Our Trainees

I have recently graduated from the University of Tehran with a Bachelor's degree in microbiology, and my research interests revolve around investigating the interactions between hosts and parasites, particularly viruses like Nipah. Currently, my project is focused on exploring the antiviral mechanisms of IFITMs against NiV.

Gillian’s PhD thesis focuses on how copper affects the pathogen Legionella pneumophila. Her research aims to characterize the environmental conditions and mutations that lead to the emergence of copper resistance in L. pneumophila and examine the efficacy of using copper in Legionella control.

My PhD thesis interests revolve around extracellular vesicles (EVs), with a focus on the protozoan parasite Leishmania. My project aims to characterize this parasite and their EVs in the context of drug resistance and RNAi pathway modifications to gain a better understanding of their influence on parasite-parasite and parasite-vector interactions.

Sarah is a MSc candidate whose research project focuses on natural products, with an interest in antimicrobials that are encoded by biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). Sarah’s project involves BGCs located on large plasmids found in actinomycetes, specifically BGCs on plasmids which contain prophage regions.

My doctoral work investigates the vector competence of mosquito species, both native and invasive to Canada; specifically, their capability for infection with arthropod-borne viruses (e.g., West Nile and Zika viruses). I am also exploring the use of insect-specific viruses as a means of vector control and arbovirus transmission reduction.

I investigated, in my masters, and I’m currently working on phenotypic differences in Leishmania resistance to drugs. I aspire working as a researcher within institutes, organizations, universities, or the pharmaceutical industry, with the aim of advancing the development of improved strategies for the treatment and control of infections.

I focus on maternally transmitted strain-specific immunity in mice, against the Lyme disease bacterium. Immunology in Lyme has become a passion of mine as it pertains to prevention, diagnostics, treatment, and monitoring. For my future, I want to include more veterinary expertise, experience, and data in discussions, as well as prioritize patient-driven research.

Paul evaluates the effect of disinfectants on the transfer of antibiotic resistance from bacteria present on food to Salmonella enterica. He aims to test disinfectants and surface sanitizers that are commonly used in the food industry to guide the regulation of these compounds and reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance.

After recently graduating from McGill University with BSc in Food Science & BSc in Nutritional Science, I am starting my graduate studies at University of Guelph. My graduate work will be centered on food safety and microbiology, with a focus on bacteriophages.

My research interest centers around the dynamic interactions among host microbiomes, their metabolomic profiles, and environmental exposures (including food, pathogens, drugs and other chemicals). We focus on utilizing computational approaches to analyze big data and to gain insights into their complex relationships.

My interests include insect and arthropod vectors (ticks and mosquitoes), and the pathogens they harbor. My prior work characterized the molecular mechanisms of tick repellents. Presently, I devote my research to unraveling the complexities of superinfections of Borrelia burgdorferi in mice and subsequent transmission to feeding ticks.

Natalia’s project focuses on antimicrobial resistance in Canadian aquaculture. She's working on identifying antibiotic resistant bacteria in aquatic food production and investigating the transfer pathways of antibiotic resistant genes in the food supply chain. Natalia’s research aims to develop intervention strategies to preserve the effectiveness of antimicrobials used in Canada.

My research interests center on the development of a microfluidic “lab-on-a-chip” device that couples isothermal amplification method for specific and rapid detection of foodborne pathogens during fresh produce processing. We currently focus on developing a microfluidic device coupled recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) with lateral flow assay (LFA) to screen norovirus in real food samples.

Cody’s PhD work is on the zoonotic food-borne parasite, Trichinella, in the North American North. Cody aims to characterize the newly discovered species, T. chanchalensis, and to provide meaningful information that those in the North can use to make informed decisions about the infection risk of consuming wild carnivores and omnivores.

Giuliana recently graduated with a Bachelors in Life Sciences. She hopes to expand her knowledge on viruses and learn how they invade host cells. Her graduate studies focus on the Nipah Virus host cell attachment and budding, specifically the actin cytoskeleton's function in the M protein. Ultimately, Giuliana believes there is much more to discover in this complicated field.

Research involving the unexplored intricate interactions between hosts and parasites has always been my passion. My planned work centers around elucidating the infection ecology of Echinococcus multilocularis within its various hosts in Western Canada, and using laboratory techniques to determine the pathogenicity of the various strains located here.