Graduate Students
Baasil Afzal
MSc Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Tissue Engineering for Wound Healing Applications
Biography: Had an interest in science growing up. Still have an interest in science today.
Layya Al Malouf
MSc Anatomy & Cell Biology, Clinical AnatomyResearch Interests / Specializations: Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)
Biography: I completed my BSc. with an Honours Specialization in Neuroscience from Western University in 2023. Through the Clinical Anatomy program, I am combining my interests in anatomy, research and teaching.
Harjot Athwal
MSc Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Breast cancer, radiotherapy, CFI-400945, PLK4, Combination Therapy
Biography: I completed a Bachelor of Medical Sciences with an Honours Specialization in Biochemistry and Cancer Biology at Western University in 2022. During my last year I entered my current lab to complete an honours thesis project. I enjoyed my time there and stayed on to complete my Masters.
Bryn Bhalerao
MSc Anatomy & Cell Biology, Clinical AnatomyResearch Interests / Specializations: Anatomical Sciences, Medical Science & Higher Education Research
Biography: My name is Bryn and I’m a graduate student in the Master’s in Clinical Anatomy program here in Schulich’s Anatomy and Cell Biology department. I am enjoying the opportunity to develop my anatomical dissection skills and teaching skills in additional to becoming a junior researcher in the field of higher education research. Outside of my work I love to hike, swim, and hang out with friends and dogs!
Matthew Borrelli
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Ovarian cancer / Spheroids / Metastasis / Metabolism / Mitochondrial dynamics / High-volume image analysis
Biography: Matt began working towards his PhD under the supervision of Dr. Shepherd after earning his MSc at Western in 2019. His primary research goal is to develop novel approaches for studying spatial regulation of intracellular processes within three-dimensional spheroids, and to contribute the resulting insights to a more comprehensive understanding of (ovarian) cancer spheroid biology.
Julia Brott
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Neurodevelopment, Intellectual Disability, microRNAs, Cognition, ATRX Syndrome, Synaptic Plasticity
Biography: I completed my Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Toxicology at the University of Guelph in 2018. I then began studying neurodevelopmental disorders and completed my Masters of Science in the department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Guelph in 2020.
Anastasios Catanzaro
MSc Anatomy & Cell Biology, Clinical AnatomyResearch Interests / Specializations: Motivation, Community-Engaged Learning
Biography: Hi I'm Stas Catanzaro, a 2nd year Clinical Anatomy Master's student. My research focuses on community-engaged learning as a pedagogical tool to modulate student motivation. In my spare time I really enjoy playing the violin, guitar and spending time with family and friends.
Diba Chowdhury
MSc Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Placental development, UPR, ER stress, Preeclampsia, Developmental Biology
Biography: I completed my Bachelor of Medical Sciences Hon. Spec. Medical Cell Biology at the University of Western Ontario in 2022. My research focusses on the involvement of UPR and ER stress in trophoblast differentiation and pathogenesis of preeclampsia.
Paul Collie
MSc Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Tissue Engineering, Synovial Tissue, Osteoarthritis, Wound Healing.
Biography: I completed my undergraduate in Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa, where I found a passion for working in lab settings and contributing to research in healthcare. My work with Dr. Flynn and Dr. Appleton focuses on engineering a 3D microenvironment to replicate and study the synovial membrane and its deterioration in the early stages of osteoarthritis. We are hopeful to create a potential new therapy to target the disease, leading to a less painful future for many.
Emily Danciu
MSc Anatomy & Cell Biology, Clinical AnatomyResearch Interests / Specializations: Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL), use of anatomical eponyms in healthcare education.
Biography: I completed my Bachelor of Science in Health Studies at the University of Waterloo in 2023. This is where I got to further study anatomy and fell in love with teaching and dissection. This led me to the Clinical Anatomy program here at Western which combines my passion for anatomy and teaching!
Emily Dietrich
MSc Anatomy & Cell Biology, Clinical AnatomyResearch Interests / Specializations: Alternative assessments in graduate anatomy education
Biography: I graduated from Western in 2022 with a BMSc & a Minor in Dance before starting the Clinical Anatomy MSc program. This program lets me combine my passions for anatomy, educational scholarship & teaching!
Elizabeth Fenton
MSc Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Glioma, Brain Cancer, H3 K27 mutant, Pediatric, Xenografts
Biography: I completed my Honours Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience at Western University in May 2023. Currently, I am completing my Master of Science in Anatomy and Cell Biology at Western University. My project involves the development/optimization of pre-clinical models of brain cancer, specifically patient-derived xenografts of glioma in immunodeficient rats, as well as complementary in vitro work.
