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 Fellow
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.
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
Ph.D. Student
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
Ph.D Student
I’m a Biochemistry Master’s student. I am studying the translation mechanism of Heat Shock Protein (HSP70).
Shruti Iyer
MSc Student
Shruti studied biochemistry as an undergraduate at McGill. She is thrilled to be joining the Vera Ugalde lab in Fall 2023 as an M.Sc student. In her free time, she likes to sit out in the park (weather permitting) and is in search of the best coffee in Montreal.
Undergraduate Students
Marius d’Herve
Biochemistry Honors
I’m in my last year of my biochemistry B.Sc. working on my honours project here in the lab. I work on translational regulation of the inducible HSP70 mRNA Hspa1a in mouse embryonic fibroblast. In my free time, I like to read, walk/hike, and bake.
Lilli Wolfart
Biochemistry Honors
I am a fourth-year biochemistry student conducting my honors research on the translational regulation of heat shock protein (HSP70). Outside of the lab, I enjoy playing the piano, camping, and exploring Montreal.
Charlotte Keller
Biochemistry Honors
I’m an undergraduate biochemistry student completing my honors project in the lab, focusing on the localization of HSPA8 mRNA in the cytoplasm and its colocalization with P-bodies during the heat shock response. Outside the lab, I enjoy traveling, spending time outdoors, and drinking coffee.
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
- 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).
