Meet our Students

Meet our Translational Medicine Graduate Students

2026 Candidates

2029 Candidates

2027 Candidates

2030 Candidates

2028 Candidates

2026 Candidates

Tarrah Ethier, PhD ’26 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Mark Ormiston
Thesis Title: Exploring sex differences in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Lubnaa Hossenbaccus, PhD ’26 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Anne Ellis
Thesis Title: The evaluation of cat allergen-induced allergic rhinitis using experimental models

Sophia Linton, PhD ’26 (Candidate)

Supervisors: Dr. Anne Ellis
Thesis Title: Investigating the role of the local microbiome in allergic rhinitis

Edwin Ocran, PhD ’26 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Paula James
Thesis Title: Understanding the Role of von Willebrand Factor in Angiodysplasia

Dilakshan Srikanthan, PhD ’26 (Candidate)

Co-Supervisors: Dr. John Rudan and Dr. Parvin Mousavi
Thesis Title: Improving oncosurgical care in glioblastoma using a multiparametric machine learning platform.

Kyla Tozer, PhD ’26 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Prameet Sheth
Thesis Title: Closing the gap in sex-disparities in animal research

Karam Alosta, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Co-Supervisors: Dr. Alberto Neder and Dr. Nicolle Domnik
Thesis Title: Small airway function, ventilation distribution, and inspiratory neural drive during exercise: Effects of triple therapy co-suspension pMDI in hyperinflated patients with COPD

Courtney Campbell, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Jennifer Flemming
Thesis Title: Trends in alcohol consumption and alcohol-associated liver disease outcomes among Canadian youth and young adults

Aliya Guttman, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Anne Ellis
Thesis Title: Evaluating the clinical and biological response to an acetone-precipitated cat hair allergen extract (AP-Cat) in a Nasal Allergen Challenge (NAC).

Christine Ha, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Karen Yeates
Thesis Title: Economic Evaluation of HPV Automated Visual Evaluation (HPV-AVE) for Screen-Triage-Treat Strategy in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Meghan Jefferies, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Diane Lougheed
Thesis Title: Investigating the responses of individuals with chronic cough or cough variant asthma to eucapnic voluntary hyperventilation (EVH), mannitol, and hypertonic saline (optional).

Nicola Kalhok, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Mark Ormiston
Thesis Title: Understanding the impacts of bone morphogenetic protein receptor 2 (BMPR2) transcripts in endothelial cells in the context of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Abby Lee, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Supervisors: Dr. Mark Ormiston and Dr. Doug Quilty
Thesis Title: Examining endothelial cell myoendothelial junction formation and structure in the context of BMPR-II knockdown and how this relates to smooth muscle cell proliferation in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Victoria Mallett, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Prameet Sheth
Thesis Title: Investigating the use of defined microbial communities and their soluble products to treat salmonella infections in a murine model.

Aikam Rai, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Gavin Winston
Thesis Title: Role of arterial spin labeling in informing clinical decision-making regarding epilepsy surgery.

Tommy Rollin, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Kimberly Dunham-Snary
Thesis Title: Examining the mechanisms behind platelet mitochondrial dysfunction in preclinical cardiometabolic disease

Leah Stanley, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Supervisors: Dr. Laura Gaudet and Dr. Graeme Smith
Thesis Title: The Gut Microbiome of Pregnancies Complicated by Gestational Diabetes: Feasibility of Gut Profiling and Characterization of its Changes

Jessica Wiseman, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Gord Boyd
Thesis Title: To determine whether peripheral vasopressors have an impact on clinically relevant outcomes such as impact on central line bacterial infection rates.

2027 Candidates

Kaytlin Andrews, PhD'27 (Candidate)

Co-Supervisors: Dr. Teresa Purzner and Dr. Jamie Purzner
Thesis Title: Identifying early markers of recurrence in glioblastoma.

