Principal Investigator
Eric McCalla, Associate Professor, Fessenden Professor of Science Innovation
B.Sc. (Mount Allison University, 2000), M.Sc. (McGill University, 2002), B.Ed. (Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2005), Ph.D. (Dalhousie University, 2013)
Postdocs at the Collège-de-France (Paris, France, 2014-2015) and the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, USA, 2015-2017)
Office: OM 426
Phone: (514) 398-1074
Full publication list available at google scholar.
eric.mccalla [at] mcgill.ca
Post-doctoral fellows
Dr. Parisa Vahdatkhah
parisa.vahdatkhah [at] mail.mcgill.ca
Dr. Janine Richter
Janine joined the group in 2024 after completing her PhD at Dresden University of Technology, where she worked with ionic liquids to find a more sustainable way of metal production and battery recycling. Her current research is focused on the synthesis and characterization of high-throughput lithium-ion battery cathode materials at the interface with machine learning. When not working in the lab, Janine enjoys hiking, reading good books, playing board games and is also an enthusiastic science communicator.
janine.richter [at] mail.mcgill.ca
Dr. Joyanti Halder
Joyanti joined the group in 2025 after completing her PhD entitled "Ni1-xCoxFe2O4 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) Based Nanostructures for High Performance Supercapacitors" at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. Her previous work focused on developing feasible electrode materials for supercapacitors. She has also worked on electrode materials for Al-ion batteries. Now, she is working on developing halide and oxyhalide solid-state electrolytes for all-solid Li batteries. Beyond her working schedule, she likes to read story books, listening to music and travelling to new places.
joyanti.halder [at] mail.mcgill.ca
Ph.D. Students
Alex Hebert
B.Sc. (Acadia University, 2019)
Alex hails from Dartmouth NS, joining the group in fall 2019 after completing a BScH in chemistry from Acadia University. Currently, he is working on optimizing high-throughput techniques to characterize large regions of the NMC cathode space in order to uncover high performance materials for next-gen batteries. Previously he worked on investigating shuttle reactions in Li-ion cells in the Dahn group at Dalhousie University, as well as completing two internships with Tesla’s battery research division. Outside the lab, he can be found lounging in a café, taking in the classic cult comedy Community for the 7th time, or trying to find the hottest up-and-coming alt-indie tracks (follow him on Spotify).
alexander.hebert [at] mail.mcgill.ca
Ethan Anderson
B.Sc. (McGill University, 2019)
Ethan joined the group after completing his B.Sc. at McGill in 2019. Currently he is working on mapping the phase space of the Li-ion solid electrolyte Li7La3Zr2O12 and related Li-La-Zr-O compositions using high-throughput synthesis and characterization techniques developed by the group. He is also working with Dr. Khaliullin of McGill developing a force field based method of simulating lithium diffusion in the similar Li-La-Ti-O system. In his spare time Ethan can be found at the gym or playing computer or board games with friends.
ethan.anderson [at] mail.mcgill.ca
Marzieh Abdolhosseini
B.Sc. (K.N.Toosi University of Technology, 2017)
M.Sc. (University of Tehran, 2019)
Marzieh joined the group in the Fall of 2021 and is now working on making improved cathodes for Na-ion batteries.
marzieh.abdolhosseini [at] mail.mcgill.ca
Nooshin Zeinali Galabi
Nooshin completed her Master’s degree in Inorganic Chemistry at Shahrood University of Technology. She joined the group in 2021. Her research focuses on developing advanced cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Her work combines experimental approaches with machine learning models to explore new compositional spaces for improved battery performance. She enjoys woodworking, hiking, horseback riding, and archery.
Office: OM 430
nooshin.zeinaligalabi [at] mail.mcgill.ca
Jean-Danick Lavertu
jean-danick.lavertu [at] mail.mcgill.ca
Stephanie Bazylevych
Stephanie comes from Calgary, AB and completed her B.Sc. at McGill in 2023. Previously, she held a food science internship in a Calgary-based kombucha brewery, worked on cathode coatings, and worked on mussel-inspired metallopolymers. She returned to the McCalla lab to work on high-power Nb-based anodes. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys climbing, painting, going to the cinema, and scouting new cafes.
stephanie.Bazylevych [at] mail.mcgill.ca
Masters Student
Elliot Zolfaghar
elliot.zolfaghar [at] mail.mcgill.ca
Alessandro Busa
B. Sc. (McGill University, 2023)
Alessandro is from Ottawa, ON and joined the group in 2024. Before joining the lab, he previously did research on nanocellulose pigments, marine mussel biomaterials, and banknote security features. In the McCalla lab, he is working on synthesizing new Li-ion cathodes and developing machine learning models. Outside of the lab, he enjoys kayaking, running, and watching hockey.
alessandro.busa [at] mail.mcgill.ca
Céline Narame
Céline completed her B.Sc. in 2021 at the University of Sherbrooke. Before joining McGill, she gained valuable experience working in a pharmaceutical company. In her free time, Céline enjoys spending time with others and engaging in conversations, as well as listening to music, dancing, and exploring photography.
celine.narame [at] mail.mcgill.ca
Jordan Pagé
Jordan obtained a BSc in physics & computer science at the University of Ottawa before moving back to Montréal to join the McCalla lab in January 2025. As a CO-OP student, he conducted research in nonlinear optics and optical element design, and then completed his honours project on intermediate-band solar cells. Outside of school, he enjoys playing piano, guitar, bass, and any instrument he can get his hands on. He also plays volleyball and loves hiking. In the winter, he can often be found shovelling off and skating on his local outdoor rink in his spare time.
jordan.page [at] mail.mcgill.ca
Undergraduate researchers
Mack Karachekhlian. Mack was born and raised in Montréal and joined the lab in the Summer of 2025 as an NSERC USRA recipient. Before joining the McCalla lab, they worked on the discovery of novel anode materials for microbial fuel cells and screened anti-cancer drugs in high-throughput using thermal shift assays. Their research in the McCalla lab focuses on the high-throughput synthesis and characterization of Li-Ni-Mn layered oxides as cathodes for lithium-ion batteries using elemental doping. During the 2025-2026 academic year, they will be using machine learning to predict the best dopant combinations to improve the properties and performance of Li-ion batteries for their Honours Project. Outside of the lab, you can find them reading, cooking, or in the pool training with the McGill water polo team. - mack.karachekhlian [at] mail.mcgill.ca
Alexander Pompian. Currently majoring in Biophysical Chemistry, Alexander joined the McCalla Lab as an NSERC USRA recipient in Summer 2025. He is currently working on adapting PITT, GITT, and EIS to a high-throughput scale. He is planning to continue in the McCalla Lab throughout the 2025-26 school year for his Honours project, working on Ni-based disordered rocksalt cathodes. He is originally from St. Louis, Missouri and enjoys baking in his spare time. - alexander.pompian [at] mail.mcgill.ca
Nicolas Durand-Marandi - nicolas.durand-marandi [at] mail.mcgill.ca