Contel Lab

03/28/2026

Discover the creative side of science that sparks breakthroughs 💫

On April 24, 2026, the Night Science Train-the-Trainer Workshop in New York City invites research leaders to explore the “Night Science” approach, where curiosity, intuition, and unexpected connections drive the generation of new questions and ideas before formal hypotheses are formed.

Rooted in the insights of François Jacob and expanded by Itai Yanai and Martin Lercher, this hands-on workshop makes the often-hidden creative practices of science visible, teachable, and shareable, so you can cultivate innovation in your lab, classroom, or research community.

💡 Use code MARCH10 for 10% off registration through March 31!

Secure your spot now: https://www.nyas.org/shaping-science/events/night-science-train-the-trainer-workshop/?utm_source=facebook_social&utm_medium=image3&utm_campaign=nightscience

03/20/2026

02/22/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1ERMwzjkiP/?mibextid=wwXIfr

❄️⚠️ Due to inclement weather, the Brooklyn College campus will be closed on Sunday, February 22, and Monday, February 23, 2026. All in-person classes and on-campus activities have been canceled.

All classes and business operations will be held remotely. Essential personnel are still required to report to campus for normal scheduled shifts. Stay safe and warm, everyone!

02/18/2026

Finally, copper filling the gap in the metallodene family!

https://cen.acs.org/synthesis/cuprocene-copper-sandwich-complex/104/web/2026/02?sc=260217_sc_eng_fb_cen&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0BMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeJ7JQ7tMEpT3i1561uCqtDEKX8FLFJrEyTwLrJtdUVaLdmMJ53-5DI_5BO_M_aem_0FYHP_bmmjYOf0swhbYm3Q

More than 70 years after ferrocene’s discovery, cuprocene fills a long-standing gap in the sandwich menu

02/12/2026

We are very happy to share this paper published in the special issue of the Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry to honor the scientific and mentoring career of Chris Orvig and his enormous influence in the fields of metals in medicine and radiochemistry.

The study of the speciation and stability of metal-based drugs and prodrug candidates in water and biological fluids is essential for subsequent translational studies. The patented water soluble Ru prodrug we report here has great potential as chemotherapeutic for triple negative breast cancer. We confirm that we can store this compound in aqueous solutions under conditions usually employed in hospitals or home settings without significant degradation to inactive species.

If you like NMR studies (including 2D 1H-15N HMBC) this paper is for you!

Congrats to all authors, including Dr. Esteban Urriolabeitia and Dr. Alvaro Sanchez Lopez, former undergraduate student Marayke Mayrata, former high school student Sophie McCarrick, former graduate student Javier Lopez-Hernandez, and graduate student Aaron Manu. Thanks to Dr. Michelle Neary for the crystallographic studies.

In addition to federal agencies, we thank American Cancer Society and Gray Foundation for support

02/01/2026

01/25/2026

❄️⚠️ Due to severe weather conditions, Brooklyn College is shifting to remote operations on Monday, January 26, 2026.

The college will be closed. All scheduled classes will pivot to remote learning. All scheduled essential personnel are required to report for work. Non-essential employees should work remotely. Please stay safe, all!

12/18/2025

At Pacifichem 2025 in Honolulu. Postdoctoral fellow Dr. Alvaro Lopez-Sanchez and I from our lab have participated giving talks at the “Accesing New Targets with Medicinal Inorganic Chemistry” symposium and are still enjoying many other talks. Thanks to the symposium organizers: Tim Storr, Justin Wilson, and Guangyu Zhu! Mahalo!

12/15/2025

On Wednesday December 10th, we celebrated a holiday gathering and the graduation of lab undergraduate students (May and December 2025): David Aini, Sophia Kebadze, Marayke (Mar) Mayrata, and Rebecca Turay. They are ready for doctoral and masters studies, and for medical school in the USA and Australia. Congratulations!

11/10/2025

One week to go! 🌍

Nearly half of PhDs in the U.S. are earned by international students, but building a career across borders comes with unique challenges.

Join us online on November 11, 2025, at 1:00 PM ET for Careers Across Borders: Thriving as an International Scientist, led by Sonali Majumdar, PhD (Princeton University; author of Thriving as an International Scientist).

You’ll learn:
✔️ How to map your STEM career path
✔️ Immigration and global career strategies
✔️ How to turn your background into a powerful advantage

Secure your spot now: https://www.nyas.org/careersacrossborders?utm_source=facebook_social&utm_medium=image3&utm_campaign=careersacrossborders

10/30/2025

We should all agree on this. C'mon it's Halloween!

10/30/2025

Big shout out to doctoral student Aaron Manu (CUNY Biochemistry Doctoral Program) who presented a talk on his immunogenic cell death studies with gold compounds at the International Symposium in Metallomics 10th, October 2025 at ENS - PSL University, Paris.