Post-Doctoral Fellows
Dr. Elizabeth Johnston
Project : Pathological response of the Coho heart to bitumen exposure
2022-2023
Current position: Research Fellow. Division of Cardiology, School of Medicine, University of Washington,
Seattle
Dr. Feng Lin,
Dept. Biology, Simon Fraser University
Project: Biological endpoints of bitumen exposure in Coho Salmon
2020-2021; Co-supervisors: Dr. S.L. Alderman; Dr C.J. Kennedy
Current position: Research Scientist, Health Canada
Dr. Georgina Cox
Project: Metabolic Adaptation of the hagfish heart to low oxygen
2018-2020
Current position: Assistant Professor, Washington State University
Dr. Sarah Alderman
Project: Effects of diluted bitumen exposure during early life stages on heart development and aerobic capacity of Pacific
sockeye salmon
2014-2016
Current position: Associate Professor, University of Guelph
Dr. Laura Dindia
Project: The development of plasma biomarkers to detect cardiac stress for aquaculture and native salmonid populations
2015-2016
Dr. Jordan Klaiman
Project: Proteomic studies of high altitude adaptation in the Bar headed goose heart
2014
Awarded Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Post Doctoral Fellowship, NSERC Alexander Graham Bell PhD Scholarship
Current position: Project Manager, Heart Regeneration Program, University of Washington, Seattle WA
Dr. Atsuko Negishi
Project: Developing methods to produce high performance renewable fibres from hagfish slime thread proteins
2008-2011
Graduate Students
Ms. Elizabeth Manchester, MSc, 2022-2024
Thesis title. Cardiac response to thermal cycling in the zebrafish
Awarded: NSERC PGSM, Ontario Graduate Scholarship, and Morwick Graduate Scholarship in Aquatic Biology
Current Position: PhD Student, UGuelph
Mr. Jared Shaftoe, MSc, 2021-2024
Thesis title. Role of phospholamban in regulating the zebrafish heart during thermal acclimation
Awarded: NSERC PGSM, and Ontario Graduate Scholarship
Mr. Chacko Sujith, MSc, 2021 – 2024
Thesis title. Effects of diluted bitumen exposure on hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis and olfactory epithelium in
Coho salmon
Current Position: Medical School
Mr. Reece Long, MSc, 2021-2023
Thesis title, Role of thyroid hormone in regulating cardiac regeneration in zebrafish
Awarded: NSERC Graduate Scholarship 2022
Current Position: Medical School, UBC
Ms. Derin Calik, MSc, 2021-2023
Thesis title. Molecular response of Coho fry to bitumen exposure
Current Position: PhD Student co-supervised by S.A. Alderman and T.E. Gillis
Ms. Maria Yutsyschyna, transferred from MSc (started in 2020) to PhD (2022)
Thesis title. Cellular strategies to protect the hagfish heart during anoxia exposure and recovery
Awarded: NSERC PGSD, Ontario Graduate Scholarship, Morwick Graduate Scholarship in aquatic biology
Mr. Leonardi Nataprawira, MSc Candidate, 2019-2023
Thesis title. The influence of cold acclimation and biomechanical stretch on the function of cultured trout cardiac
fibroblasts
Current position: Undergraduate Lab Instructor, University of Toronto
Ms. Yuwen Ding, MSc , 2017-2020
Thesis title. The effect of stretch on collagen deposition by cultured trout cardiac myocytes
Awarded: Ontario Graduate Scholarship
Current position: Research Scientist, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto
Mr. Sean Avey, MSc, 2017-2019
Thesis title. Effects of diluted bitumen exposure on Atlantic salmon smolts: Molecular and metabolic responses in relation
to swimming performance .
Awarded: Ontario Graduate Scholarship.
Current position: Research Technician, Alderman Lab, UGuelph
Ms. Calli Freedman, MSc, 2016-2019
Thesis title. The role of corticotropin-releasing factor in protecting the heart during hypoxia exposure
Awarded: NSERC Graduate Scholarship
Current Position, Practicing Veterinarian
Ms. Lauren Gattrell, MSc, 2015-2017
Thesis title. Metabolic function of the hagfish heart during long-term anoxia exposure
Current position: Veterinary Technician
Dr. Sarah Shorno, PhD, 2014-2017
Thesis title. The dynamics of hagfish slime thread production and assembly in the gland thread cell (GTC)
Awarded: Ontario Graduate Scholarship
Current Position: Undergraduate Lab Instructor, University of Guelph
Dr. Elizabeth Johnston, PhD, 2012-2019
Thesis title. Regulation of collagen deposition by trout cardiac fibroblasts
Awarded: Scholander Award from the American Physiological Society (2018) for best presentation by a HQP (PhD or PDF)
Current position: Research Fellow. Dichek Lab, Division of Cardiology, School of Medicine, University of Washington,
Seattle
Ms. Elizabeth Sears, MSc, 2011-2014
Thesis title. Evolution of cardiac troponin function in vertebrates
Awarded: Ontario Graduate Scholarship
Current position: Researcher, Canadian Museum of Nature
Dr. Jordan Klaiman, PhD, 2007- 2013
Thesis title: The effects of thermal acclimation on the functional properties of the trout myocardium
Awarded: Alexander Graham Bell PhD Scholarship from NSERC and Post-Doctoral Fellowship from Heart and Stroke
Foundation of Canada
Current position: Project Manager, Heart Regeneration Program, University of Washington, Seattle WA
Ms. Nicole Pinto, MSc, 2010-2012
Thesis title. Production of a bio-polymer from recombinant vimentin
Awarded: Ontario Graduate Scholarship and PhD Scholarship from Western
Co-supervisor: Dr. Doug Fudge
Completed PhD at Western University Cancer Institute, currently research scientist
at Novo Nordisk
Ms. Silvana Miller, MSc, 2008-2010
Thesis title: Effect of hypoxia exposure on the development of the cardio-respiratory system in rainbow trout
Awarded: Ontario Graduate Scholarship
Current position: Research Associate, Humber College
Ms. Kelly Kirkpatrick, MSc, 2006-2009
Thesis Title: Cloning and functional characterization of trout cardiac troponin I
Current position: High school teacher, Bishop Straughn High School Toronto
Awarded: Ontario Graduate Scholarship
Undergraduate thesis students
** = thesis published in peer reviewed journal
Ms. Emma Skelly, Influence of anoxia exposure on function of hagfish mitochondria.
