Past Members

Catherine Leonard

Technician (2012 - 2019)

Currently: Project Manager, McCaig Institute, Calgary. 

Projects in the lab: Cartilage repair vs. regeneration

Dr. Leila Larijani 

Post-doctoral fellow (2022 - 2024)

Currently: Research Instructor, University of Colorado.    

Projects in the lab: The use of iPSCs for cartilage regeneration

Dr. Priyatha Premnath

Post-doctoral fellow (2014 - 2019)

Currently: Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.    

Projects in the lab: The role of p21 in fracture repair

Dr. Saleem Abubacker

Post-doctoral fellow (2015 - 2017)

Currently: Research And Development Engineer - ‎Baylis Medical

Projects in the lab: The role of PRG4/Lubricin in bone homeostasis and wound healing.

Dr. Richarda Hess

Post-doctoral fellow (2013 - 2014)

Currently: Technische Universität Dresden  

Projects in the lab: The role of p21 in bone and cartilage repair

Nicoletta Ninkovic

PhD trainee (Graduated 2024)

Currently:  Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard

Thesis: The role of proteoglycan 4 in the wound healing response

Anand Masson

PhD trainee (Graduated 2023)

Currently: 

Thesis: Impact of Homeostasis Disruption on the Structure and Function of Murine Articular Cartilage

Nabangshu Das

PhD trainee (Graduated 2023)

Currently: Post-Doctoral Scientist at UBC.  

Thesis: Proeolytic Regulation of Proteoglycan 4 in Inflammation 

Guomin Ren

PhD trainee (Graduated 2018)

Currently: Software Engineer at Synopsys Inc 

Thesis: Inflammatory Profiling in Early Osteoarthritis

Christina Jablonski

PhD trainee (Graduated 2019)

Currently: Scientist at Zoetis Inc.  

Thesis: Endogenous Articular Cartilage Regeneration After Injury 

Alex Olsen

MSc trainee (Graduated 2021)

Currently: Medical Student  

Thesis: Enhancing osteoporotic fracture healing with p21-/- induced pluripotent stem cells

Sophia Shah

MSc trainee (Graduated 2021)

Currently: Medical Resident UofA

Thesis: Mesenchymal Progenitors in the Epidural Fat and Dura Mater Participate in Tissue Homeostasis and Wound Healing

Leah Ferrie

MSc trainee (Graduated 2019)

Currently: Medical Student, Cumming School of Medicine

Thesis: The contribution of endogenous and exogenous stem cells in fracture repair

Karri Bertram

MSc trainee (Graduated 2016)

Currently: Scientist - ‎STEMCELL Technologies 

Thesis: Regulating p21 Expression to Increase Chondrogenic Potential in Human Mesenchymal Progenitor Cells

Nedaa Aljezani

MSc trainee (Graduated 2016)

Currently: Exploring the beauty the world has to offer 

Thesis: Cell Surface Receptors Expression Profile Of Human Synovial Mesenchymal Stem Cells In-Situ And In-Vitro From Normal And Osteoarthritic Knee Joints

Jordan Laudon

MSc trainee (Graduated 2016)

Currently: 

Thesis: The Association Between Serum COMP Expression and Intra-articular Knee Injury Sustained 3-10 Years Previously in Youth Sport 

Supervised with: Dr. Carolyn Emery

Assma Affan

MSc trainee (Graduated 2016)

Currently: Research Assistant, UofC

Thesis: Hip Derived Synovial Mesenchymal Progenitor Cell Surface Markers In Situ as Indicators for Differentiation Potential

Shah Iqbal

MSc trainee (Graduated 2015)

Currently: 

Thesis: Lubricin Binds to and Regulates Toll-like Receptor (TLR) Activity

Supervised with: Dr. Tannin Schmidt

Joyce Mak

MSc trainee (Graduated 2014)

Currently: Wellness Coach 

Thesis: The role of synovial progenitor cells in cartilage repair

Akash Fichadiya

MSc trainee (Graduated 2014)

Currently: Medical Resident UofC

Thesis: Elucidating the Relationship Between Macrophages and Synovial Mesenchymal Progenitor Cells

Kate O’Brian

MSc trainee (Graduated 2014)

Currently: Canadian Cyclist

Thesis: Synovial Cellular Composition in Osteoarthritic Knee Joints 

Geoff Buckley Herd

MSc trainee (Graduated 2013)

Currently: Automation Engineer at New York Stem Cell Foundation 

Thesis: The response of human synovial progenitor cells in a tissue-engineered construct to mechanical loading. 

Supervised with: Dr. Dave Hart and Dr. Nigel Shrive

Poh Soo-Lee

MSc trainee (Graduated 2012)

Currently: Technische Universität Dresden  

Thesis: Developing a novel biomimetic bioreactor for bone graft engineering with murine embryonic stem cells  

Supervised with: Dr. Derrick Rancourt

Olesja Hazenbiller

MSc trainee (Graduated 2012)

Currently: Orthopaedic Oncology Research Coordinator, University of Calgary 

Thesis: Micro-environmental factors directing differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells down osteogenic and chondrogenic lineages

Supervised with: Dr. Neil Duncan