Information for and about our current graduate students is posted under the various topics listed in the menu.
Students registered in a Master's program at Queen's University, with first-class standing, and who show exceptional promise in their research may be considered for promotion to a doctoral program in the same Program, without completion of the Master's degree. This is called the "Mini-Masters" program.
2021-2022 DBMS Graduate Representatives
President
Olivia Giovennetti
VP Academic, Biochemistry and Cell Biology Representative
Matthew Fishman
VP Admin, Anatomical Sciences Pattern II Representative
Dalia Peres
VP Marketing; Experimental Medicine
Paola Dantonio
VP Academic; Microbes, Immunity, and Inflammation Representative
Safara Holder
VP Academic; Reproduction and Developmental Sciences Representative
Danielle Sisnett
VP Social; Drug Development, Therapeutics, and Human Toxicology Representative
Sono Khan
VP Social; International Students Representative
Donya Hayati
Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences Graduate Program Awards
The Abrahams Award in Experimental Medicine
Established in March 1996 by the Abramsky Foundation to honour Dr. Vivian Abrahams, distinguished physiologist, Professor of Physiology at Queen's from 1963 to 1995 and Head of the Department from 1976 to 1988. Awarded on the basis of research excellence to funding-eligible PhD level students enrolled in the Physiology graduate program, or in the field of Experimental Medicine in the Biomedical and Molecular Sciences graduate program, who shows exceptional promise for independent research. Requests for nominations will be sent out on a once-yearly basis. Supervisors must nominate their own students. Selection will be made by the Abrahams Ph.D. Award Committee chaired by the Experimental Medicine field coordinator. Value: $1,400.
The Chen Fund for Graduate Student Travel
The Harry Abramsky Charitable Foundation Fund
Established in 1985 by the Harry Abramsky Charitable Foundation for the support and promotion of graduate student attendance at appropriate scientific meetings. Funding will be provided to graduate students enrolled in the Physiology graduate program or in the field of Experimental Medicine in the Biomedical and Molecular Sciences graduate program. Each May, applications will be solicited from supervisors of eligible students for travel which has occurred in the past 12 months. The Adjudication Committee, chaired by the Experimental Medicine field coordinator, will make appropriate decisions with regard to number and amount of the awards. Reimbursement will be made directly to the research grants involved. Value: variable.
Dr. Gerald and Marion Marks Award in Pharmacology and Human Toxicology
The Jane Poulson Memorial Award
Established in February 2004 by the Estate of Dr. Jane Poulson, B.Sc. 1974, M.Sc. 1976, with additional contributions by friends and colleagues and awarded on the basis of academic achievement to graduate students in the Therapeutics, Drug Development, and Human Toxicology field of the Biomedical and Molecular Sciences graduate program. It is awarded to a student completing his/her first year of graduate studies in the Department. The adjudication committee shall comprise three members including the graduate student representative, the graduate field coordinator, and another faculty member associated with the field. Selection will be based upon all aspects of the student's graduate endeavour including: performance in course work, progress in research (based on a one-page abstract written by the candidate), participation in seminars/journal clubs, and performance in teaching. Value: variable and plaque.
Therapeutics, Drug Development, and Human Toxicology Alumni Fellowship
The Eldon Boyd Fellowship
Established in 1972 by Professor E.M. Boyd and awarded to a graduate student(s) in the Pharmacology and Toxicology graduate program, or in the field of Therapeutics, Drug Development, and Human Toxicology in the Biomedical and Molecular Sciences graduate program. Preference will be given to a student or students with the M.D. degree wishing to pursue graduate studies in Pharmacology and Toxicology or Therapeutics, Drug development, and Human Toxicology. The Fellowship is renewable for 2 years dependent upon the student maintaining satisfactory progress. If there is no suitable candidate, the Fellowship may be awarded to a post-doctoral fellow for one year. The Therapeutics, Drug Development, and Human Toxicology field coordinator will identify the successful candidate(s) in consultation with members of the staff. Value: variable.
The Dr. Jeremy Nesheim Memorial Award in Biochemistry
The Jellinck-Lyttle Graduate Fellowship in Biochemistry
Established in July 2011 by Dr. Richard Lyttle, Ph.D. 1973 and family, in honour of Dr. P. Harry Jellinck, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Biochemistry. Awarded on the basis of academic excellence to funding-eligible Masters or Ph.D. level students enrolled in the Biochemistry and Bell Biology Graduate Program or in the field of Biochemistry and Cell Biology in the Biomedical and Molecular Sciences graduate program. Relevant working experience may also be considered. Selection will be made by the Biochemistry and Cell Biology field coordinator in consultation with members of the staff. Value: variable.