Prusha Balaratnam, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Charles Hindmarch
Thesis Title: Closing the Loop Between the Sympathetic Nervous System Hyperactivity and Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Hannah Boyd, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Kimberly Dunham-Snary
Thesis Title: Examining the effects of Sex Differences and mtDNA signature on the development of MASLD

Aisling Brody, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Karen Yeates
Thesis Title: Listening to our Women: Understanding barriers, enablers and strategies to cervical cancer screening through participatory, community-based approaches among Indigenous women living remotely in Ontario

Amanda Chapman, Msc’27 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Kerstin de Wit
Thesis Title: Establishing a Multidisciplinary Model for Long-Term Recovery After Pulmonary Embolism

Naiya Chhelavda, Msc’27 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Stephen Archer and Dr. Patti Lima
Thesis Title: The Role of DAMPs and RV Macrophages Expressing TLRs in Promoting RV Failure in PAH

Abigail Davis, PhD’27 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Anne Ellis
Thesis Title: The open-label use of a monoclonal antibody (Tezepelumab) that targets thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) in the treatment of co-morbid allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma

Olivia DiPaolo, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Allan Lomax and Dr. David Reed
Thesis Title: Exploring the role of the vagus nerve in signaling satiety to the brain

Alex Giff, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Allan Lomax and Dr. David Reed
Thesis Title: The effect of luminal mediators on abdominal pain in IBS patients

Roan Haggerty-Goede, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Kimberly Dunham-Snary
Thesis Title: Investigating the Impact of GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Administration on Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial Bioenergetics and Substrate Modulation

Jana Livingston, PhD’27 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Jacob Rullo
Thesis Title: Characterizing the role of the periocular mucosa in local and systemic immune responses to novel respiratory pathogens and as a site for topical vaccination against coronaviruses

Rose Lucina, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Jennifer Flemming
Thesis Title: Clinical Characteritics and Outcomes in Inflammatory Bowel Disease with Underlying Cirrhosis

Erik McInnes, Msc’27 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Sarah Dick
Thesis Title: Investigating the Impact of Csf1R Deletion on Resident Macrophage Proliferation in the Post-MI Heart

Martina Perez, Msc’27 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. David Maslove
Thesis Title: Identifying Opportunities for Primary Prevention of Critical Illness

Brooke Rutledge, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Akihiro Nakamura and Dr. Stephen Archer
Thesis Title: Neutrophil and T-cell derived DCAF2 dysregulation drives IL-23 and IL-17 signaling in Psoriatic Arthritis

Meara Sanjayan, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Karen Yeates and Dr. Amber Simpson
Thesis Title: Improving Cervical Cancer Care in Indigenous Communities using an AI-based imaging platform

Danielle Shibi Rosen, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Sarah Dick
Thesis Title: Examining Renal Capsule Macrophages as Critical Mediators of Repair in Acute Kidney Injury

Jared Siewe, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Kerstin de Wit
Thesis Title: Physician Management and Patient Values in High-Risk Pulmonary Embolism

Sophie Spicer, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Anne Ellis
Thesis Title: Investigating Nasal and Ocular Immune Response to Conjunctival Allergen Exposure

Mia Wilkinson, PhD’27 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Kimberly Dunham-Snary and Dr. Chris McGlory
Thesis Title: Platelet bioenergetics as a surrogate for skeletal muscle metabolism: Identifying a liquid biopsy for cardiometabolic disease

2028 Candidates

Megan Chaigneau, PhD'28 Student

Supervisor: Dr. Paula James
Thesis Title: Early genomic testing for inherited bleeding disorders in patients without a diagnosis after first-line testing: a multi-site randomized controlled trial

Rachel Di Iorio, MSc ’25, PhD '28 Student

Supervisor: Dr. Karen Yeates
Thesis Title: Assessing the use of community-based contraceptive access points in reducing unplanned pregnancies among adolescents in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

Declan Gainer, PhD'28 (Candidate)

Supervisor: Dr. Mark Ormiston
Thesis Title: Exploring the impact of a natural killer cell-specific Tgfbr2 deletion on lung development and the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension

Matti McFarlane, MSc ’24, PhD '28 Student

Supervisor: Dr. Diane Lougheed
Thesis Title: Improving Diagnosis and Management of Asthma in Primary Care: Insights from a Data Linkage Analysis

Abbey Politeski, PhD '28 (Candidate)

Supervisors: Dr. Sarah Dick and Dr. Mark Ormiston
Thesis Title: Identifying the heterogeneity of macrophage subsets and their role in muscle regeneration

Aryaman Sharma, PhD '28 (Candidate)

Supervisors: Dr. Teresa Purzner and Dr. Jamie Purzner
Thesis Title: Mechanisms of quiescence and treatment-resistance in medulloblastoma

