Maria Vera Ugalde, Ph.D. Principal Investigator
Maria obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Navarra, Spain. She moved to New York City for her postdoctoral training with Evgeny Nudler at NYU Medical Center, where she became interested in the regulation of the stress response. Then, she moved to the laboratory of Robert Singer at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where she developed single-cell and single-molecule fluorescence microscopy approaches to resolving the stress response.
Postdoctoral Fellows
Celia Alecki
Ph.D. FRQS fellow
I obtained a master’s in genetics at the University of Bordeaux Segalen, France. I moved to Montreal and obtained a Ph. D. in biochemistry at the University of Montreal, during which I studied the function of R-loops in the targeting of Polycomb group protein in Drosophila . Joining Dr. Vera Ugalde lab as a postdoc, I am studying the regulation of HSP mRNAs in stressed neurons.
George Wang Ph.D.
George completed a BSc in Physiology at the University of Toronto and a PhD in Biophysics from Cornell University, where he studied disordered RNA and RNA condensates. He studies changes in cellular condensates and mRNA metabolism in response to stress. He also likes to draw and oil paint.
Research Assistant
Morgane Verbrugghe
I obtained a Master’s degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Rennes, France. During my first job experience, I studied the translation of a transcriptional factor in a Drosophila embryo where I was introduced to smFISH, SunTag and MS2 techniques and the RNA field. I am happy to join the Vera Ugalde Lab to continue working with those techniques and helping members of the team with their projects. During my free time, I like to knit many sweaters to fight Montréal winter.
Graduate Students
Luca Lazzari
MS September 2023- September 2025
Ph.D. Student – Co-supervised by JF Trempe (McGill Pharmacology)
NSERC summer 2022. CIHR fellow.
Luca studied Pharmacology and Therapeutics as an undergraduate at McGill. His project focuses on studying the translation of PINK1 mRNA. In his free time, he enjoys playing sports such as soccer and golf.
Talar Ghadanian
MS September 2023- September 2025
Ph.D Student
I am studying the translation mechanism of Heat Shock Protein (HSP70).
Shruti Iyer
M.Sc September 2023- September 2025
Ph.D. Student (Co-supervised with Katie Cockburn)
Shruti studied biochemistry as an undergraduate at McGill. In her free time, she likes to sit out in the park (weather permitting) and is in search of the best coffee in Montreal.
Haleigh Riddell
MSc in Biochemistry
I completed undergrad at the University of Toronto where I double majored in Neuroscience and Cell and Molecular Biology. I study the localization and translation of Hspa8 mRNA in neurons and astrocytes in Alzheimer’s Disease and neuroinflammation. In my free time, I like to ski, watch hockey and read.
Marius d’Herve
MSc in Biochemistry
I work on translational regulation of the inducible HSP70 mRNA Hspa1a in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. In my free time, I like to read, walk/hike, and bake.
Lilli Wolfart
Rotation Student Biophysics Graduate Student
Outside of the lab, I enjoy playing the piano, camping, and exploring Montreal.
Undergraduate Students
James Lynch
Biology and Computer Science Honors
I am a third-year undergrad student in biology and computer science, completing my honors project in the lab. I am currently working on live cell imaging of HSP mRNAs in the dendrites of neurons. I also enjoy playing hockey, volleyball, and other sports.
Lab Helpers
- Graham Lee
Lab Alumni
Postdoctoral Fellows
- Mario Fernandez Ph.D. (Jan-Dec 2025).
Graduate Students
- Lokha Ranjani Alagar Boopathy (2019-2024). Ph.D.
- Jia Ming Stella Xu (2022-2024). MSc.
- Alan Xiao (2019-2021). MSc.
- Suleima Jacob-Tomas (2019-2022).
QLS program
- Lydia Hodgins (Summer 2024).
Honour’s and BIOC 396 Undergraduate Students
- Mike Yang (Winter 2025).
- Lilly Wolfart (Fall 2024-Winter 2025).
- Marius d’Herve (Fall 2024-Winter 2025).
- Charlotte Keller (Fall 2024-Winter 2025).
- Nathan Pilkey (Fall 2023-Winter 2024).
- Evan Daynard (Fall 2023-Winter 2024).
- Kevin Munos (Fall 2023).
- Luca Lazzari (Fall 2022-Winter 2023).
- Talar Ghadanian (Winter 2023).
- Jan Mak (Winter 2023).
- Tad Wu (Fall 2022-Winter 2023)
- Kyla Edelmeier (Fall 2022).
- Zoe Wefers (Winter 2022).
- Emma Beadle (Fall 2021).
- Ryan Huang (Summer 2020).
- Maanasa Koripalli (Fall 2020-Winter 2021).
Undergraduate Students
- Jessamine Mattson (Winter 2023-Winter 2024).
- Alexandra Dimitrov (Winter 2023-Fall 2023).
- Luca Lazzari (NSERC fellow Summer 2022).
- Idia Boncheva (Winter 2022-Summer 2022).
- Delina Efren (Winter 2022-Summer 2022).
- Jennifer Jiang (Summer 2020-Fall 2021).
- Sonya Madan (Summer 2019-Fall 2020).
Visiting students from Universidad Francisco de Vitoria and University of Navarra
- Iratxe Aldaba Gonzalez (Summer 2023).
- Aitana Garia Bueno Rico (Winter 2022).
- Irene Garcia de Andres (Winter 2020).