The E. G. Bauman Fellowship
Awarded to doctoral students in the Departments of Biology, Economics, English, Mathematics & Statistics or the Biochemistry and Cell Biology field of the Biomedical and Molecular Sciences (DBMS) graduate program. Candidates must be registered in the first or second year of a doctoral program and students may receive the award for two years. Candidates for the awards must show exceptional promise for making significant contributions to the study of biochemistry and cell biology, economic theory and/or econometrics, English language and literature or mathematics. Candidates for the Fellowship made available through DBMS (Biochemistry and Cell Biology) are selected by the Biochemistry and Cell Biology field coordinator. Value: $15,000.
The Professors’ Award for Outstanding Graduate Work in Anatomy
Awarded to a graduate student in the second or subsequent years of study in the graduate programs of Anatomy and Cell Biology, or Anatomical Sciences (teaching program), or in a research Master’s or Ph.D. degree whose research relates to anatomical sciences including gross anatomy, neuroanatomy, histology and embryology in the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences. The recipient must demonstrate outstanding performance in research and course work. Consideration will also be given to teaching and extracurricular activities. Students must be nominated by their supervisor and can win only once in each degree program. Selection will be made by a committee consisting of the Department Head, Coordinator of Graduate Studies and two faculty members who teach Anatomy courses. Deadline for nominations is 1 April and the winner will be announced by 1 June. Value: variable.
American Association for Cancer Research (https://www.aacr.org/professionals/meetings/)
American Chemical Society Meetings (https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/meetings.html)
American Heart Association Scientific Sessions (https://professional.heart.org/en/meetings)
American Peptide Symposium: https://aps2022.org/
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology / Experimental Biology Meeting: https://www.asbmb.org/meetings-events
American Society for Reproductive Immunology (https://theasri.org/)
American Urological Association (https://www.auanet.org)
Canadian Association for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (https://www.cacmid.ca/conferences/)
Canadian Cancer Research Conference (https://www.ccra-acrc.ca/conference/)
Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition (https://www.cheminst.ca/conference/canadian-chemistry-conference-and-exhibition/)
Canadian Fertility & Andrology Society (https://cfas.ca/)
Canadian Glycomics Symposium: https://symposium.canadianglycomics.ca/
Canadian National Perinatal Research Meeting (https://www.cnprm.ca)
Canadian Neuroscience meeting (https://can-acn.org/meetings/)
Canadian Society for Immunology (https://www.csi-sci.ca/)
Canadian Society for Pelvic Medicine (https://www.canadiansocietyforpelvicmedicine.org/meetings/annual-meeting)
Canadian Society for Virology (https://www.csv-scv.ca/en/)
Canadian Woman’s Heart Health Summit (https://cwhhc.ottawaheart.ca/summit)
Candida and Candidiasis (https://microbiologysociety.org/events.html)
Connaught Summer Institute in Pain (http://sites.utoronto.ca/pain/toronto/summer-institute-in-pain.html)
European Respiratory Society International Congress (https://www.ersnet.org/congress-and-events/congress/)
FOCIS – Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (https://www.focisnet.org/meetings/)
Gordon Conferences (https://www.grc.org/) NB: See website for complete list of conferences i.e., Vascular Biology!
IASP World Congress on Pain (https://www.iasp-pain.org/events/)
International Carbohydrate Symposium: https://ics2022.ciente.live/ Although this site changes each year
International Cytokine & Interferon Society (https://cytokinesociety.org/)
International federation of Placenta Associations (https://www.ifpa.epineux.com/)
International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (https://www.isswshmeeting.org)
International Symposium on Fusarium Head Blight (https://www.cwfhb-cws.com/upcoming-events)
Keystone Conferences (https://www.keystonesymposia.org/) NB: See website for complete list of conferences!
Society for glycobiology annual meeting: https://www.glycobiology.org/2022-annual-meeting
Society for Neuroscience (https://www.sfn.org/)
Society for Pelvic Research (https://pelvicresearch.com)
Society for Reproductive Investigation (https://www.sri-online.org/)
Society of Birth Defects Research and Prevention (https://birthdefectsresearch.org/)
Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (https://obgyn.utoronto.ca/events)
Society of Toxicology (https://www.toxicology.org/)
Society of Toxicology of Canada Annual Symposium (https://stcweb.ca)
Southern Ontario Reproductive Biology (https://obgyn.utoronto.ca/event/southern-ontario-reproductive-biology-conference)
The Weinstein Cardiovascular Development and Regeneration Meeting (https://weinstein-conferences.org
Till & McColloch Meetings (https://stemcellnetwork.ca/whats-new/conferences-events/till-mcculloch-meetings/)
Stay tuned for more information about upcoming events.
