Researchers - Neural Regeneration Laboratory Ottawa NRL

Steffany A.L. Bennett

Ph.D.

email

Professor, University Research Chair in Neurolipidomics, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, uOttawa

Dr. Steffany Bennett is a lipid biochemist and systems neurobiologist working to block the pathological changes in brain lipid metabolism that precipitate pediatric and geriatric neurodegenerative disease. She received her Ph.D in Biochemistry at the University of Ottawa and post-doctoral training at the W. Alton Cell Science Centre and Harvard Medical School. She is a Full Professor and University Research Chair in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Ottawa. Her team is developing and applying methodologies in super-resolution imaging (stimulated emission depletion STED), liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS), and bioinformatics to advance the emerging field of neurolipidomics. Specifically, she focuses on identifying (a) circulating phospholipids and glycolipids at the molecular level that predict disease conversion, (b) how changes in these structural and second messenger lipids signal neurodegeneration, and (c) whether these changes can be targeted to resist neurodegenerative disease in the central nervous system. As part of this lipidomics approach, her team explores how changes in membrane composition alter function of integral membrane connexin and pannexin channels in neurons, glia, and neural/glia progenitor populations with the overarching goal of protecting neurons from excitotoxic insult and enhancing effective neuro- and glial regeneration.

(read more - Awards and Funding)

Awards

University of Ottawa Board of Governors and Member of Executive Committee - 2015-2018
University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine Distinguished Mentor Award - 2015
University of Ottawa Research Chair in Neurolipidomics - 2011-pres
Canadian Foundation Innovation Leaders' Innovation Fund award (with Dr Daniel Figeys and Dr Mary-Ellen Harper) - 2010
CIHR New Investigator 2004-2009
Ontario Mental Health Foundation Intermediate Investigator 2002-2008
Alzheimer Society of Canada Young Investigator 2003-2005
Named one of "Canada's Top 40 under 40", Report on Business Magazine 2001
Canadian Foundation Innovation New Investigator award 2001
Premier's Research Award of Excellence award 2000-2005
Harvard Medical School Lefler Scholar 1999

Funding
As principal investigator or co-principal investigator

Garfield Weston Foundation - Filling gaps in alpha-synuclein related dementias: Identifying critical biomarkers of cognitive conversion in the sphingolipidome (with Co-PI: Dr Michael Schlossmacher, Co-Invest: Dr Brit Mollenhauer, Dr Stephen Gomperts, Dr John Woulfe, Dr Julianna Tomlinson, Dr Carolina Cieniak)
CIHR - Aberrant phospholipid and sphingolipid metabolism is a primary and targetable pathology in Alzheimer Disease (with PI: Dr Steffany Bennett, Co-invest: Dr Daniel Figeys, Dr Kristin Baetz, Dr William Stanford, Dr Sandra Black)
CIHR - Targeting connexin and pannexin communication in demyelinating diseases (with Co-Invest: Dr John Arnason, Dr Eve Tsai)
Canadian Rare Diseases: Models and Mechanisms Network - Phenotypic and biochemical characterization of a CRISPR/Cas murine model of neonatal progeroid syndrome (with Co-Invest: Dr David Dyment)
NSERC - Advancing Lipidomic Bioinformatic Technologies
University of Ottawa-Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Joint Medical Research Funding Competition - Membrane metabolism and tau hyperphosporylation in AD transgenics (with Co-PI: Dr Weidong Le)

As co-investigator

Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging - Team 5: Lipids and Lipoproteins, PI: Drs Howard Chertkow, Jane Rylett et al., Node PI: Dr Cheryl Wellington

Graeme Taylor

M.Sc.

email - (613) 562-5800 x8246

Research Associate
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Mr. Taylor is a graduate of the honours microbiology program at the University of Guelph. He completed his M.Sc. at the University of Victoria, where he researched bacterial symbionts of insects. Now at NRL, Graeme oversees several research projects, manages the lab's data repositories, and functions as the lab's manager and point-of-contact for commercial interests.

