Graduate Defences

 

Final oral examinations may be conducted online (via MS Teams) or in-person. Please review the appropriate defence notice (below).

Tips for Remote Thesis Defences and Oral Qualifying Exams   While observers are very welcome, they must follow all instructions given by the exam chair, including the tips listed here.  Please join the meeting via the link, found in the email announcement to the department.  Keep your microphone muted unless invited to speak by exam chair.  Join with your name or a static profile picture to cut down on visual distractions.  Do not send the student any messages in the chat during the defence.  If appropriate, the exam chair will invite questions from the audience after the oral presentation is done.  Leave the meeting, as appropriate, when instructed by the exam chair.  Thank you for your cooperation.  

2024

  • Thompson, Laura - PHD.MCB - January 17, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Georgina Cox)
    Genomic Tools to Investigate Bacterial Drug Efflux Pumps

  • Foster, Barret - PHD.MCB - December 4, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. George van der Merwe)
    Analysis of fermentation capabilities, trehalose metabolism, quantitative proteomics, and hybridisation of Norwegian kveik brewing yeast

  • Cucic, Stevan - PHD.MCB - September 20, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Advisors: Dr. Cezar Khursigara and Dr. Hany Anany)
    The Dispersal of Listeria monocytogenes Biofilms and Multi-omic Characterization of a Lytic Listeria Phage

  • Shaji Saji, Neethu - MSC.MCB - September 16, 2024 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisors: Dr. Cezar Khursigara)
    Investigating the Oligomeric State of Escherichia coli Cell Division, FtsK using Size Exclusion Chromatography and Native Gel Electrophoresis 

  • Ketheeswaranathan, Bianka - MSC.MCB+NEUR - September 13, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Advisors: Dr. Terry Van Raay)
    Studying the impacts of dietary fibre-derived metabolites on inflammation and neurodevelopment

  • Mizzoni, Morgan - MSC.MCB - September 5, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Jim Uniacke)
    The hypoxia-induced alternative splicing of ribosomal protein S24 promotes cancer cell viability and increases translational activity under hypoxic conditions

  • Kuehfuss, Noah - MSC.MCB - September 3, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Georgina Cox)
    An antibacterial combination drug against Enterobacteriaceae

  • Abraham, Nadine - PHD.MCB - August 23, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Advisors: Dr. Stephen Seah and Dr. Ting Zhou)
    Structural and functional studies of oxidoreductases involved in the detoxification of mycotoxins

  • Petersen, Nathaniel - MSC.MCB - August 22, 2024 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Nina Jones)
    Modulation of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases Using Ubiquitin Variant Induced Proximity

  • Freeze, Gwendolyn - MSC.MCB - August 20, 2024 at 10:00 a.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Emma Allen-Vercoe)
    Characterizing Strain Variation in Parvimonas micra in the context of Colorectal Cancer

  • Kunjumon, Thomas - MSC.MCB - August 15, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Jaideep Mathur)
    An Investigation into Membrane Contact Sites Between the Endoplasmic Reticulum and Plastids

  • Dolson, Andrew - MSC.MCB - July 18, 2024 at 9:00 a.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Krassimir Yankulov)
    Impact of the Histone Chaperone FACT, Rif1p, and Tof1p on the Epigenetic Stability of Variegating Loci in S. cerevisiae

  • Ball, Brianna - PHD.MCB - July 17, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Geddes-McAlister)
    Discovery and characterization of new strategies to combat Cryptococcus neoformans

  • Pantic, Una - MSC.MCB - July 10, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Nina Jones)
    Dok1/2 adaptor proteins control podocyte adhesion dynamics through negative regulation of integrin signaling

  • Kellington, Alexandria - PHD.MCB - June 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Jim Uniacke)
    A bioinformatic assessment of oxygen-dependent 8-oxoGuanine placement in the human genome

  • Muselius, Benjamin - PHD.MCB - June 19, 2024 at 9:00 a.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Geddes-McAlister)
    The Organ Proteome Atlas of Cryptococcus neoformans Defines Novel Putative Biomarkers and Druggable Targets 

  • Leonard, Allison - PHD.MCB - June 10, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Georgina Cox)
    Investigating and inhibiting Staphylococcus aureus host adhesion

  • Halder, Viola - PHD.MCB - June 7, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Rebecca Shapiro)
    A dual approach for novel antifungal discovery through genetic interaction analysis in Candida albicans stress response mechanisms and chemical screening for novel antifungal
    potential

  • Buchner-Duby, Brodie - PHD.MCB - May 14, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.
    (Advisors: Dr. Scott Ryan and Dr. Shaun Sanders)
    Accumulation of aggregated alpha-synuclein promotes Snitrosylation of MAP1A leading to synaptic dysfunction mitigated via targeted degradation utilizing ubiquitin variant induced proximity