PhD
Nadia Al Ali (Supervisor: Craig) - New combination therapies for inflammatory breast cancer
Jacob Kment (Supervisor: Craig) - Effects of TGFb inhibitors and immune checkpoint blockade in ovarian cancer models
Connor Scholl (Supervisor: Davies) - Structure, evolution and engineering of polyproline type II helical antifreeze proteins
Alberto Reyes Alvarez (Supervisor: Mulligan) - Alterations on intracellular localization and trafficking of the RET receptor induced by Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 2 mutations
Mitchell Jeffs (Supervisor: Lohans/Martin) - Development and validation of a biosensor-based platform for the study of beta-lactamase activity and inhibition
Keegan Turner-Wood (Supervisor: S. Smith) - Engineering Designer Complexes for Enhanced Agarose Digestion
Nolan Neville (Supervisor: Jia) - Inhibition of bacterial polyphosphate kinase enzymes as a novel antivirulence approach
Zhiyun (Wendy) Yang (Supervisor: Jia) - Functions of P. aeruginosa polyP in host-pathogen interaction
Yun Jiang (Supervisor: Allingham/Craig) - Design and development of novel classes of actin-targeting antibody-drug conjugates
Byron Hunter (Supervisor: Allingham) - Understanding the unique mechanism of microtubule length control by kinesin-8
Irsa Shoukat (Supervisor: Allingham) - Mitotic motor protein functions in Candida albicans
Pooja Sridhar (Supervisor: Loewen/Allingham) - Understanding how the Ste2 receptor of Fusarium graminearum contributes to its pathogenicity on wheat
Youjin Kim (Supervisor: Capicciotti) - Developing Antibody-drug Conjugate through Site-specific Glycoengineering
Jonathan (Jack) Babulic (Supervisor: Capicciotti) - Development and Application of Cell-Surface Glyco-Engineering Tools to Interrogate Glycan/Protein Interactions MD/PhD
Marie Boddington (Supervisor: Capicciotti) - Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of N-glycans and derivatives. A toolkit to probe complex glycan-protein interactions
MSc
Rachel Bishop (Supervisor: Craig) - Effects of TGFb inhibitors on chemoresistance in ovarian cancer models
Tristan Robertson (Supervisor: Abraham) - Identifying Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia Extracellular Vesicle Biomarkers
Christopher Wells (Supervisor: Abraham) - Investigating Key Signalling Pathways Altered During Clonal Haematopoiesis
Kaylee Punter (Supervisor: Chan/Abraham) - Role of Mitochondrial Cristae in Maintaining Cancer Cell Metabolism
Chelsea Margerum (Supervisor: Chan/Abahram) - Investigating the Role of Mitochondrial Fusion on Breast Cancer Cell Growth and Survival
Yanzhi (Mary) Yang (Supervisor: Davies) - Structure-function relationships in adhesion proteins from plant bacteria
Mathias Bell (Supervisors: Davies) - How calpain-3 binds to titin
Thomas Hansen (Supervisor: Davies) - Structure-function relationships in bacterial ice nucleation proteins
Emily Lind (Supervisor: Davies) - The transition from a sugar-binding protein to an ice-binding protein
Mustafa Sherik (Supervisor: Davies) - Structure-function analysis of ligand-binding domains in bacterial adhesion proteins
Jacob Melamed (Supervisor: Brockhausen/Capicciotti) - Novel microbial glycosyltransferases
Iram Abidi (Supervisor: Brockhausen/Walia) - Development of inhibitors for glycoconjugate biosynthesis
Bryanna Thomson (Supervisor: Mulligan) - RET receptor-mediated invasion in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Rachel Gray (Supervisor: Lohans/Allingham) - The impact of carbapenemase mechanism on the clinical detection of carbapenem-resistant bacteria
Montserrat Mora Ochomogo (Supervisor: Lohans/Ross) - Identifying factors responsible for the overproduction of bacterial outer membrane vesicles
Matthew Fishman (Supervisor: S. Smith) - Molecular Basis of KLF15-mediated Repression of Cardiac Hypertrophy
Andrew Garven (Supervisor: Simpson/Berman): The Clinical and Functional Impact of Chromatin Modifying Gene Mutations, KDM6A and ARID1A, in Bladder Cancer
Kody Klupt (Supervisor: Jia) - Global translations lock & key: Structural basis of regulation of Eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2 and its atypical regulatory kinase, eEF2K
Caitlin Doubleday (Supervisor: Allingham) - Regulatory factors of the Candida albicans kinesin-8 Kip3
