LEAH E. COWEN, Ph.D.
I pursued my doctoral research with Jim Anderson and Linda Kohn at the University of Toronto focused on the genomic architecture of adaptation to antifungal drugs. As a postdoctoral fellow with Susan Lindquist at the Whitehead Institute, I then investigated how the molecular chaperone Hsp90 impacts on fungal evolution and phenotypic diversity. Since 2007, I have been a Canada Research Chair in Microbial Genomics and Infectious Disease in the Department of Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto. My research has been recognized with a myriad of awards including a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award in the Biomedical Sciences, a Merck Irving S. Sigal Memorial Award, an E. W. R. Steacie Award from the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council, a Ministry of Research and Innovation Early Researcher Award, and a Grand Challenges Canada Star in Global Health Award. I am an elected Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, American Academy of Microbiology, and American Association for the Advancement of Science. I am co-Director of the CIFAR Fungal Kingdom: Threats & Opportunities program, and co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Bright Angel Therapeutics, a company focused on development of novel antifungals.
LUKE WHITESELL, M.D.
I am a pediatric oncologist and senior research associate within Leah Cowen’s lab where I help guide translational drug discovery and development efforts. As a clinician, I was involved in the development of new cancer treatments for well over two decades and the care of many children with invasive fungal infections. The experience made me acutely aware of the need for better antifungal treatments and the specific gaps that need to be filled. I am convinced that new, more effective and resistance-disfavoring treatments can only be discovered and developed through a better understanding of the mechanisms by which fungi are able to infect people and grow within them. I joined the Cowen lab in late 2017 to help decipher these mechanisms and bring much needed new antifungals to clinical testing.
I graduated from Harvard College in 1979 with an A.B. in Biology. After graduate work in pharmacology at Cambridge University, I completed medical training at Johns Hopkins University and a pediatric residency at Boston Children’s Hospital. I did fellowship training at the National Cancer Institute before joining the faculty of the University of Arizona in 1994. After achieving the rank of Professor, I left Arizona to join the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, MA where Leah and I first met and began our now more than decade long collaborative efforts.
NICOLE ROBBINS, Ph.D.
I pursued my doctoral research here in the Cowen lab from 2007-2012 where I focused on mechanisms by which the molecular chaperone Hsp90 governed fungal drug resistance in C. albicans. I then worked as a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Gerry Wright where I used high-throughput screening methodologies to look for novel compound combinations with efficacy against diverse fungal pathogens. I am thrilled to be back in the Cowen lab as a Senior Research Associate where I am involved in many lab projects that aim to provide a global view of the circuitry in fungal pathogens that governs drug resistance, morphogenesis and virulence.
YUN JIN (RACHEL) LEE, B.Sc., Ph.D.
I joined the Cowen lab in January 2019, where I explored the diverse roles of protein kinases in Candida albicans drug resistance and virulence using both functional genomics and chemical biology approaches. I completed my PhD in 2022 and now support many research programs and laboratory operations as a Research Associate.
SEAN LISTON, Ph.D.
I completed my doctoral research in Dr. Chris Whitfield’s lab, at the University of Guelph, after completing a B.Sc. in Biochemistry. There, I studied the assembly of polysaccharide capsules in bacteria using biochemical, structural, and molecular biology-based approaches. I joined the Cowen Lab in 2018 as an NSERC postdoctoral fellow. My interests lie in identifying glycoconjugates that participate in the structure and assembly of the fungal cell wall. These Glyco-structures are critical mediators of fungal virulence; I therefore aim to apply functional and chemical genetics methods to characterise their assembly machinery and explore small molecule inhibitors to these potential antifungal targets.
ZHONGLE LIU, Ph.D.
I completed my PhD in Biochemistry at Dartmouth College studying function of the Mediator complex. Mentored by Dr. Larry Myers, I investigated how Mediator interacts with chromatin and its role in regulating drug resistance and morphogenesis in multiple fungal species. I joined the Cowen lab in August 2018, and am working on developing fungal selective mitochondria inhibitors and understanding transcription networks underlying mitochondria-nuclear communication in Candida albicans.
CI FU, Ph.D.
I completed my PhD in Dr. Stephen J Free’s laboratory at SUNY at Buffalo where I studied cell fusion, cell wall biosynthesis, and female development in the model filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. I then joined Dr. Joseph Heitman’s laboratory as a postdoctoral fellow studying the molecular mechanisms underlying unisexual reproduction in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus deneoformans. Following which, I joined the Cowen lab in 2020 and continued my postdoctoral training in exploring fungal essential genes utilizing functional genomic and classical genetic approaches.
SAIF HOSSAIN, H.B.Sc., Ph.D.
