Alumni

Former Lab Members

Masters Students – Alumni

  • Reilly Ische MSc (Completed August 2019) An assessment of phosphorus-enriched poplar biochar as a soil amendment for agriculture.
  • Heather MacKay MSc (Completed July 2019) Identifying a native p-hydroxybenzoyl-CoA monolignol transferase gene in poplar.
  • Michael Bilek MSc (Completed March 2019) Physiological response of Populus balsamifera and Salix eriocephala to salinity and hydraulic fracturing wasterwater for potential in phytoremediation.
  • Michelle von Loessl MSc (Completed April 2017) Identification of the genes(s) controlling the production of p-hydroxybenzoate monolignol transferases.
  • Ahmed Kenawy MSc (Completed 2016 Dec) MSc – Worked on isolation, characterization and gene expression of Salicylic Acid Glycosyltransferase Genes in Hybrid Poplar.
  • Sarah Barkwill MSc Transferred to MF (Master Forestry) Dec 2016 degree program.  MSc research focused on determining the crosstalk between primary and secondary cellulose synthases at the interface between primary and secondary cell walls.
  • Sofiya Lazarova MSc (Completed 2015 Sept)  Investigated the role of sucrose phosphate synthase and hexokinase in carbon sink strength.
  • Amanda Johnson MSc (Completed 2015 May) Investigated the impact of cell wall chemistry and ultrastructure on bioenergy production.  Currently PhD Student in Dr. Scott Renneckar’s lab, UBC.
  • Foster (James) Hart MSc (Completed 2013 Feb) Does heterosis impact cell wall traits in hybrid aspen? Worked as a Research Technician, Shawn Mansfield’s lab, UBC 2013 – Sept 2016.
  • Magdalena Glass (née Hrynkiewicz-Moczulski) MSc (Completed 2012 Aug) Investigating the role of endoglucanase on cell wall development and ultrastructure.
  • Francis de Araujo MSc (Completed 2012 Nov)  Wood Quality of Aspen and White Spruce in Boreal Mixedwood Forests.
  • Tsung Jeng (Kent) Chen MSc (Completed 2012 Nov)  Investigated the role of sucrose synthase in Arabidopsis and Poplar.
  • Genoa Barchet MSc (Completed 2010 May) Effects of drought stress on metabolite profiles of hybrid and pure Populs spp.
  • Nicholas Ukrainetz MSc (Sept 2003 – March 2006)
  • Jackie Stewart MSc (Sept 2002 – April 2005)
  • Jennifer Cross MSc (Jan 2001- Jan 2002)
  • Nicola Charles* MASc (Sept 2000 – Nov 2002)
  • Ian Cullis MSc (Sept 2000-Dec 2002)
  • Shannon Huntly MSC (Sept 2000 – Jan 2003)
  • Kathy Woo MSc (Sept 2000 – Feb 2003)
  • Derrick Stebbing* MSc (Sept 1999 – April 2002)

Doctoral Students – Alumni

  • Nicholas Ukrainetz PhD (Completed April 2020) Patterns of genotype-environment interactions and sensitivity to genomic selection in the lodgepole pine breeding program in British Columbia.
  • Danyu Yao PhD (Completed May 2019) Investigated the effect of phosphorylation status on intracellular distribution of sucrose synthase in Arabidopsis thaliana
  • Miranda Meents* PhD (2012 Sept – 2018 Dec) Using high resolution microscopy to look at synthesis in the Golgi of xylan by glycosyltransfereases.  Currently Postdoctoral Researcher in Kunst Lab, Department of Botany, UBC.
  • Yoichiro Watanabe* PhD (Sept 2011 – May 2018) Identified and described the various factors that control cellulose deposition in the secondary cell wall.  Currently Assistant Professor at Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Nara Prefecture, Japan.
  • Letitia Da Ros PhD (2013 Jan – 2018 May) Evaluating genomic selection as a tool for improved wood properties and tree growth in gymnosperms.
  • Shumin Wang* PhD (Sept 2011 – May 2018) Studied the functions of new candidate genes affecting secondary wall chemistry.
  • Ritesh Mewalal* PhD (Completed 2015 May) Functional characterization of cell wall related proteins of unknown function (CW-PUFs) in Arabidopsis thaliana.
  • Li Xi* PhD (Completed 2014 April) Investigating the role of Arabinogalactan proteins (AGP) on cell wall development in Populus
  • Grant McNair* PhD (Completed 2015 Feb)  Studied genes involved in the remodeling of the cell walls and their potential interactions that facilitate the process of xylem formation.
  • Gabriel Levesque Tremblay* PhD (Completed 2014 April) Pectin methyl esterases and its prooteinaceous inhibitor in plan seed development. Completed a Post-doctoral Fellow in Dr. Markus Pauly’s laboratory at the Energy Bioscience Institute at UC Berkeley.
  • Eshchar Mizrachi* (Completed 2014 Jan) Functional genomics and systems genetics of cellulose biosynthesis in EucalyptusFaride Unda PhD (Completed 2012 Aug) Carbon Allocation in Hybrid Poplar: the role of the Raffinose Family of Oligosaccharides (RFO).
  • Faride Unda PhD (Completed 2012 Aug) Evaluating the role of the raffinose family of oligosaccharides in hybrid poplar.
  • Lisa McDonnell PhD (Completed 2010 Dec) Investigating the Role of cellulose synthases in the Biosynthesis and Properties of Cellulose in Secondary Cell Walls. Currently Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, USA.
  • Victoria Maloney PhD (Completed 2010 April) Function, functional conservation and interactions of the membrane-bound endo-1,4-beta-glucanases orthologous to Korrigan.
  • Andrew Robinson PhD (Sept 2002 – March 2009)
  • Thomas Canam PhD (Sept 2002 – May 2008) Studied using plants for bioenergy and bioproduct applications.
  • Heather D. Coleman (PhD Sept 2002 – May 2008) Genetic and environmental control of cell wall formation, xylogenesis, plant biotechnology, molecular farming, functional genomics.
  • Jeff Keating PhD (Sept 2000 – June 2007)
  • Kathryn Wingate* PhD (Sept 1998 – June 2002)

