Current Trainees / Staff in the Mookherjee Lab:
Padmanie Ramotar
MSc Student
Padmanie Ramotar completed her undergraduate studies from University of Winnipeg and joined the Mookherjee lab as a MSc student in 2022. Padmanie is examinint the effect of citrullination on immunomodulatory functions of host defence peptides. Padmanie was awarded the highly competitive CIHR - Canadian Graduate Studentship - Masters in 2023.
Tiffany Shen
MSc Student
Tiffany Shen completed her BSc from University of Calgary and joined the Mookherjee lab as a MSc student in 2022. Tiffany's research project is to examine sex related differences in neutrophilic airway inflammation using model systems relevant to severe asthma. Tiffany was awarded the highly competitive CIHR - Canadian Graduate Studentship - Masters in 2023
Courtney Marshall
PhD Student
Courtney completed two co-op research term in the Mookherjee lab, subsequently decided to pursue her graduate studies in our research group! She has received many awards and recognitions such as highly competitive CIHR Canada Graduate Studentship (for MSc term), Graduate studentships from Asthma Canada and Research Manitoba as a Doctoral student. Courtney's research project is focused on examining mechanisms that underpin the ability of IDR peptides to suppress IL-33 in airway inflammation, and determine sex-related differences in peptide-mediated functions that regulate airway inflammation.
Dr. Hemshekhar Mahadevappa
Senior Research Associate (Postdoctoral)
Dr. Hemshekhar Mahadevappa joined our lab as a postdoctoral fellow after completing his PhD in Biochemistry from University of Mysore, India. Subsequently, Shekhar was promoted to Research Associate. He is involved in many projects in the lab, including examining the effects of host defence peptides & synthetic innate defence regulator peptides in the processes underlying cartilage degradation and oxidative stress in inflammatory arthritis, and airway inflammation in asthma. He is an expert in animal models of these diseases. He he is also involved in projects to determine how air pollution impacts global protein response in asthma and airway inflammation. Shekhar is a fantastic early career mentor to the students in the Mookherjee lab.
Dylan Llyod
Research Assistant - Tech 2
Dylan completed two Co-op research terms in the Mookherjee lab, and graduated with his BSc degree in 2020. He has subsequently joined the Mookherjee lab as a full time Research Technician, and is currently involved in many projects in the lab. Dylan helps to maintain the sanity of the lab by his exceptional organizational skills, and meticulous ability to maintain cells & perform numerous western blots when required!
Highlighting Some Recent Graduates / Alumni of the Mookherjee Lab
Dina Mostafa
MSc Graduate
Dina Completed MSc in Immunology from the Mookherjee lab. Her research project established the foundational work on defining sex related differences in an allergen challenged mouse model related to eosinophilic airway inflammation and asthma. Dina is currently working as a Research Technician within the Biology of Breathing Research Group at The University of Manitoba.
Dr. Anthony Altieri
PhD Graduate
Anthony completed his PhD from the Mookherjee Lab in 2022. He won several prominent academic awards. His research established the mechanisms related to how human host defence peptide regulates cytokine IL-17-mediated inflammation in the lungs, and his research was at the forefront of showing how citrullination of the peptide changes immunodulatory functions. Anthony has recently started a Postdoctoral position in University of Toronto, and we wish him all the very best.
Dr. Hadeesha Piyadasa
PhD Graduate
Hadeesha completed his PhD from the Mookherjee Lab in 2020. He won several prominent academic awards. His research established ability of an innate defence regulator (IDR) peptide in the control of airway inflammation and airway hyperresposiveness in allergic asthma. He is also a car fanatic, and dreams of driving a Ferrari along the Amalfi coast someday!! Hadeesha has recently started a Postdoctoral position in Stanford University, and we wish him all the very best.
Dr. Ka-Yee Grace Choi
PhD Graduate
Grace completed her PhD from the Mookherjee lab in 2017, and in currently a postdoctoral fellow in University of British Columbia. Her PhD project was in the immunomodulatory role of human host defence peptide LL-37 in macrophages, and processes to regulate inflammatory arthritis. She is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at The Univeristy of British Columbia.
Stephanie Borlase
BSc Research Student
Stephanie completed two co-op research term in the Mookherjee lab, following which she continued to pursue her BSc Honors research project working with Dr. Mookherjee. Her research project examined the immunomodulatory activity of novel small molecules and how that changes the biological effects of common antibiotics. This project was in collaboration with Dr. Frank Schweizer (Dept of Chemistry). She completed MSc in Biochemistry & Med Genetics, and is currently pursuing doctoral studies at University of Toronto.
Breann Rekseidler
BSc Research Student
Breann completed two Co-op research terms in the Mookherjee lab, and won several undergraduate research awards, including the highly competitive NSERC USRA. Her training in the Mookherjee lab contributed to her securing an international placement in Germany for her subsequent undergraduate Co-OP research term. Breann further trained as a Medical Technologist at BCIT, Canada, and is currently working in Ottawa, Canada.
Natasha Osawa
BSc Research Student
Natasha trained as an undergraduate Co-op research student in the Mookherjee lab, following which she worked as a research assistant in our lab for a year. She worked on examining the sequence-to-function relationship of IDR peptides in bronchial epithelial cells. Natasha started her graduate school in 2019, and is currently a MSc student in Genetic Counselling. We are so proud of her accomplishment in securing a position in a highly competitive training program! Natasha is currently working as a Genetic Counsellor at the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at University of Manitoba, Canada.