2023-2024
Ms. Clair Bleckly, Remodeling of the zebrafish gill in response to hypoxia exposure.
2023-2024
**Ms. Elizabeth Manchester, Influence of warm acclimation on the structure and function
of the zebrafish heart 2021 –2022
Current position: PhD student, University of Guelph
**Mr. Jared Shaftoe. Influence of thermal acclimation on cardiac function in zebrafish
characterized using high frequency ultrasound 2020-2021
Current position: PhD student, University of Guelph
**Ms Gabriele Perugini, Age matters: comparing life-stage responses to diluted bitumen
exposure in coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch).
Current position: MSc student, Memorial University
Ms. Stephanie Gunby, Influence of anoxia exposure on digestion in hagfish 2019-2020
Current position: MSc student, University of Guelph
Ms. Rachael McKinnon, Cellular response of the hagfish heart to oxygen reperfusion following anoxia exposure
2019-2020
Current position: MSc student, University of UBC
Ms. Mellisa Fanti-Cocco, Recovery of the isolated heart following anoxia exposure 2018-
2019
Current Position: world traveler
Ms. Allegra Pearce, Cardiac function in the anoxic hagfish. 2017-2018
Current Position: PhD Student, Guelph
**Ms. Sophie Ding, Differences in contractile function of diaphragm myofilaments from
deer mice adapted to high altitude. 2016-2017
Current Position: Completed MSc, currently Research Scientist, University Health Center, Toronto
**Ms. Sierra Sutcliffe, Quantifying change in actin gene expression in the zebrafish
heart during development. 2016-2017
Current Position: Medical school, Toronto.
**Mr. Sean Avey, Characterizing the impact of green fluorescent protein expression in
the zebrafish heart on cardiac development and aerobic function. 2015-2016
Current Position: MSc Student, Guelph.
Mr. Craig Jurkiewicz, Influence of exercise training and hypoxia exposure on cardiac
morphology and aerobic fitness in trout. 2015-2016
Current Position: Veterinary Technician
Ms. Laura Shaw, Characterizing the influence of exercise and hypoxia exposure on
neuroplasticity in the trout brain 2015-2016
Current Position: Unknown
Mr. David Bakker, Influence of cold acclimation on the metabolism of swimming zebrafish. 2014-2015
Ms. Ariana Bonder, Role of TGF-b in the regulation of trout cardiac fibroblasts
2014-2015
Current Position: Researcher, Ministry of the Environment
Mr. Abiran Sritharan, Influence of cold acclimation on the aerobic fitness of zebrafish.
2013-2014
Current Position: Research Technician, Guelph.
**Ms. Amy Johnston, Influence of cold acclimation on the histology and connective tissue content of the zebrafish
heart. 2013
Current Position: PhD Student University of Alberta
Ms. Melanie Barry, Influence of cold acclimation on the expression and phosphorylation of SERCA and phospholamban in
the hearts of the burbot and crucean carp
2012-2013.
Current position: Complete graduate program in aquaculture, Sir Sanford Fleming
**Ms. Elizabeth Johnston, Influence of hypoxia exposure during embryonic development on the aerobic capacity of trout
fry. 2011-2012
Current Position: Complete PhD, Currently Research Fellow, University of Washington
Ms. Elizabeth Sears, Influence of chronic hypoxia exposure on the expression of the
cardiac contractile proteins during ontogeny of the rainbow trout. 2011-2012
Current Position: Research Canadian Museum of Nature
**Ms. Courtney Deck, Influence of Cold Acclimation on TnI expression in the cardiac, slow skeletal, and fast skeletal
muscle of the rainbow trout. 2011-2012
Current position: PDF, University of North Carolina.
Ms. Nicole Pinto, Cloning of cardiac troponin T from the trout. 2010-2011
Current position: PhD Student, Western University
**Mr. Andrew Robertson, Role of PKA phosphorylation in the regulation of cardiac
troponin function 2009-2010
Was awarded an NSERC graduate scholarship
Current position: Medical Doctor, Toronto
Ms. Emily Van de Laar, Application of DIGE to studying contractile protien
phosphorylation. 2007-2008
Current position: Veterinarian
**Ms. Silvana Miller, Influence of chronic hypoxia exposure on the metabolic rate of
salmonid embryos during development. 2007-2008
Completed MSc University of Guelph
Ms. Caley Nadon, Changes in the expression of troponin I mRNA during development.
2007-2008
Current position: Dentist, Toronto
Ms. Brechan McGooey, Changes in heart rate of rainbow trout embryos during hypoxia
exposure. 2006-2007
Current position: High school science teacher, Toronto
Ms. Heather Freamo, Ca2+ sensitivity of actin myosin activity in the trout heart.
2005
Completed MSc, University of Guelph