I completed my Honours BSc in Biochemistry and Health and Disease at the University of Toronto. During this time, I worked for Dr. Marc Meneghini where I explored the mechanism of programmed cell death in sporulating Saccharocymes cerevisiae. I also worked in the lab of Dr. Justin Nodwell where my work focused on elucidation of a signal transduction pathway that activates secondary metabolism in Streptomyces coelicolor. I joined the Cowen lab in January 2017 and I focused on investigating genetic circuitry involving mitochondria and cell cycle regulators in governing morphogenesis in the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans.
NIKKI CASE, H.B.Sc., Ph.D.
I completed an Honours BSc in Biochemistry at Western University, where my senior thesis project in Dr. Murray Junop’s lab focused on dissecting the dual roles of a DNA repair nuclease using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. I joined the Department of Molecular Genetics in September of 2018 and was floored by the incredible and exciting research being performed in the Cowen lab. I am delighted to now be a part of this ongoing research that focuses on strategies to combat fungal disease with my project focusing on the dynamic interplay between Candida albicans interactions with the host-immune cells.
LINDA ARCHAMBAULT, Ph.D.
I earned a PhD in Biochemistry in 2019 at the University of Maine in the laboratory of Dr. Robert Wheeler. We used a zebrafish infection model to study mucosal immune responses to Candida species. I then joined Dr. Anna Dongari’s lab at the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine where I collaborated with mathematicians in the Laubenbacher and Mendes labs to create agent-based models of fungal/bacterial biofilms. In 2022 I came to the Cowen lab where I contribute to the management, extension, and distribution of the GRACE collection. I participate in functional genomics studies using this collection of conditional mutants of Candida albicans to elucidate mechanisms of morphogenesis, drug resistance, and adaptation to diverse environments.
BRADLEY LAFLAMME, Ph.D.
I completed my PhD under the supervision of Profs Darrell Desveaux and David Guttman in the Cell & Systems Biology department at the University of Toronto (2015-2021), where I studied the impact of virulence protein diversity on immune outcomes using the Pseudomonas syringae-Arabidopsis thaliana pathosystem. I stayed on as a postdoc in this lab for one year following my PhD to translate some techniques from my PhD work to soybean (2021-2022). I joined Leah's lab in 2022, where I have been focusing primarily on chemical biology with filamentous fungal pathogens of humans (Aspergillus fumigatus) and plants (Fusarium graminearum).
TAYLOR DAVIE, Ph.D.
I completed my PhD in Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto as a member of Dr. Andrew Fraser’s lab. During this time, I studied the anaerobic metabolism of parasitic worms (helminths) and helped develop a C. elegans model to facilitate high-throughput chemical screens for anthelmintic compounds that selectively target the unique metabolic pathways of parasites. I joined the Cowen lab in 2024 as a postdoctoral fellow on the chemical biology team where I am working on identifying and characterizing new antifungal compounds that are active against a variety of diverse fungal pathogens.
HANSEN WANG, Ph.D.
I completed my doctoral studies in China. I started my career as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto in 2004. Since then, I had played multiple roles in three research laboratories at this university. I joined the Cowen lab in November 2023 and am working on functional genomics related projects that focuses on genome-scale exploration of gene function to understand biological systems in fungal pathogens.
EMILY XIONG, H.B.M.Sc.
I completed an Honours BMSc in Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences at Western University. With Dr. Martin McGavin’s group, I studied the impact of host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions on Staphylococcus aureus virulence and resistance within cystic fibrosis airways. I joined the Cowen lab as an MSc student in September of 2020 and have since reclassified to pursue a PhD. My research focuses on utilizing high-throughput functional genomics approaches to define essential gene sets for Candida albicans, with a particular focus on how these gene sets differ in diverse environmental conditions.
SARA FALLAH, H.B.Sc.
I completed my Honours Bachelor of Science degree at Queen’s University. Although during this time my senior thesis project was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I was fortunate enough to pursue a research project at the University of Toronto in the Latner Thoracic Research Laboratories under the supervision of Dr. Thomas Waddell. There, I assessed the effects of flow on rat tracheal epithelial viability and utilized the AngioChip Bioreactor as a model to attempt successful tracheal graft revascularization. With no background in fungal pathogens but a keen interest in infectious diseases and therapeutic strategies, as of 2021, I became a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Toronto in Dr. Leah Cowen’s laboratory. My research is focused on chemical biology, where I screen structurally-diverse small molecule libraries against Candida albicans to identify new chemical probes for antifungal research and development.
BONNIE YIU, H.B.Sc.
I completed my Honours BSc in Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Western Ontario, where I worked with Dr. John McCormick. My research focused on the host-pathogen interaction between humans and Streptococcus pyogenes and the development of vaccines to combat S. pyogenes infections. I then joined the Cowen lab in January 2023 , where my current work centers on investigating novel antifungal molecules with efficacy against emerging fungal pathogens and utilizing functional genomic approaches to expand the therapeutic target space for antifungal development.