  • Locke, Briana - PHD.MCB - May 13, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Ray Lu)
    CREB3/LUMAN as a novel regulator of lipid metabolism: an in vitro analysis

  • Nelson, Jessica - MSC.MCB - May 6, 2024 at 10:30 a.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. George van der Merwe)
    The disruption of the GID Complex Pathway Impacts Nutrient-Sensitive Gene Expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

  • Shabanian, Mehdi - PHD.MCB - May 2, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Baozhong Meng)
    Study of the Seasonal Dynamics of Grapevine leafroll Associated Viruses Under Cool Climate Conditions, and the Optimization of a Protocol to Initiate Grapevine Infections with Viral Infectious Clones

  • Bebenek, Olivia- PHD.MCB - April 25, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Jim Uniacke)
    The RNA helicase DDX28 acts as a tumour suppressor in breast cancer and influences bioenergetics in hypoxia

  • Williamson, Casey- PHD.MCB - April 23, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Nina Jones)
    The Impacts of Impaired Nephrin-NCK Signaling on Diabetic Outcomes: A Characterization from the Pancreas to the Kidney

  • Martinez Soto, Carlos - PHD.MCB - April 23, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Co-Advisors: Dr. Khursigara and Dr. Anany )
    Development and Encapsulation of a Multi-Receptor Phage Cocktail Against Salmonella for Poultry Food Safety and Multi-Omics Characterization of Phage Resistance

  • Murray, Marijke - MSC.MCB - April 17, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Steffen Graether)
    Exploring the Role of Pseudophosphorylation in the Nuclear Localization and Function of VrDHN1

  • Ghosh, Puja Puspa - MSC.MCB - April 15, 2024 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Jaideep Mathur)
    Investigating the Role of Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) in Plastid Division

  • Liu, Qi - PHD.MCB - April 4, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Wei Zhang)
    Development of Inhibitors for Human Deubiquitinases

  • Anderson, Alexander - PHD.MCB - April 3, 2024 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Co-Advisors: Dr. Anthony Clarke and Dr. Marc Coppolino)
    Investigating the mechanism of peptidoglycan O-acetylation in Gramnegative pathogens

  • Sauty, Safia Mahabub - PHD.MCB - February 28, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Krassimir Yankulov)
    Processivity Factor PCNA (POL30), Chromatin-Associated Factors, and Fork Protection Complex Maintain Epigenetic Stability in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

  • Battagin, Samantha - MSC.MCB - January 17, 2024 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Marc Coppolino)
    Analysis of Stx4-Munc18c Interaction and Membrane-Type 1 Matrix Metalloproteinase Phosphorylation During Invadopodium-Based Cell Invasion

  • Bell, Ian - PHD.MCB - January 11, 2024 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Terry Van Raay)
    Loss of Nkd1 is dominant to loss of Axin2 in regulating W nt signaling

  • Chiu, Brian - MSC.MCB - January 8, 2024 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Ray Lu)
    Establishing a Model System for Studying the Role of CREB3 in Insulin Secretion from Pancreatic Beta Cells

  • Schroeter, Kurt - PHD.MCB - January 5, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Stephen Seah)
    Characterization of bacterial catabolic enzymes involved in sterol and bile acid side chain degradation 

2023

  • Novodvorski, Alexander - MSC.MCB - December 15, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Co-Advisors: Dr. Stephen Seah and Dr. Joshua Gong)
    Characterization of putative Bacillus spp. isolates that target Clostridium perfringens for controlling chicken necrotic enteritis

  • Higgins, Gregory - PHD.MCB - December 12, 2023 at 9:00 a.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Emma Allen-Vercoe)
    Investigating the predatory capability of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus towards colorectal cancer oncomicrobes in vitro

  • Aminu, Bayonle - PHD.MCB - December 11, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Wei Zhang)
    Targeted degradation of intracellular proteins using ubiquitin variant induced proximity

  • Zhu, Hui - PHD.MCB - December 6, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Andrew Bendall)
    Transgenic models to characterize the role of Dlx5 in endochondral ossification

  • Kirst, Sarah - MSC.MCB - September 8, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Co-Advisors: Dr. Cezar Khursigara and Dr. Hany Anany)
    The application of silver nanoparticles and bacteriophage to combat Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms

  • Rizakos, Tia - MSC.MCB - September 6, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Geddes-McAlister)
    Proteomic analysis of the interactions between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and neutrophils in cystic fibrosis

  • Prudhomme, Nicholas - PHD.MCB - August 29, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Jennifer Geddes-McAlister)
    Multi-omics identification of yield limiting factors in molecular pharming

