Biography

Yetunde was born in a small college town in Nigeria, where she earned her undergraduate degree in chemistry. Her undergraduate honors research focused on synthetic and medicinal chemistry. She later collaborated on a joint project with her undergraduate supervisor and another professor from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. This work involved molecular docking and the synthesis of quinoxaline and quinazoline-based molecules with potential antidepressant properties.

In 2019, Yetunde moved to the United States to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Nevada, Reno. Under the guidance of Dr. Thomas Gould, Dr. Wesley Chalifoux, and Dr. Thomas Bell, her research focused on designing and synthesizing covalent CADA analogues as potential treatments for opioid use

disorder. During the summer of her third year, she interned at Merck Research Laboratories, where she worked under the supervision of Rebecca Johnson. Her research there centered on high-throughput experimentation for developing synthetic methodologies for heterobicyclic compounds via photocatalysis.

Outside the laboratory, Yetunde enjoys mentoring students and teaching organic chemistry, particularly the arrow-pushing method. Grateful for the mentorship she received, she actively seeks to give back to the community. This commitment led her to join the UNR Honors Program, where she served as a mentor for undergraduates and was awarded the Summer Mentor of the Year in 2023. In her free time, she loves cooking, especially Asian cuisine, and enjoys sleeping (which she jokingly claims she could represent the U.S. in an Olympic sleep competition), dancing, and playing Candy Crush.

In October 2024, Yetunde joined the laboratory of Neglected Diseases at Northeastern University, where she is excited to contribute to the groundbreaking research.