Thao Nguyen

M.Sc.

email - (613) 562-5800 x8246

Research Technician
(read more)

Thao has a background in protein biochemistry and philosophy of science from the University of Western Ontario and Carleton University. With a passion to learn a bit more everyday so she can understand the world more completely, she went on to pursue a Master's degree in analytical chemistry at the Berezovski's research group at uOttawa Chemistry Department. While Thao was studying crosslinking chemistry and mass spectrometry there, Dr. Steffany Bennett found her and brought her into the field of neuroscience research. Thao is currently involved in several projects where she takes part in developing MALDI-MS Imaging method to visualize lipids distribution and accumulation in the brain of Alzheimer's mouse model. Thao's research projects in Dr. Bennett's NRL help enriching Thao's knowledge in lipid biochemistry and neurodegenerative diseases in order to join forces to translate basic science research into new therapies. Thao is usually found high in caffeine and when not in the lab extracting lipids or shooting laser with MALDI, she is likely at home doing experiments to find the best brewing method for the strongest coffee.

Shannon Thompson

M.Sc.

email - (613) 562-5800 x8246

Research Technician
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Shannon Thompson is a graduate from the University of Windsor’s Behaviour, Cognition and Neuroscience program and is currently working on her Masters of Neuroscience as a member of the Neural Regeneration Lab. In collaboration with Dr. Michael Rudnicki’s lab, Shannon will be investigating whether the loss of dystrophin in neural stem cells disrupts normal hippocampal neurogenesis associated with autism spectrum disorders.

Hongbin Xu

Ph.D.

email - (613) 562-5800 x4236

Part-Time Assistant Professor and Senior Scientist
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Dr. Xu is a lipid biochemist and graduate of the University of Ottawa. His research focuses on understanding how bioactive lipid mediators, specifically different platelet activating factor (PAF, 1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) and lysophosphatidylcholine isoforms, contribute to amyloid-beta induced neuronal death and synaptic failure using experimental models of Alzheimer Disease and clinical samples. To impact upon this glycerophospholipidome, he is also exploring how dietary lipid compositions (e.g., high-fat diet and omega-3 fatty acid supplement) affect Alzheimer Disease progression

Graeme McDowell

M.Sc.

email - (613) 562-5800 x8246

Ph.D. Candidate, Biochemistry Program
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After graduating from Queen's University with a degree in Biochemistry, Graeme joined Dr Bennett's laboratory as a Master's student in Neuroscience early in 2012. Finishing his Master's in 2015, he returned to Dr Bennett's laboratory as a PhD student in Biochemistry. His current project focuses on elucidating lipid changes in four rare childhood disorders, to help find treatments for these devastating disorders.

Julie Fiala

B.Sc. Hon

email - (613) 562-5800 x8246

M.Sc. Candidate, Bioinformatics Program
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After having completed her Honours Bachelor in Biomedical Science with a minor in Mathematics, Ms. Julie began working in the Neural Regeneration Laboratory as a summer student in preparation for her Master's degree in Biochemistry/Bioinformatics. She is now working on the enhancement of the mass spectrometry data alignment technology, towards the goal of facilitating and automating lipid quantification and identification, as well as the analysis of their pathways. When not stuck on a computer, she can be found dancing with her team Kapital K-Dance in front of the UCU mirrors of the main campus.

Jun Yu Gao

B.Sc. Hon.

email - (613) 562-5800 x8246

M.Sc. Candidate, Neuroscience Program
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Jun Yu graduated from uOttawa with a B. Sc. in Biomedical sciences and joined the Neural Regeneration Laboratory in September 2016 for her Master's degree in Biochemistry. Her project involves expanding the work of a NRL alumna, Bettina Franko, where she is profiling the glycerophospholipidome of an Alzheimer's disease mouse model following an enhanced poly-unsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) diet. Her ultimate goal is to generate a lipid-centric mechanism associated with the delayed cognitive impairment following PUFA supplementation. Apart from lab work, she does free-lance graphics work and enjoys dancing with her team, the Ottawa Hallyu Dance Team.

