming a college professor.

Augustine Atta Debrah is currently a third-year Chemistry Ph.D. student in the Stockton Lab. He obtained a bachelor’s in Laboratory Technology under the supervision of Mr. Rex Okoto at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Ghana. Before arriving at Georgia Tech, he worked with Prof. Zhenxia Du at the Beijing University of Chemical Technology. His research interests lie in analytical chemistry, specifically microfluidics. His primary focus is on instrument design for the rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases and environmental analysis in low-resourced environments. He aspires to become an expert in the fabrication of microfluidic devices to improve real-time analysis in the field and eventually a professor. He enjoys reading, movies, and photography.

Manan Jain earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry from Binghamton University, where he conducted research under Dr. Huiyuan Guo on wastewater remediation and pollutant detection using Raman spectroscopy. Currently, he is currently a PhD student in Dr. Stockon’s lab. His research in this lab focuses on analyzing hypersaline environments including, Western Australia, the Orca Basin, and South Bay Salt Works. Beyond lab work and chemistry, he enjoys playing the piano, rock climbing, badminton, video games, and traveling.
Undergraduate Students

Karina Bergstrom is a 4th year Chemistry major with a minor in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE). She has been in the lab since the start of 2024 and plans to continue past graduation to get her Master’s Degree in Analytical Chemistry in the Stockton lab. My current project is with Manan to use CE-LIF to evaluate the biodosimetry of urine samples subject to radiation. I really love crocheting, trying new snacks at Trader Joes, rewatching my favorite movies, and playing Stardew Valley. Outside of the lab I’m involved in my sorority.

Jessie McKenzie is a new member of the group. Her bio will be coming soon!

Sudikshaa Anandakumar is a second year undergraduate student from Suwanee, GA. She’s getting a degree in Biochemistry with a Pre-Health focus. She’s working with Chad to use CE-LIF to evaluate the biodosimetry of urine samples subject to radiation. She plans on attending medical school to pursue a career in clinical pathology. Outside the lab, she is part of Bollywood dance team and teaches Karate.

Soumit Guntupalli is a second year undergraduate student pursuing a degree in biology and is from Kennesaw, GA. Some things he enjoys doing are hiking, traveling, cooking and playing tennis. He hopes to go to dental school after graduation and pursue a career in dentistry.
Interns
The Stockton Group does not have any interns at the moment. Please check out our alumni page!