PhD
Farzaneh Afzali - The role of the integrated stress response in ovarian cancer
Alamjeet Chauhan - Hydrogen peroxide regulates a cation channel to control neuroendocrine cell excitability
Isabelle Grenier-Pleau - Investigating the Role of Extracellular Vesicles in Haematopoietic Stem Cell Regulation
Lindsay (Rhiannon) Hilton - Endothelial BMPR2 loss promotes altered IL-15 mediated signaling, contributing to immune and vascular dysfunction in PAH
Enoch Lam - Investigating Gene Environment Interactions in Allergic Disease for the CHILD Cohort Study
Kelly Lee - Cholinergic receptor desensitization and modulation influences neuroendocrine cell activity
Paola Marino Dantonio - NODAL as a mediator of the tumour microenvironment
Bessi Qorri - Repurposing the anti-cancer efficacy of NSAIDs in inflammation and tumorigenesis
Sara Stickley - The impact of host genomics and environmental exposures on the infant gut microbiota in childhood asthma in the CHILD Cohort Study
MSc
Corey Baker - Dietary maniplation of the production of neuroactive mediators by the gut microbiota
Aidan Bennett - Microbial contributions to sex differences in IBS
Noah Campagna - Rescue of the function of mutant hERG channels associated with inherited long QT syndrome
Ananya Chakraborty - Molecular mechanisms of the PKC-mediated regulation of the Kv1.5 potassium channel
Mikayla Erdelsky - Localized cAMP signaling in primary cilia
Zhi Fang - Impact of human milk oligosaccharides on breast milk microbiota and risk of asthma among breastfed infants
Daniella Gilmour - Interactions between histamine and proteases augment nociceptor excitation
Jennifer Li - Role of synapse location and channel trafficking in electrical coupling of Aplysia bag cell neurons
Eammon MacNeil - Regulation of neuronal Ca2+ channel inactivation by intracellular Ca2+ handling mechanisms
Alexander Prosserman - Regulation of electrical coupling between neuroendocrine cells by cAMP and PKA
Nick Ryckman - Wavefront Collision as a marker of atrial myopathy
Reginald Smyth - Structural and functional determinants of exercise intolerance in patients with mild fibrotic interstitial lung disease
PhD
Olena Kourko (Supervisor: Gee) - Investigation of novel cytokine/TLR agonist combination immunotherapeutics against prostate cancer
Emmanuelle LeBlanc (Supervisor: Colpitts) - Disruption of conserved glycan-dependent interactions as an antiviral strategy for emerging coronaviruses MD/PhD
Carla Gallardo Flores (Supervisor: Colpitts) - Characterization of the roles of cellular cyclophilins in coronavirus infection
Kyle Seaver (Supervisor: Basta) - Characterizing the innate immune response of alternatively activated macrophages
Safara Holder (Supervisor: Banfield) - Identification and characterization of proteins in proximity to the herpes simplex virus tegument protein pUL21 during virus infection
Courtney Bannerman (Supervisor: Ghasemlou) - Microbiome interactions in spinal cord injury modulate pain outcomes
Julia Segal (Supervisor: Ghasemlou) - Circadian control of pain and neuroinflammation in multiple sclerosis
Katya Douchant (Supervisor: Sheth/Adams) - Designing and Characterizing Novel therapeutics for Clostridioides Difficile infection
MSc
Madison Roth (Supervisor: Gee) - Identification of the molecular mechanisms controlling the anti-viral actions of IL-27 against dengue virus infection
Heather Amsden (Supervisor: Gee) - Identification of the molecular mechanisms controlling the anti-viral actions of IL-27 against influenza virus infection
John Mamatis (Supervisor: Colpitts) - Targeting cyclophilins to bolster cellular antiviral immunity against positive-sense RNA viruses
Isabella Pellizzari Delano (Supervisor: Colpitts) - Characterizing the role of trained immunity and type II interferon in restricting coronavirus replication
Hannah Wood (Supervisor: Lomax/Sheth) - Analysis of the role of the gut microbiota in IBD
Julia Barilo (Supervisor: Basta) - Characterizing the innate immune response of alternatively activated macrophages
Ethan Thomas (Supervisor: Banfield) - Factors influencing herpes simplex virus capsid stability
Rosalin Dubois (Supervisor: Ghasemlou) - Peripheral inflammation and spinal cord injury pain - a role for WNK1 in macrophages