Justin Chitpin

email - (613) 562-5800 x8246

(613) 562-5800 x8246

M.Sc. Candidate, Biochemistry Program
(read more)

Justin Chitpin completed his Honours Bachelor in Translational and Molecular Medicine at uOttawa in 2018. He joined Dr. Bennett's lab the same year to pursue a Master's degree in biochemistry with a bioinformatics specialization. His project focuses on developing an automated bioinformatics pipeline to identify lipid species from targeted mass spectrometry data. While not coding, Justin can often be found reading science fiction books or frequenting the local pool bar.

Ali Hadi

(613) 562-5800 x8246

Honours Student
(read more)

Name	NRL Training	Current Position
Stephanie Fowler	PDF	Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Columbia University
Carolina Cieniak	PDF	Coordinator for Bone Marrow Transplantation, Ottawa General Hospital
Mike Kennedy	PDF	Research Associate, OHRI
Yun Wang	PDF	Maternity Leave
Alexandra Pettit	PDF	Lab Coordinator, Carleton University
Martine Bertand	PDF	Research Scientist, Stradigi
Leigh Anne Swayne	PDF	Assistant Professor, Neuroscience, Medical Sciences, University of Victoria
Jeremy Cheeseman	PDF	Secondary School Teacher, Ottawa Carleton District School Board
Shawn Whitehead	PDF	Assistant Professor, Clinical Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario
Charlaine Charron	PDF	Technical Officer, Health Canada
Andrea Hebb	PDF	Registered Nurse and Neurosurgery Research Coordinator, CDHA/Dalhousie University

Name	NRL Training	Current Position
Matthew Granger	Ph.D. Neuroscience Program	Coordinator for Bone Marrow Transplantation, Ottawa General Hospital
Stephanie Fowler	Ph.D. Biochemistry Program	Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Columbia University
Samantha Sherman	M.Sc. Neuroscience Program	Research Assistant, Health Canada
Mark Akins	M.Sc. Neuroscience Program	Research Analyst, Health Canada
Alex P. Blanchard	Ph.D. Neuroscience Program	Data Analyst, Bone Marrow Transplantation Coordination, The Ottawa General Hospital
Fida Ahmed	Ph.D. Biology Program	Science Tutor, GTA
Bettina Franko	M.Sc. Neuroscience	Association and Affiliate Coordinator, Canadian Cardiovascular Society
Matthew Taylor	M.Sc. Neuroscience	Medical Student, University of Toronto
Ashleigh McLean	M.Sc. Neuroscience	Manager, Ticket Security, Ottawa Lottery and Gaming Corporation
Matthew Cooke	M.Sc. Biochemistry Program	Medical Student, Queen's University
Alexandra Pettit	Ph.D. Biochemistry Program	Sessional lecturer, Carleton University
Andrew Syrett	M.Sc. Biochemistry Program	Physician
Vian Peshdary	M.Sc. Biochemistry Program	PDF, Health Canada
Sophie Imbeault	Ph.D. Biochemistry Program	PDF, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
Cory Harris	Ph.D. Biology Program	Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa
Scott Ryan	Ph.D. Biochemistry Program	Assistant Professor, University of Guelph
Tia Moffat	Ph.D. Biochemistry Program	Team Leader, Research Grants, NSERC
Lysanne Melanson-Drapeau	Ph.D. Biochemistry Program	Scientific Evaluator, Natural Health Products Directorate, Health Canada
Stephanie Fowler	M.Sc. Biochemistry Program	Ph.D. Candidate, NRL
Catherine Sorbara	M.Sc. Biochemistry Program	Chief Operations Officer, Cheeky Scientist
Hadi Toeg	M.Sc. Biochemistry Program	Physician
Melissa Sheldrick	M.Sc. Biochemistry Program	Physician
Lianne Gauvin	M.Sc. Biochemistry Program	Physician
Mario Morin	M.Sc. Biochemistry Program	Physician
Fanny Bonin	M.Sc. Biochemistry Program	Analyst, ProMetric Bioproductions Inc
Sherri Boucher	M.Sc. Biochemistry Program	Senior Scientific Evaluator, Biologics and Genetic Therapies Directorate at Health Canada \| Santé Canada
Sandy Beyko	M.Sc. Biochemistry Program	Senior Trade Analyst, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Affairs
Cynthia Brewer/Bruce-Payne	M.Sc. Biochemistry Program	Patent Examiner, Health Canada

