Microstats Lab v6.1 (Summer 2025)
(Missing: Sloane Walker & April Quill)
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Javier San Juan Galán, MSc. - PhD. student, Microbiology
Javier got his Bachelor degree in Microbiology at the Faculty of Biology in University of Havana. During his time working as a Research Assistant at the National Laboratory for Fungal Infections in the Institute of Tropical Medicine Pedro Kourí, he got his Master Degree in Clinical Microbiology. His current research project is focused on the evolution and virulence of Candida in women with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis. |
Aleeza Gerstein, MSc., Ph.D. - Associate Professor (email)
Aleeza did her undergraduate in Ecology & Evolution at the University of Western Ontario (now inexplicably Western
University) where she studied things like Desert Ecology and Meadow Sparrows. She then moved to the University of
British Columbia for her MSc and PhD, where she became enamoured with coding in R and evolving Saccharomyces
cerevisiae in test tubes and the ability to pinpoint specific mutations in many replicate lines through whole genome
sequencing. She conducted her postdoctoral work in the human fungal pathogens Candida albicans and Cryptococcus
neoformans at Tel Aviv University and The University of Minnesota before migrating back home to start her faculty
position in 2018 in her hometown at The University of Manitoba.
Links: google scholar, github, CV
Aleeza did her undergraduate in Ecology & Evolution at the University of Western Ontario (now inexplicably Western
University) where she studied things like Desert Ecology and Meadow Sparrows. She then moved to the University of
British Columbia for her MSc and PhD, where she became enamoured with coding in R and evolving Saccharomyces
cerevisiae in test tubes and the ability to pinpoint specific mutations in many replicate lines through whole genome
sequencing. She conducted her postdoctoral work in the human fungal pathogens Candida albicans and Cryptococcus
neoformans at Tel Aviv University and The University of Minnesota before migrating back home to start her faculty
position in 2018 in her hometown at The University of Manitoba.
Links: google scholar, github, CV
Penelope (Penny) Kahn, Ph.D. Postdoc (email)
Penny completed her Bachelor of Arts in Biology at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, where she conducted research on the ecology and evolution of harvestmen (aka daddy long legs). After undergrad, she worked as a research technician in
the Ratcliff Lab at Georgia Tech, where she learned all about yeast experimental evolution. During her PhD at UBC, she
used these skills to evolve Saccharomyces cerevisiae in different combinations of heavy metals to investigate the
pleiotropic effects of evolutionary rescue (rapid adaptation under very high selective pressure) and how interactions
between environmental stressors impact evolutionary dynamics. She is passionate about experimental design, data
visualization, and science communication. Penny is very excited to study the ecology and evolution of commensal/
pathogenic vaginal yeasts for her postdoctoral research!
Penny completed her Bachelor of Arts in Biology at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, where she conducted research on the ecology and evolution of harvestmen (aka daddy long legs). After undergrad, she worked as a research technician in
the Ratcliff Lab at Georgia Tech, where she learned all about yeast experimental evolution. During her PhD at UBC, she
used these skills to evolve Saccharomyces cerevisiae in different combinations of heavy metals to investigate the
pleiotropic effects of evolutionary rescue (rapid adaptation under very high selective pressure) and how interactions
between environmental stressors impact evolutionary dynamics. She is passionate about experimental design, data
visualization, and science communication. Penny is very excited to study the ecology and evolution of commensal/
pathogenic vaginal yeasts for her postdoctoral research!
Ola Salama - PhD. student
Ola completed her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science at York University, where her curiosity about
antimicrobial resistance was first sparked during a microbiology course. She then pursued an MSc in Microbiology in the
Gerstein Lab from 2019–2021) where she studied drug responses to boric acid in Candida albicans. From 2022 to 2025,
she worked as a data analyst in the Jones Lab at the University of Manitoba, where she explored epigenetic responses to
environmental exposures and developed a deeper appreciation for the complexity of gene regulation. Driven by new
questions at the intersection of her two research experiences, Ola has returned to pursue a PhD jointly supervised by
Aleeza and Meaghan Jones. Her research focuses on understanding the interplay between genetic adaptation and
epigenetic acclimation in Candida species in response to boric acid.
Ola completed her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science at York University, where her curiosity about
antimicrobial resistance was first sparked during a microbiology course. She then pursued an MSc in Microbiology in the
Gerstein Lab from 2019–2021) where she studied drug responses to boric acid in Candida albicans. From 2022 to 2025,
she worked as a data analyst in the Jones Lab at the University of Manitoba, where she explored epigenetic responses to
environmental exposures and developed a deeper appreciation for the complexity of gene regulation. Driven by new
questions at the intersection of her two research experiences, Ola has returned to pursue a PhD jointly supervised by
Aleeza and Meaghan Jones. Her research focuses on understanding the interplay between genetic adaptation and
epigenetic acclimation in Candida species in response to boric acid.