Cassidy Fu
MSc Anatomy and Cell Biology, Clinical AnatomyResearch Interests / Specializations: Orthopedics: Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI)
Biography: Hi everyone! I'm in my Master's of Clinical Anatomy and am doing my research project with Dr. Geoffrey Ng at Robarts Research Institute. My research examines the anatomic variations in bilateral FAI patients using imaging measurements and 3D statistical shape modelling. In my spare time, I love to play instruments, swim and watch movies or TV shows.
Sairam Gajavelli
MSc Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological Research
Jennifer Guo
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Periodontal Regeneration, Growth Factors, Biomaterial
Biography: Jennifer received her Bachelor of Medical Sciences degree from Western University in 2021 with an Honours Specialization in Physiology. She is currently a DDS/PhD Candidate looking to engineer novel biomaterial to facilitate periodontal tissue regeneration.
Tiffany Johnston
MSc Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Ovarian cancer, autophagy, ULK1, spheroids, metastasis, chemoresistance
Biography: I completed a Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours Specialization Biochemistry and Cancer Biology) at Western in 2022. My passion for cancer research has led me to the Shepherd lab, where I investigate ULK1 and autophagy inhibition as a potential therapeutic option for treating chemoresistant ovarian cancer.
Charlotte Jones-Whitehead
MSc Anatomy and Cell Biology, Clinical AnatomyResearch Interests / Specializations: Nerve ablation techniques to treat low back pain.
Biography: I completed my Bachelor of Sciences Honours Major Biomedical Sciences degree at the University of Guelph in 2020 where I learned to love anatomy and teaching. This led me to the Clinical Anatomy program at western where I'm now carrying out cadaveric research to investigate best techniques for nerve ablation to relieve low back pain.
Rehanna Kanji
MSc Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Pannexins, Brain cancer: Glioblastoma multiforme, Cancer cell biology
Biography: I completed a BMSc with an Honours Specialization in Medical Cell Biology in 2023. During that time I studied the role of Pannexin 3 in age and forced exercise-induced osteoarthritis. My interest in cancer biology has led me to pursue an MSc with a research project focused on targeting Pannexin 1 in glioblastoma multiforme.
Meenaal Kaur
MSc Anatomy and Cell Biology, Clinical AnatomyResearch Interests / Specializations: Embryology Women's Reproductive Health Pregnancy
Biography: Hello, I am a second-year clinical anatomy student in the Renaud/Lala lab. I am looking at the effects of iron regulation on decidual cells and its outcomes in pregnancy.
Young Joon Kim
MSc Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Chaperones, ALS, In-vitro, Neuronal, J proteins
Biography: I am excited to learn more about the cochaperone DNAJC7 and its interactions with other proteins! Thank you to my professors, Martin and James, for your supervision and guidance.
Megan Lave
MSc Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Placenta; Preeclampsia; Osteopontin; Inflammation; Rodent Models
Biography: I received a Bachelor of Medical Sciences degree from Western University with an Honours Specialization in Medical Cell Biology. My research focuses on investigating the role of osteopontin at the maternal-fetal interface and during inflammation.
Stephanie Leighton
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Connexins, Pannexins, Skin, Melanoma
Biography: Stephanie completed her Honours Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto in 2021. She is currently exploring the role of connexins and pannexins as potential suppressors of melanoma growth and metastasis.
Kasha Mansour
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: ATRX, astrocytoma, mouse models, chromatin remodelling
Biography: My research project focuses on creating a genetic mouse model of astrocytoma, which is a form of brain cancer that originates from glial cells. I aim to characterize the tumours formed in these mice and to identify early driving events that lead to tumourigenesis, with the goal of eventually identifying potential therapeutic targets.
Pedro Marinho
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Neurobiology of co-occurring schizophrenia and substance use disorders.
Biography: PhD project focus on aspects of addiction and other psychiatric conditions, especially related to development, circadian rhythms and psychopharmacology in rodents and non-human primates. In addition to Neuroscience, is also interested in the development of new teaching methodologies to teach science and biology and in the intersection of Neuroscience and Education.
Hannah Martin
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Stroke, Alzheimer's disease
Biography: I am a first year PhD student in the Whitehead lab. I completed my undergraduate degree at Western in the Medical Sciences and Biology double major program. My current research focuses on determining if extracellular vesicles released from microglia can discriminate post-stroke cognitive impairment.
Alyssa Moore
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Craniofacial development, tissue interactions, medical imaging
Biography: I earned my B.Sc. in Anatomy and Cell Biology from the University of Saskatchewan, where I was introduced to anatomy and medical imaging. I've since completed an M.Sc. in Clinical Anatomy and refined my research focus to the developmental biology of the skull and tissues that interact with the skull throughout development.