Haley Gowdy (Supervisor: Ghasemlou) - National survey and ecological momentary assessment of chronic pain in Canadians
Olivia Smith (Supervisor: Ghasemlou) - Circadian rhythms control microglial transcription and activation states
Curtis Black (Supervisor: Wobeser) - Critical Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) analysis for differentiating relapse from reinfection tuberculosis. The importance of the epidemiologic context and an integrated knowledge translation (iKT) approach to inform public health practice
Emily Halajian (Supervisor: Wobeser) - The molecular clock of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and risk for misclassification in differentiating relapse from reinfection tuberculosis
Richard Nauman (Supervisor: Graham) - Characterizing the effect of BCG-mediated trained immunity on immune checkpoint therapy in bladder cancer
Aline Atallah (Supervisor: Graham) - Characterizing the role of innate immune memory (trained immunity) in the tumour microenvironment after immunotherapy of bladder cancer
Arielle Grossman (Supervisor: Graham) - Enhancement of adaptive immune functions by innate immune memory
William Tran (Supervisor: Graham) - The role of trained immunity in BCG immunotherapy of NMIBC and optimizing the route of inoculation and frequency of BCG treatment
PhD
Jessica Miller (Supervisor: Tayade) - Role of IL-33 and ILC2 in the pathophysiology of endometriosis
Harshavardhan Lingegowda (Supervisor: Tayade) - Endocannabinoids in endometriosis and their therapeutic targeting
Alison McCallion (Supervisor: Tayade) - Mast cells in the pathophysiology of endometriosis
Danielle Sisnett (Supervisor: Tayade) - IL-23-Th17 axis in the pathophysiology of endometriosis
Katherine Zutautas (Supervisor: Tayade) - Role of leukemia Inhibitory factor and its therapeutic targeting in endometriosis
Noor Shakfa (Supervisor: Koti) - Improving cancer cell genotype associated chemotherapy response in ovarian cancer via cGAS-STING pathway activation
Olivia Giovannetti (Supervisor: Adams) - Characterizing the iatrogenic adverse impact of pelvic surgeries on female sexual health
Diane Tomalty (Supervisor: Adams) - Characteristics of glandular structures found in the periurethral tissue: Role in female sexual responses and iatrogenic sexual dysfunction
MSc
Nakeisha Lodge-Tulloch (Supervisor: Graham) - Acquisition of Trained Immunity via Aberrant Maternal Inflammation and Subsequent Risk of Pregnancy Complications
Donya Hayati (Supervisor: Tayade) - Extracellular vesicles in the pathogenesis of endometriosis
Sadaf Rahimi Kazerouni (Supervisor: Koti) - Investigating sex differences in the role of tumor associated B cells in bladder
Celine Wilson-Sanchez (Supervisor: Koti) - Investigating the association between thyroid disease and increased mortality in epithelial ovarian
Priyanka Yolmo (Supervisor: Koti) - Investigating sexual dimorphism in BCG response associated B cells in non-muscle invasive bladder
Jennifer Armstrong (Supervisor: G. Smith) - A peripartum vascular assessment of women with preeclampsia
Sydney Vanderkooi (Supervisor: Kan) - Exploration of the mechanism of action of human oviduct-specific glycoprotein (OVGP1) in enhancing sperm capacitation
Megan Cull (Supervisor: Natale) - Do Sca-1 positive trophoblast cells contribute to an adaption or pathology in the placenta?
PhD
Trent Holmes - Role of DNA damage and repair in benzene’s in utero toxicity
Jia (Amelia) Shi - The role of PPARg during breast tumour angiogenesis
MSc
Logan Germain - Role of epigenetics in triphenyl phosphate mediated toxicity
Brianna Jackson - The placenta-fetal brain axis: a potential target of valproic acid induced autism
Mohammed (Sono) Khan - Mechanisms underlying maladaptive changes in parathyroid gland function in CKD-MBD (Chronic Kidney Disease-Mineral Bone Disease)
Tyler Rowsell - Mechanism regulating the translocation of phosphate in CKD-MBD (Chronic Kidney Disease-Mineral Bone Disease): Role for calciprotein particles
Combined Program
Christian Bile - Investigating the effects of in utero benzene exposure on the hepatic and placental expression of critical fetal DNA repair genes in CD-1 mice