“Exciting. Educating. Rewarding”: Ibrahim Syed’s summer experience in the Meanwell lab
5 October 2026
'Exciting', 'Educating' and 'Rewarding' are the words Ibrahim uses to describe his research studentship this summer.
Introduce yourself! What’s your name, program year and what did you do this summer?
My name is Ibrahim Syed, and I am in my 4th year of a Bachelor of Science Specialization in Pharmacology at the University of Alberta. This summer, I had the pleasure of being part of Dr. Michael Meanwell’s organic chemistry lab.
What research were you doing with the team at the Meanwell Lab?
I worked on 2 major projects over the course of the summer.
The first project was my primary, focusing on novel nucleoside analogue synthesis as antivirals for previously difficult strains of viruses to address, such as influenza. The framework I worked on expanding was of particular interest, and all analogues were submitted to an Immunology lab for testing of biological activity. For each of the analogues, I worked and successfully troubleshooted the phosphorylation process to create nucleotides for submission as well.
The second project focused on photochemistry, exploring a novel photocatalyst reacting in an unexpected way with a certain class of reagents. It was really interesting to experience having to set up many trials in the process of optimization, isolation and characterization.
What led you to this studentship?
I have a passion for drug research as a pharmacologist, and I met Dr. Meanwell in one of my organic chemistry undergraduate courses. I volunteered a few months with the lab last summer, and was invited back to join the wonderful SPP-ARC program and get a chance to contribute to this field of discovery.
What would you say were your biggest lessons from this experience?
I learned that it’s pretty easy to claim that you have good problem solving skills, or that you do not give up easily.
It’s when the same reaction you’ve been working on fails for the fourth time, or the NMR [Nuclear Magnetic Resonance] you are trying to take isn’t clear on the eighth attempt, that you really feel the pressure.
I think my biggest lesson was learning to trust the process, and actively trying different things on the way to problem solving. That's when real problem solving skills and persistence is born!
What advice would you give students like you who want to try something like this?
I would highly recommend a program such as this, and more so to pick the niche that really interests you. It is the interest that drives you when embarking on short-term projects, and it is really on you to stay motivated to make the most out of this opportunity. That being said, it is an incredible opportunity to develop lab skills and meet some wonderful people!
Now the summer’s over, what are you looking forward to in the new school year?
For this last school year, I am looking forward to the specific pharmacology classes I get the opportunity to take - they tend to get really interesting and dive deep into topics, which will be really cool!
In partnership with the Alberta Innovates Summer Studentships Program, SPP-ARC supports three undergraduate students each year to complete research projects in SPP-ARC member laboratories.