Sarah Myers
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Microglia activation, cognitive impairment, stroke, Alzheimer's disease
Biography: Sarah received a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Neuroscience from Indiana University in 2018. She is currently a PhD candidate investigating microglia activation and cognitive impairment in preclinical models of Alzheimer's disease and stroke.
Aybars Nazlica
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Cancer/Single-cell Sequencing/Bioinformatics/Machine Learning
Biography: I received my M.D. from Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University. I worked in the industry on transfer learning for language models and topological data analysis. I am pursuing a Ph.D. in developing machine-learning approaches for biomarker discovery and predicting cancer treatment response.
Sepideh Nikfarjam
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Cardiovascular Biology, Endothelial Cells, Exosomes
Biography: I am currently a third-year PhD student immersed in captivating the world of Cardio-Oncology. My research journey is all about uncovering the secrets of BRCA2 on vascular function in women battling breast cancer and diabetes. Beyond the lab coat, I dream of taking my passion for research and discovery into the dynamic realm of industry, where I can transform my knowledge into real-world solution and improve the lives of those affected by these conditions. ❤️🧬🌟 #ScienceMatters #FutureInnovator
Carson Norkum
MSc Anatomy and Cell Biology, Clinical AnatomyResearch Interests / Specializations: Orthopedic Surgery: Surgical Education
Biography: I graduated from the University of Ottawa in 2023 with an Honours BSc in Biomedical Science and a minor in Psychology. I'm now in the Clinical Anatomy MSc program, where I will be focusing on making a Surgical Objective Structured Clinical Examination (S-OSCE) for orthopedic surgery residents.
Brooke O'Donnell
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Pannexins, Skin, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Alternative Translation Initiation
Biography: Brooke received a Bachelor of Medical Sciences degree from Western in 2018 with an Honours Specialization in Physiology. She is currently a PhD Candidate, with her research focusing on pannexin channels and their isoforms in skin health and squamous cell carcinoma.
Nikita Ollen-Bittle
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Characterizing lipidomic changes and mechanisms of microglial dysregulation in neurodegenerative diseases for the discovery of novel therapeutic targets.
Biography: Nikita is an MD/PhD student co-supervised by Dr. Whitehead and Dr. Finger. Prior to starting in the MD/PhD program Nikita completed both an MSc in Neuroscience and a BSc (Hon.) in Life Sciences at Queen's University.
Urvi Patel
MSc Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Breast cancer, lung metastasis, extracellular vesicles, pre-metastatic niche
Biography: I completed a BMSc with an Honours Specialization in Biochemistry & Cancer Biology at Western. I started doing cancer research with the Allan lab during my fourth year. This led me to pursue my masters and continue my research exploring the underlying mechanisms behind why breast cancer metastasizes to the lung.
Violet Patterson
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Elucidating the regulatory processes of trophoblast differentiation and placental development using animal and cell models.
Biography: Violet is a PhD student studying the role of the transcription factor, ovo-like zinc finger 2 (OVOL2) on placental vascular function and development. She completed her BSc & MSc in Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University, where she studied the impacts of paternal obesity on placental endoplasmic reticulum stress and vascular development in mice. She sought to continue her research into placental development to further elucidate the signaling pathways within this unique organ.
Milica Pavlovic
MSc Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Molecular Biology, Autism, Microglia, Chromatin Remodeling
Biography: I graduated from Western University in 2023 with an Honours Specialization in One Health in Medical Sciences. I am currently starting my MSc in Anatomy and Cell Biology in the Bérubé lab where I focus on studying neurodevelopmental disorders.
Amy Pietrantonio
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Prenatal alcohol exposure, developmental biology
Biography: I completed both my BMSc and MSc at Western University. Currently, I am completing my PhD in Anatomy and Cell Biology at Western University with a research focus on prenatal alcohol exposure.
Anahid Pourtousi
MSc Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Critical Periods in Neurodevelopment
Biography: During much of my bachelor's degree in the Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences at Western, I worked as a research assistant studying sensory difficulties in neurodevelopmental disorders. I carried my work with developmental disorders down to its molecular basis in my Master's degree under the supervision of Dr. Nathalie Bérubé.
Katherine Quesnel
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Autism, neurodevelopment, chromatin remodeling, molecular biology
Biography: I graduated from Fanshawe college with a diploma in Science Laboratory Technology in 2012, and had the opportunity to start working as a Research Technician at Western University as a co-op student during my time at Fanshawe. After graduating, I continued working as a research technician and furthered my education, graduating with a bachelors of science with a specialization in Biology from Western. Now, I am continuing my passion in the laboratory but now as a graduate student in Anatomy and cell biology, in hopes to pursue a career in academia. www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-quesnel-a4920913a
Supreet Singh
MSc Anatomy and Cell Biology, Clinical AnatomyResearch Interests / Specializations: Visuospatial abilities, haptic abilities, chronotype, scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL).