2029 Candidates

Kyra Fine, PhD'29 student

Supervisor: Dr. Daniel Mulder
Thesis Title: Improving access to quantitative disease activity evaluation in IBD through computational molecular biology

Abed Abu Hijleh, PhD'29 student

Supervisor: D r. Alberto Neder
Thesis Title: Development and Clinical Validation of New Paradigms to Unravel the Ventilatory Mechanisms of Exertional Dyspnea During Incremental Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing: The Dynamic Assessment of Dyspnea and Ventilation During Exercise (DyVe-X) Study

Jackline Ngowi, PhD'29 student

Supervisor: Dr. Karen Yeates
Thesis Title: Advancing Culturally Safe Care Pathways for Indigenous Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease in Ontario: A Mixed-Methods Study

Amr Omar, PhD'29 student

Supervisor: Dr. Gavin Winston and Dr. Jason Gallivan
Thesis Title: Integrative Multimodal Neuroimaging, Electrophysiological, and Clinical Data Fusion via Deep Learning approaches for Early Prediction of Seizure Recurrence After First Unprovoked Seizures

Jaskaran Singh Hora, PhD'29 student

Supervisor: Dr. Stephen Archer
Thesis Title: Mitochondrial dynamics in PAH: A link between metabolism and cell cycle progression

2030 Candidates

Zil Patel, PhD'30 student

Supervisor: Dr. Michael Rauh

Thesis Title: Investigating clonal hematopoiesis as a driver of respiratory morbidity, infection risk, and vaccine-related immune dysfunction

Robert Policelli, PhD'30 student

Supervisor: Dr. Parvin Mousavi and Dr. Gabor Fichtinger
Thesis Title: Using iKnife data to detect margin status in breast cancer intraoperatively

Jack Teplitsky, PhD'30 student

Supervisor: Dr. Jacob Rullo
Thesis Title: Exploring the Role of Bacteria on the Ocular Surface in Shaping Immune Responses

Meet our Translational Medicine Graduate Students

2026 Candidates

Tarrah Ethier, PhD ’26 (Candidate)

Lubnaa Hossenbaccus, PhD ’26 (Candidate)

Sophia Linton, PhD ’26 (Candidate)

Edwin Ocran, PhD ’26 (Candidate)

Dilakshan Srikanthan, PhD ’26 (Candidate)

Kyla Tozer, PhD ’26 (Candidate)

Karam Alosta, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Courtney Campbell, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Aliya Guttman, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Christine Ha, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Meghan Jefferies, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Nicola Kalhok, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Abby Lee, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Victoria Mallett, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Aikam Rai, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Tommy Rollin, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Leah Stanley, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

Jessica Wiseman, MSc ’26 (Candidate)

2027 Candidates

Kaytlin Andrews, PhD'27 (Candidate)

Prusha Balaratnam, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Hannah Boyd, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Aisling Brody, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Amanda Chapman, Msc’27 (Candidate)

Naiya Chhelavda, Msc’27 (Candidate)

Abigail Davis, PhD’27 (Candidate)

Olivia DiPaolo, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Alex Giff, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Roan Haggerty-Goede, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Jana Livingston, PhD’27 (Candidate)

Rose Lucina, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Erik McInnes, Msc’27 (Candidate)

Martina Perez, Msc’27 (Candidate)

Brooke Rutledge, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Meara Sanjayan, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Danielle Shibi Rosen, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Jared Siewe, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Sophie Spicer, MSc’27 (Candidate)

Mia Wilkinson, PhD’27 (Candidate)

2028 Candidates

Megan Chaigneau, PhD'28 Student

Rachel Di Iorio, MSc ’25, PhD '28 Student

Declan Gainer, PhD'28 (Candidate)

Matti McFarlane, MSc ’24, PhD '28 Student

Abbey Politeski, PhD '28 (Candidate)

Aryaman Sharma, PhD '28 (Candidate)

2029 Candidates

Kyra Fine, PhD'29 student

Abed Abu Hijleh, PhD'29 student

Jackline Ngowi, PhD'29 student

Amr Omar, PhD'29 student

Jaskaran Singh Hora, PhD'29 student

2030 Candidates

Zil Patel, PhD'30 student

Robert Policelli, PhD'30 student

Jack Teplitsky, PhD'30 student

Program Handbook