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Aruni Sumanarathne - MSc., PhD. student, Microbiology
Aruni completed her Bachelor of Science (Honours), Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Peradeniya. She is currently working on characterizing the distribution of neutral mutations in the presence and absence of drug in Candida albicans. |
Sloane Walker - Undergrad student, Statistics
GRADUATE ALUMNI
Abdul-Rahman Adamu Bukari - PhD student, Microbiology, 2019-2025
Margot Henry - MSc student, Statistics, 2020-2022
Now - Epidemiologist/Biostatistician, Public Health Agency of Canada
Ola Salama - MSc student, Microbiology, 2019-2021
Next- research technician and computational analyst, Now - PhD student in Microstats
Parul Sethi, - MSc student, Microbiology, 2021-2024
Aruni Sumanarathne - MSc student, Microbiology, 2022-2024
Now - PhD student in Microstats
Kelsey Wog - MSc student (joint with Matthew Bakker), Microbiology, 2023-2025
UNDERGRADUATE ALUMNI
Kenzie Bremner - NSERC Indigenous Award, Summer 2023
Jayden Case - Honours project student, Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, 2022-23. Next - MPAS Student at the University of Calgary
Madison Chapel - Honours project student, Microbiology, September 2019- April 2020, Next - MSc student in Bioinformatics at the
University of British Columbia, Now - Research Programmer at the Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre
Caitlin Kostna - Undergraduate capstone project student, Data Science, 2023-24
Alexia De Graaf - FoS USRA Student, Summer 2022, Currently a medical student at the University of Ottawa
Devin Habon - University of Manitoba Undergraduate Research Award, Summer 2021. Currently a medical student at the University of Manitoba
Rebekah Kukurudz - FoS USRA Student & research technician, Fall 2018-Summer 2022. Next - Masters in Genetic Counseling program at
University of Manitoba. Now a Genetic Counsellor
Obaid Maqsood - FoS USRA, Summer 2023. MBIO4032, student fall 2023.
April Quill - NSERC USRA, Statistics, Summer 2025
Daniel Peter-Salawu - Science Undergraduate Summer Research Award, Summer 2019
Erica Pouteau - Undergraduate project student, Microbiology, 2023-24. Currently in the Genetic Counselling program at the University of Manitoba
Brooke Sidney - Honours project student, Microbiology, Science Undergraduate Research Award, Summer 2020-2021. Next - MSc student in
Epidemiology at the University of Alberta. Now - Epidemiologist at CancerCare Manitoba
Inderpreet Singh - Science Undergraduate Summer Research Award, Summer 2021
Riley Sierhuis - NSERC Undergraduate Research Award), Summer 2020. Currently a medical student at the University of Manitoba
Tri Le - Science Undergraduate Summer Research Award, Research Assistant, May 2019 - April 2020
Quinn Wonitowy - Co-op student, NSERC Undergraduate Research Award, Summer 2019. Next - technician at National Microbiology Laboratory.
Currently in the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program at the University of Manitoba
Yana Syvolos - University of Manitoba URA student & research technician, 2023-2025. Currently a medical student at the University of Manitoba.
Abdul-Rahman Adamu Bukari - PhD student, Microbiology, 2019-2025
Margot Henry - MSc student, Statistics, 2020-2022
Now - Epidemiologist/Biostatistician, Public Health Agency of Canada
Ola Salama - MSc student, Microbiology, 2019-2021
Next- research technician and computational analyst, Now - PhD student in Microstats
Parul Sethi, - MSc student, Microbiology, 2021-2024
Aruni Sumanarathne - MSc student, Microbiology, 2022-2024
Now - PhD student in Microstats
Kelsey Wog - MSc student (joint with Matthew Bakker), Microbiology, 2023-2025
UNDERGRADUATE ALUMNI
Kenzie Bremner - NSERC Indigenous Award, Summer 2023
Jayden Case - Honours project student, Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, 2022-23. Next - MPAS Student at the University of Calgary
Madison Chapel - Honours project student, Microbiology, September 2019- April 2020, Next - MSc student in Bioinformatics at the
University of British Columbia, Now - Research Programmer at the Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre
Caitlin Kostna - Undergraduate capstone project student, Data Science, 2023-24
Alexia De Graaf - FoS USRA Student, Summer 2022, Currently a medical student at the University of Ottawa
Devin Habon - University of Manitoba Undergraduate Research Award, Summer 2021. Currently a medical student at the University of Manitoba
Rebekah Kukurudz - FoS USRA Student & research technician, Fall 2018-Summer 2022. Next - Masters in Genetic Counseling program at
University of Manitoba. Now a Genetic Counsellor
Obaid Maqsood - FoS USRA, Summer 2023. MBIO4032, student fall 2023.
April Quill - NSERC USRA, Statistics, Summer 2025
Daniel Peter-Salawu - Science Undergraduate Summer Research Award, Summer 2019
Erica Pouteau - Undergraduate project student, Microbiology, 2023-24. Currently in the Genetic Counselling program at the University of Manitoba
Brooke Sidney - Honours project student, Microbiology, Science Undergraduate Research Award, Summer 2020-2021. Next - MSc student in
Epidemiology at the University of Alberta. Now - Epidemiologist at CancerCare Manitoba
Inderpreet Singh - Science Undergraduate Summer Research Award, Summer 2021
Riley Sierhuis - NSERC Undergraduate Research Award), Summer 2020. Currently a medical student at the University of Manitoba
Tri Le - Science Undergraduate Summer Research Award, Research Assistant, May 2019 - April 2020
Quinn Wonitowy - Co-op student, NSERC Undergraduate Research Award, Summer 2019. Next - technician at National Microbiology Laboratory.
Currently in the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program at the University of Manitoba
Yana Syvolos - University of Manitoba URA student & research technician, 2023-2025. Currently a medical student at the University of Manitoba.