Former Visiting Scholars

  • Yingli Ma PhD Visiting (2017 Sept – Oct 2018) The stimulatory effects and associated mechanism of lanthanum nitrate on the yield and medicinal composition of Pseudostellaria heterophylla
  • Liyuan (Lynn) Chen PhD Candidate (Visiting Scholar) Family of fasciclin-like arabinogalactan proteins (FLAs) in Secondary Cell Wall synthesis (Sept 2015 – March 2018)

Former Postdoctoral Fellows

  • Letitia Da Ros (May 2018 – Dec 2018, April 2020 – Current)
  • Eliana Gonzales-Vigil (Completed 2018 Sept) Currently Assistant Professor at University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.
  • Alex Skyba (Completed 2015 June) Genomic of fungal degradation of woody biomass.  Currently a Science Educator, Vancouver, Canada.
  • Melissa Roach (Completed 2014 July) Currently Ecology Lab Coordinator, Edmonton, Canada.
    Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. PDF – Regulation of cell wall traits via FLAproteins.
  • Charles Hefer  (Completed 2014 Aug)  Investigated genetic variability of growth traits in several Poplar sp. populations.  Currently Senior Research Scientist (Bioinformatician) at the ARC Biotechnology Platform, Pretoria, South Africa.
  • Victoria Maloney (Completed 2013) Genomics of cell wall development of and regulation. Currently a Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pretoria, South Africa
  • Ji-Young Park (Completed 2012 Jan) Isolation and regulation of genes involved in carbohydrate allocation during cell wall biosynthesis
  • Ravindra Malabadi (Completed 2009 Sept) Initiation of somatic embroygenesis in conifers. Currently a research scientist in India.
  • Rebecca Dauwe (Completed 2009 Aug) Metabolic profiling of spruce, induced and constitutive conifer defense mechanisms.  Currently a Biochemist, Amiens, France.
  • So-Young Park (Completed 2009 July) Currently Associate Professor, Chungbuk National University,
    Korea. PDF – Studied somatic embryogenesis and juvenility of mature conifers.
  • Ilga Porth (Completed 2009 Feb)  Elucidating secondary cell wall biosyntheses.  Currently Faculty at Université Laval, Montreal, Canada.
  • Kyu-Young Kang (Completed 2007 Aug) Currently Assistant Professor at Dongguk University-Seoul Campus. PDF – Wood and fibre quality and chemistry.
  • Kim Rensing (Completed 2005 Jan) Metabolite profiling and genomic marker development for phenotyping Douglas-fir
  • Rana Gheneim (Completed 2004 April) Synthesis and detection of metabolite intermediates in cell wall biosynthesis
  • Jamie Robinson (Completed April 2004) Evaluating the effect of global DNA methylation on somatic embryogenesis
  • Ursula Mais  (Completed 2001 July)  Improved hydrolysis of lignocellulosic substrates using simultaneous hydrolysis and physical disruption.  Currently Manager Research – Baxter Innovations, Vienna, Austria.   Currently Associate Director at Shire, Austria.

Former Research Scientists

  • Foster (James) Hart MSc, Research Scientist (Feb 2013 – Sept. 2016)

*denotes co-supervision

 

Last updated: April 2020