  • Currie, Laura - MSC.MCB - August 28, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Co-Advisors: Dr. Jaideep Mathur and Dr. Praveen Saxena)
    Investigating chloroplast galactolipid membranes and lipid droplets in Arabidopsis thaliana and their role in tolerance to cold stress

  • Lanteigne-Wilkins, Kyle - MSC.MCB - August 25, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Baozhong Meng)
    Construction of a full-length infectious cDNA clone for Grapevine rupestris stem pitting-associated virus strain Pinot Noir

  • Campbell, Alyssa - MSC.MCB - August 24, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Nina Jones)
    Investigating nectin-2 in kidney podocytes

  • Zhu, Shawna - MSC.MCB - August 24, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Georgina Cox)
    Exploring the roles of drug efflux pumps during the transport of compounds across the Escherichia coli cell envelope

  • Kogut, Jordan - MSC.MCB+NEUR - August 16, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Sanders)
    The molecular mechanisms of glycolytic enzyme palmitoylation

  • Goetz, James - MSC.MCB - August 15, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Georgina Cox)
    Investigating functional interplay among Escherichia coli efflux pumps and their contributions to fitness

  • Goodbrand, Jenna - MSC.MCB - August 15, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Jim Uniacke)
    Investigating how the tumour microenvironment influences the alternative splicing of ribosomal protein S24 and the splicing machinery involved

  • Jones, Michael - PHD.MCB - August 14, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. John Dawson)
    Divergence of disease: a characterization of actin residue R312 and its relation to hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathy onset

  • Steffensen, Karl - PHD.MCB - August 9, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. John Dawson)
    Actin and reactin: actin allosteric responses are mediated by actin's C-terminus 

  • Forrester, Taylor - PHD.MCB - August 4, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Matthew Kimber)
    Investigating diversity in O antigen polysaccharide glycosyltransferases: structures, mechanisms, and regulation

  • Manek, Jinal - MSC.MCB - June 19, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Cezar Khursigara)
    Characterizing the role of PA3923 and its homolog PA3422 in P. aeruginosa adhesion, biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance

  • Stekel, Zane - MSC.MCB - June 8, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Wei Zhang)
    The development of potent and specific inhibitors for Smurf1 and Smurf2

  • Wright, Madison - PHD.MCB - May 31, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Cezar Khursigara)
    Impacts of changes in cell surface components and intraspecific competition on the interactions of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with cystic fibrosis bronchial epithelial cells

  • Horn, Matthew - MSC.MCB - May 3, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Terry Van Raay)
    Elucidating the role of Vangl2 and its interactions with Wnt/ß-catenin signaling

  • Sukumaran, Arjun - PHD.MCB - April 25, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Jennifer Geddes-McAlister)
    Uncovering novel mechanisms of Klebsiella pneumoniae pathogenesis through mass spectrometry-based proteomics

  • Verhoef, Mackenzie - MSC.MCB - April 24, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Georgina Cox)
    Teichoic acid-associated surface charge impacts Staphylococcus aureus host adhesion

  • Wilde, Jacob - PHD.MCB - April 20, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Emma Allen-Vercoe)
    Experimental frontiers in the study of human-associated bacteriophages

  • Robinson, Avery - PHD.MCB - April 19, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Emma Allen-Vercoe)
    The impact of diet on the human gut microbiota in the context of colorectal cancer

  • Brott, Ashley - PHD.MCB - April 11, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.
    (Co-Advisors:  Dr. Anthony Clarke and Dr. Stephen Seah)
    Inhibition and structural insights into the mechanism of peptidoglycan O-acetylation in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

  • Agyare-Tabbi, Michelle - MSC.MCB - March 31, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Rebecca Shapiro)
    Characterization of the error-prone polymerase REV1 in DNA damage and antifungal drug resistance in Candida albicans

  • Buchanan, Reid - MSC.MCB - March 6, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Jennifer Geddes-McAlister)
    Proteomic insights into the mechanisms of deoxynivalenol resistance in Triticum aestivum

  • Sande, Caitlin - PHD.MCB - February 14, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Chris Whitfield)
    Investigating the genetic determinants for Escherichia coli capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis 

  • Morgenroth-Rebin, Jarod - MSC.MCB - January 9, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Jennifer Geddes-McAlister)
    Towards the characterization of putative degradation targets of Klebsiella pneumoniae Lon protease by quantitative proteomics and in vitro degradation assays

  • Lobbezoo, Mariann - MSC.MCB - January 4, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Joseph Colasanti)
    Investigating the role of INDETERMINATE1 in controlling the floral transition in Teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis)

  • Liang, Chen - MSC.MCB - January 3, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
    (Advisor:  Dr. Wei Zhang)
    Development of synthetic modulators for the BRCA1-BARD1 heterodimer

Graduate Studies