Name	NRL Training
Valerie DesJardins	NSERC USRA Student
Fangshen Jiang	NRL summer student
Bettina Franko	4th year student
Nicolas Charron	4th year and CTPNL summer student
Matthew Lenardis	4th year, NSERC USRA and CTPNL summer student
Ashwin Ramakrishnan	4th year and CTPNL summer student
Camille Juzwik	4th year and CTPNL summer student
Robert Bartlett	4th year student
Graeme McDowell	Summer student
Josiah Hetherington	4th year and summer student
Luca Giurega	4th year and summer student
Rebecca DesRoches	4th year and summer student
Andrew Syrett	4th year and summer student
Vian Peshdary	4th year and summer student
Sarah Hewitt	4th year and co-op student
Brendan Trickey	4th year and summer student
Elena Poliakova	NSERC USRA summer student
Hadi Toeg	4th year and NSERC USRA summer student
Andre Bourgeois	4th year and OGI summer student
Ines Mizdic	NSERC USRA summer student
Emre Ozturk	3rd year international summer student
Meena Na	4th year and NSERC USRA summer student
Serena Wong	4th year and NSERC USRA summer student
Erin VanderLeest	4th year student
Fan Mo	4th year and NSERC USRA summer student
Aleksandra Paliga	NSERC USRA
Marie-Claude Robert	NSERC USRA summer student
Mario Morin	4th year and NSERC USRA summer student
Jennifer Hill	4th year student
Lianne Gauvin	4th year and NSERC USRA student student
Lamiaa Migahed	NSERC USRA summer student and summer medical student
Siba Haykal	NSERC USRA summer student
Misagh Ziaei	4th year and summer student
Shefali Dave	4th year and NSERC USRA summer student
Haemi Lee	4th year and summer student
Nathalie Renaud	NSERC USRA summer student
Sophie Imbeault	4th year and NSERC USRA summer student
Jennifer Morin	4th year and NSERC USRA summer student
Lysanne Melanson-Drapeau	4th year and NSERC USRA summer student
Fanny Bonin	4th year student
Marie-Christine Nault	NSERC USRA summer student
Dean Holden	Summer medical student
Tia Moffat	NSERC USRA summer student
Paula Bullock	4th year student
Sandy Beyko	4th year student
Cynthia Brewer	4th year student
Heather Cox	4th year student
Seann Yi	4th year student

Name	NRL Training
Jenna Letvi	Research Technician
Stefan Petrescu	Work-Study Junior Technician
Sarah Gelbard	Program Manager
Steve Rennick	Program Manager
Ayesha Misquith	Lab Manager
Sarah Hewitt	Research Technician
Caroline Wood	Research Technician
Jennifer Hill	Research Technician
Ashleigh McLean	Lab Manager
Jessica Lallier	Research Technician
Jiahua Chen	Research Technician

Director Dr. Bennett more

Research Staff

Research Fellows

Students and Scholars

NRL Director

Steffany A.L. Bennett

Ph.D.

email

Awards

Funding As principal investigator or co-principal investigator

As co-investigator

Staff Researchers

Graeme Taylor

M.Sc.

email - (613) 562-5800 x8246

Thao Nguyen

M.Sc.

email - (613) 562-5800 x8246

Shannon Thompson

M.Sc.

email - (613) 562-5800 x8246

Research Fellows

Hongbin Xu

Ph.D.

email - (613) 562-5800 x4236

Students and Scholars

Graeme McDowell

M.Sc.

email - (613) 562-5800 x8246

Julie Fiala

B.Sc. Hon

email - (613) 562-5800 x8246

Jun Yu Gao

B.Sc. Hon.

email - (613) 562-5800 x8246

Justin Chitpin

email - (613) 562-5800 x8246

(613) 562-5800 x8246

Ali Hadi

(613) 562-5800 x8246

NRL Alumni (click to view)

Alumni - Post-Doctoral Fellows

Alumni - Graduate Students

Alumni - Undergraduate Students

Alumni - Research Staff

Director
Dr. Bennett more

Research
Staff

Funding
As principal investigator or co-principal investigator