KRISTIN THOMPSON, B.Sc.
I completed my undergraduate studies at Queen's University, where I developed a keen interest in genetics and molecular biology. During my fourth year, I conducted my thesis project in Dr. Maria Aristizabal's lab, focusing on the genetics of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. My research specifically investigated how the length of the carboxy terminal domain (CTD) of S. cerevisiae RNA Polymerase II affects its association with seven transcription-associated factors. In January 2023, I joined the Cowen lab to pursue my MSc. My current research leverages structure-guided and functional genomic approaches to explore targeting Cryptococcus neoformans Hsp90 as a novel means of treating cryptococcal infections. Through this work, I aim to contribute to the development of innovative therapies for combating fungal pathogens.
LINA LIM, H.B.Sc.
I completed my Honours BSc. in Biological Sciences at MacEwan University in Edmonton, AB. I worked with Dr. David McFadyen to isolate microsatellites in an endangered orchid to preserve the genetic diversity of the species. I joined the Cowen lab in September 2022 where my project focuses on identifying novel compounds with antifungal activity and elucidating the mechanism of action of the compound to combat deadly fungal infections.
VERONIKA PAVLOVA, H.B.Sc.
I completed an Honours BSc in Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto. Throughout this time, I worked in the laboratory of Dr. Walid Houry, where I completed a thesis in Biochemistry, focusing on the structural and functional characterization of the conserved ClpX unfoldase chaperone involved in protein homeostasis in bacteria and mitochondria. I also completed a thesis in Molecular Genetics in Dr. Thomas Hurd’s lab, which focused on understanding the mechanism of mutant mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) degradation in the Drosophila female germline, important for the purifying selection of mutant mtDNA during oogenesis. I joined the Cowen lab in January 2024, excited to become a part of their incredible research team. My project focuses on identifying and characterizing Candida albicans genes that modulate susceptibility to antifungal drugs.
YAXIN GUO, H.B.Sc.
I completed my Honours BSc in Immunology at the University of Toronto. During this time, I worked in Dr. Trevor Moraes’ lab, where I purified antibodies and their binding domains (Fabs) for high-resolution structural characterization using protein X-ray crystallography to aid in vaccine development against Neisseria gonorrhoeae. I joined the Cowen lab in January 2024, and I am now focused on characterizing the mechanism of action of compounds that inhibit the filamentation of Candida albicans.
LILIAN TON NU
MADELINE McCREADIE
SOFIA MARCOCCIA
CAITLIN HOLLERAN
LAB ALUMNI
Graduate Students
Emma Lash, PhD in Cowen Lab (XXXXX). Science and Strategy Analyst, Sixsense Strategy Group.
Emily Puumala, PhD in Cowen Lab (2018-2024). Clinical Microbiology Fellow, Mayo Clinic.
Jessie MacAlpine, PhD in Cowen Lab (2017-2023). Postdoctoral Fellow, NIH.
Kali Iyer. PhD in Cowen Lab (2017-2021). Associate Science & Strategy Consultant | Sixsense Strategy Group.
Nicole Revie. PhD in Cowen Lab (2017-2021). Consultant | Shift Health.
Aiman Farheen. MSc in Cowen Lab (2021-2024).
Alice Xue. MSc in Cowen Lab (2019-2021). Associate Medical Writer | Complete HealthVizion.
Antonia DuBois. MSc in Cowen Lab (2020-2022).
Sabrina Hyde. MSc in Cowen Lab (2017-2019). Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy Masters in Public Policy.
Amanda Veri. PhD in Cowen lab (2012-2018). Research Associate (2018-2020). Lead, Research Training Program, Office of Research Trainees, University Health Network.
Elizabeth Polvi. PhD in Cowen lab (2012-2018). Research Associate (2018-2020). Instructor, Biological Sciences, University of Alberta.
Sang Hu (David) Kim. PhD in Cowen lab (2012-2018). Mitacs International Accelerate with Boragen Inc. and the University of Toronto.
Kwama Duaah. Master's in Cowen lab (2015-2018). Research Assistant at the University of Toronto. Science & Strategy Project Analyst at Sixsense Strategy Group.
Tanvi Shekhar-Guturja (2010-2016). PhD in Cowen lab. Mitacs Accelerate with Bright Angel Therapeutics Inc. and the University of Toronto.
Tavia Caplan. Master's in Cowen lab (2015-2018). Executive Director, Banting Research Foundation.
Jing Lin (Lucy) Xie. PhD in Cowen lab (2011-2016). Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford.
Xinliu (Angel) Li. Master's in Cowen lab (2014-2016). Research Technologist at Mount Sinai.
Jason Tjia, M.Sc. Master's in Cowen lab (2014-2016).