Biography: After completing my Bachelor of Medical Sciences (Honours Physiology & Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences) in 2022, I found my current home in the Clinical Anatomy program! Now I spend my days teaching medical and dental students gross anatomy and histology, and work away at my project which explores the effect of chronotype on cognitive abilities in female undergraduate students in STEM disciplines.
Samuel Stack-Couture
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Unfolded protein response in Candida albicans.
Biography: I completed my B.M.Sc with an Honors Specialization in Medical Cell Biology at Western in 2021. I started working in the Lajoie lab in my fourth year of undergrad and stayed for a Ph.D. to study the role of the unfolded protein response in Candida albicans and how it relates to antifungal resistance and pathogenicity.
Justin Tang
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Osteoarthritis, Cell Systems, Electrophysiology, iPSCs, Proteomics
Biography: Justin received a Bachelor of Medical Sciences degree from Western in 2022 with an Honours Specialization in Medical Cell Biology. He is currently a PhD student researching the effect of mutant Pannexins on physiological systems.
Dylan Tinney-Dickinson
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological Research
Emily Tomas
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Epithelium ovarian cancer; Patient-derived organoids; Spheroids; Tumour dormancy
Biography: My project investigates epithelial ovarian cancer using 3D culture model systems (ex. spheroids and organoids) to understand the biological changes that occur during disease progression. This will provide new targeted treatment options for patients with disease recurrence and with tumours/metastatic lesions that have become resistant to standard chemotherapy.
Hannah Traynor
MSc Anatomy and Cell Biology, Clinical AnatomyBiography: I completed my undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science from the University of Guelph in 2023 where I had incredible opportunities in human anatomy. The Clinical Anatomy program at Western allows me to combine my passions for anatomy, research, teaching, education, and humanity in general.
Carlijn Van Kessel
MSc Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Pannexins, Glioblastoma Multiforme, Translational Oncology
Biography: Carlijn received a Bachelor of Medical Sciences degree from Western University in 2022 with an Honours Specialization in Biochemistry and Cell Biology. She is currently an MSc student researching the role of Pannexin 1 expression in modulating glioblastoma multiforme cell tumorigenicity.
Kayla Vieno
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Anatomical variation in gross anatomy education
Biography: I completed my BSc in Biomedical Science at the University of Guelph in 2020 and my MSc in Clinical Anatomy at Western in 2022. I am continuing to follow my interests in teaching and anatomy as a PhD candidate exploring the inclusion of anatomical variation in gross anatomy education.
Jack Webb
PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Autophagy, ovarian cancer, metastasis, CRISPR/Cas9, spheroids, xenografts
Biography: In this research project, I am investigating the multifaceted role of ULK1 in epithelial ovarian cancer progression and treatment resistance. Using genetic knockout models, conducting phospho-proteomic analysis, and screening chemotherapeutic agents, I aim to uncover both autophagy-dependent and -independent functions of ULK1. My ultimate goal is to identify novel molecular targets and therapeutic strategies that can enhance existing treatments or offer new approaches to improve outcomes for advanced EOC patients.
Sidney Wright
MSc Anatomy and Cell Biology, Clinical AnatomyResearch Interests / Specializations: Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)
Biography: I completed my Bachelor of Medical Science in Interdisciplinary Medical Science at Western University in 2023 before entering the Clinical Anatomy program. Through this program I am able to combine my interests in anatomy, teaching, education and SoTL research.
David Wu
MSc Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: Neuroinflammation, biomarkers, imaging, cognitive impairment
Biography: David Wu is a first-year Masters student in Anatomy & Cell Biology. His current project investigates if white matter hyperintensities, perivascular spaces, and blood-based biomarkers could be used together for the diagnosis and prognosis of mild cognitive impairment. David is passionate about scientific advocacy and promoting research opportunities, and enjoys reading and playing piano in his spare time.
Michael Zheng
MSc Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biological ResearchResearch Interests / Specializations: In Vitro 3D Placental Models
Biography: I am a Master's student developing cell cultures that more closely resemble the 3D placental arrangement. I am also the current graduate student co-chair of the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization (EDI-D) committee.
Brittany Zurkan
MSc Anatomy and Cell Biology, Clinical AnatomyResearch Interests / Specializations: Axillary cutaneous nerve mapping for the identification of alternative anesthetic targets in breast surgery.
Biography: I completed my Honours Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences at Queen's University in 2022, during which time I developed a passion for anatomy & pedagogy. In the Clinical Anatomy MSc stream, I have explored my interests further by teaching gross anatomy & histology to undergraduate & professional students and conducting cadaveric research that has direct clinical applications.
