Daniel Schramek

Principal Investigator, LTRI
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Molecular Genetics, U of Toronto
Canadian Research Chair in Functional Cancer Genomics

Home town and Country: Vienna, Austria
Education:  MSc in Molecular Biology; U of Vienna and Sydney
                   PhD in Genetics; U of Vienna; Supervisor Josef Penninger 
                   MSc in Technology Management; NYU
                   PostDoc at Rockefeller University; Supervisor Elaine Fuchs 
Scientific Interests: Functional Cancer Genomics, Immunotherapy, Synthetic Lethal Interactions, tumor suppressors, pharmacogenetics, breast cancer, lung cancer, bladder cancer, Head & Neck Cancer, Glioma
Hobbies and Interests: Running (Marathon in my former life), Biking (Mountains in better days), Sailing, piano, and my wonderful wife and my three kids. 
"You want to know the difference between a master and a beginner? The master has failed more times than the beginner ever tried".

Geraldine Mbamalu

Lab Manager

Home town and Country: London, UK

Education: B.Sc., M.Sc. University of Alberta 

Scientific Interests: Cancer Biology

Ricky Tsai

Scientific Associate

Home town and Country: Toronto, Canada and Hong Kong, China

Education: H.B. Sc. University of Toronto (Genetics) 

Scientific Interests: Utilizing animal models to better understand the pathways leading to human diseases such as diabetes and cancer.

Hobbies and Interests: Violin player, world traveller, marathon runner, volleyball player, boardgamer


Honestas Ante Honores: Honesty before Glory (KGV School) 

Sebastien Martinez

Post-Doctoral Fellow

Hometown and Country: Marseille, France.

Education: M.Sc. Cell biology, Aix-Marseille University;

                 Ph.D. in Immunology, Aix-Marseille University & CRCM    

Scientific Interests: Functional Cancer Genomics, Pancreatic Cancer, Cell Polarity & WNTs biology 

Hobbies and Interests: Close-up Magic, Photography, Street Art, Cinema, Reading, Soccer, Basketball.


“The closer you look, the less you see

Khalid Al-Zahrani

Medicine by Design Post-Doctoral Fellow
H.L Holmes Award Recipient

Hometown and Country: Ottawa, Canada

Education: Honour's B.Sc. with Specialization in Biochemistry, University of              Ottawa

             Ph.D. Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa

Scientific Interests: : Breast Cancer,Mammary Gland Development, Molecular Biology, Cellular Signaling, Functional Genomics

Hobbies and Interests: Ultimate Frisbee, Video Games, Craft Beer and Cooking


“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!" Dr. Seuss 

Chris Lowden

Post-Doctoral Fellow

Home town and Country: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Education: Honour's B.Sc. with Specialization in Behaviour, Genetics and               Neurobiology (Neuroscience), University of Toronto Mississauga

             Ph.D. Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto 

Scientific Interests: Cell Signaling, Functional Genomics, Neurobiology, Murine Models of Human Disease

Hobbies and interests: Weightlifting, Modern Design, and Cats


Yeojin Lee

Post-Doctoral Fellow

Home town and Country: Seoul, South Korea 

Education: M.Sc. in Molecular Biology, Korea University, South Korea

             Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University, U.S.A 

Scientific Interests: Stem Cell Biology, Immunology, Functional Genomics, Colorectal Cancer 

Hobbies and Interests: Drawing, traveling, and watching movies 


Ellen Langille

CIHR Graduate student

Hometown and Country: Toronto, Canada

Education: B.Sc. with Honours in Biology at Dalhousie University

Scientific Interests: Breast cancer driver genes and the role of myosin proteins in cancer
Hobbies and Interests: Drawing, painting and video games

YiQing Lu

Graduate student

Hometown and Country: Beijing, China.

Education: Diploma, National Advanced Class of Science, High School #2 of                     Beijing Normal University.

                  B.Sc. First Class Honours, Biochemistry, McGill University. 

                  M.Sc. Biochemistry, McGill University, with Prof. Jose Teodoro.       

Scientific Interests: Using animal models and computer to understand and improve treatment for human diseases such as cancer; adenovirology and cell cycle regulation. 

Hobbies and Interests: Learning something new everyday! Playing the piano, International politics, Reading for general knowledge, Travelling around the world and meeting new friends, Photographing. 

"Stay hungry. Stay foolish. Stay happy."
"If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."          
    -Sir Isaac Newton.
"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." - Aesop.

Ahmad A. Malik

Graduate Student 

Home town and Country: Lahore, Pakistan

Education: B.Sc. (Hons) Genetics, University of Liverpool, UK

                      MSc Medical Genetics, University of Glasgow, UK

                     Masters in Bioinformatics, University of Guelph, Canada

Scientific Interests: Molecular pathogenesis of cancers, Cancer stem cells, super enhancers in cancers, functional genomics and bioinformatics 

Hobbies and Interests: custom computers, technology, wood working, cricket, comparative religions and above everything, my wife. 

"Knowledge is not what is memorized, knowledge is what benefits.”                                                                - Imam Shafi

Krista Schleicher

Graduate Student

Hometown: Kitchener-Waterloo, Canada

Education: B.Sc with Honors Co-op at University of Waterloo 

Scientific Interests: Skin Cancer and Disease, Cancer Immunotherapy, and molecular signaling pathways in cancer.

Hobbies and Interests: Baking, reading (aside from scientific), scrapbook card making, swimming, and traveling. 


Robin Oh

Graduate Student

Hometown: Toronto, Canada and Seoul, South Korea

Education: H.B.Sc in Immunology and Physiology, University of Toronto

Scientific Interests: Cancer mechanobiology, cancer functional genomics, developmental biology, planar cell polarity

Hobbies and Interests: Orchestral composition, conducting, piano, trumpet, movies, board games, video games

Alaa Hamid

Graduate student  (Co-supervised)

Country: Syria

Education: B.Sc. University of Toronto

Scientific Interests: Bladder cancer functional genomics and modelling

Hobbies and Interests: Learning how to code, reading and playing the flute.


Iosifina Fotiadou

Direct-entry Ph.D. student

Home town and Country: Kavala, Greece

Education: H.B.Sc. with specialization in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology,               University of Toronto

Scientific Interests: Head and Neck cancer therapeutic targets, the role of insulin-like growth factor proteins in cancer, molecular signalling in cancer, functional genomics

Hobbies and interests: Reading (besides scientific), yoga, cross stitching, exploring different coffee shops, watching movies, music, and travelling.

Katie Teng

Graduate Student (Co-supervised)

Home town and Country: St. Catharines, Niagara, Canada

Education: B.Sc. Honours Biomedical Science, University of Guelph

              M.Sc. Human Genetics, McGill University

Scientific Interests: Cancer initiation and progression, in vivo CRISPR screens, high-multiplex imaging and single-cell protein analysis using Imaging Mass Cytometry

Hobbies and interests: Travelling, piano, snowboarding and volleyball 


Simen Kaur

Administrative Assistant

Hometown and Country: Punjab, India

Education: M.Sc. Environmental Science, Govt. Science College, JBP, India

                 M.Sc. Plant Physiology, IRBV, Université de Montréal

Hobbies and Interests: Baking, reading, gardening, traveling and craft activities with my girls.