Jessica Hill, Ph.D. Doctoral work in Cowen lab (2009-2014). Teaching Stream Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto.
Nicole Robbins, Ph.D. Doctoral work in Cowen lab (2008-2012). Senior Research Associate at the University of Toronto.
Rebecca Shapiro, Ph.D. Doctoral work in Cowen lab (2008-2012). Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at the Broad Institute. Assistant Professor at the University of Guelph.
Sheena Singh-Babak, Ph.D. Doctoral work in Cowen lab (2007-2011). Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at UCSF.
Shantelle LaFayette, M.Sc. Master's in Cowen lab (2008-2010). Doctoral Student at McGill University.
Heather Senn, M.Sc., M.D. Master's in Cowen lab (2009-2010). Medical Student at the University of Toronto.
Tanvi Shekhar-Guturka, Ph.D. Doctoral work in Cowen lab (2010-2016) . Medical Writer, Sixthsense Strategy Group.
Emmanuelle LeBlanc, M.Sc. Master's in Cowen Lab (2018-2020). MD-PhD Student at Queen's University.
Postdoctoral Fellows
Harley Mount, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow in Cowen Lab and Bright Angel Therapeutics (2022-2023). Senior Bioinformatics Scientist, Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Dustin Duncan, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow in Cowen Lab (2021-2023). Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Brock University.
Denny Chin, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow in Cowen Lab (2022). Microbiology Research Scientist at Corteva | Bacterial Therapeutics | Translational Research.
Teresa O’Meara, Ph.D. NIH NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow in Cowen lab (2013-2019). Assistant Professor, University of Michigan.
Stephanie Diezmann, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cowen lab (2009-2013). Lecturer, University of Bristol.
Michelle Leach, Ph.D. Wellcome Trust Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellow in Cowen lab (2012-2017).
Technicians
Cathy Collins, B.Sc. Technician (2007-2020).
Research Associates
Sarah Campbell, Ph.D. Research Associate (2018-2021).
Jaideep Mallick, Ph.D. Research Associate (2018-2019).
Undergraduate Students
Daniel Anderson. AMGEN Scholar Summer Student. 2023.
Sarah Slassi. Summer Student. 2023.
Ting Zhuang. Summer Student. 2023.
Haoyang Zhang. Summer Student. 2023.
Tim Wang. UTEA Summer Student. 2023.
Kevin Chen. Summer Student. 2023.
Sara Shariati. Summer Student. 2021-2022.
Miaoxi Liu. Summer Student. 2022.
Isabel Sternthal. Summer Student. 2022.
Mahrukh Fatima. Summer Student. 2022.
Clara Hick. NSERC USRA Summer Student. 2021.
Ayni Sharif. AMGEN Scholar Summer Student. 2019.
Dongyeob (Peter) Lee. Summer Student. 2019.
Madeline Beer. NSERC USRA Summer Student. 2019.
Yanzhi Feng. International Summer Student Scholar. 2019.
Jiaming (Patrick) Du. Summer Student. 2019.
Fawziyah Nabeelah. Summer Student. 2019.
Wanlin He. International Summer Student. 2018.
Levon Tokmakjian. PCL472 Thesis Project Student. 2017.
Honghao Ma. International Summer Student. 2017.
Shoshana Buckhalter. Summer Student. 2017.
Timothy Doyle. Summer Student. 2017.
Harley Mount. NSERC USRA Student, MGY480 Thesis Project Student. 2013-2015.
Juan Colazo. Molecular Genetics Summer Scholar. 2016.
Trevor Sless. Life Sciences Summer Project Student and Undergraduate Thesis Project Student (MGY480). 2014-2015.
Erin Wong. Life Sciences Summer Project Student and Undergraduate Thesis Project Student (MGY480). 2013-2014.
Kristi Papamihali. DTL Undergraduate Summer Project Student and Undergraduate Thesis Project Student (HMB499). 2013-2014.
Kaitlin Anstett. NSERC USRA and Undergraduate Thesis Project Student (MGY480). 2012-2013.
Fereshteh Valaei. UTEA Undergraduate Summer Project Student and Undergraduate Thesis Project Student (BIOD99Y3). 2012-2013.
Gilvonette Lages. Science Without Borders Undergraduate Summer Project Student. 2013.
Carly Weiss. Undergraduate Summer Project Student. 2011.
Meirui Li. Undergraduate Summer Project Student. 2011.
Danielle Sexton. Undergraduate Thesis Project Student (HMB499Y) 2010-2011.
Daniel Merritt. Undergraduate Thesis Project Student (MGY480). 2010-2011.
Janine Gabriel. Undergraduate NSERC USRA. 2010.
Jess Morhayim. Undergraduate Thesis Project Student (MGY480). 2007-2008.
Kathleen Turner. Undergraduate Thesis Project Student (HMB499Y1). 2007-2008.