Centre members
Dr Emmanuel Gonzalez
Specialized in bioinformatics, biostatistics and microbiome science, Dr Gonzalez is leader in metagenomic strategy at the Canadian Centre for Computational Genomics (C3G) within the Department of Human Genetics. He has developed leading-edge bioinformatics approaches across diverse multi-omic applications notably the first microbiome association to chronic pain. He is also active in the space science arena as a member of two NASA genelab analysis working groups and with past and ongoing microbiome projects conducted on the ISS, MARS500, and Axiom-1.
Dr Jennifer Ronholm
Since 2017, Dr Ronholm has been an Assistant Professor at McGill University where she is cross-appointed between the Department of Food Science and the Department of Animal Science. She was, in 2021, awarded the Deputy Minister's Award for Excellence in Science for her contribution to optimizing whole genome sequencing for food safety. Her research aim is to find a way to fortify the microbiome of humans and animals to resist infection we will be able to reduce our reliance on antibiotic usage in the context of production agriculture.
https://www.jenniferronholmlaboratory.com/the-team
Dr Bastien Castagner
Dr. Castagner’s research focuses on the design of small-molecules and natural product analogues as novel drug candidates. He is especially interested in the chemistry and biology of inositol phosphates and carbohydrates. His group has been involved in novel strategies to inactivate the toxins responsible for the pathogenesis of Clostridioides difficile. He is also interested in the human gut microbiota and how molecules can impact its composition and metabolism, for the benefit of the host (us!).
Dr Jianguo Xia
Dr Xia joined McGill University as an Assistant Professor in 2015, and has become an Associate Professor since 2020. His lab focuses on leveraging bioinformatics, metabolomics and systems biology to study the effects of biological (i.e. gut microbiome and helminths) and environmental factors on health and disease. Dr Xia's main interest is to understand important biological, environmental and nutritional factors on health and disease to develop computational solutions for high-throughput experiments.
https://www.xialab.ca/home.xhtml
Dr Arkady Khoutorsky
Dr Khoutorsky earned his Ph.D. in neurobiology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at McGill University with Dr. Sonenberg, investigating the role of protein synthesis regulation in pain. He joined McGill’s Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain as a faculty member in 2016. Dr Khoutorsky's research team is interested to elucidate the cellular ad molecular mechanisms underlying pathological pain using animal models.
https://arkady-khoutorsky.lab.mcgill.ca/
https://www.mcgill.ca/anesthesia/arkady-khoutorsky-phd
Dr Emerson Krock
Dr Krock PhD from McGill University and completed his postdoc at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. His postdoc research focused on pain in autoimmune diseases, and he was of the team that identified a role for IgG autoantibodies in fibromyalgia pain. Now, his lab at McGill focuses on neuroimmune regulation of pain with the long-term goal of developing new pain management strategies and diagnostic tools for chronic pain. They combine approaches from neuroscience, immunology and microbiology by utilizing animal models, human samples and clinical data. Part of the group investigates how gut microbiome dysregulation in fibromyalgia patients leads to the development of painful autoantibodies. Another part of the lab explores how pain is regulated by immune cell remodeling of the extracellular matrix in the dorsal root ganglia. His lab has received funding from the Rita Allen Foundation, the Biocodex Microbiota Foundation, the Louise and Alan Edwards Foundation, the Quebec Pain Research Network, NSERC, CFI and other sources.
https://www.mcgill.ca/dentistry/emerson-krock
Dr Lorraine Chalifour
Dr Chalifour's research is interested in dysbiosis is an altered microbiome with reduced bacteria diversity, increased mucosal barrier permeability and aberrant local immune responses. Men and women are often malnourished before cardiac surgery and are at high risk for intestinal dysbiosis given dietary insufficiency and antibiotic use. Using a mouse model of a major cardiac surgery, Dr Chalifour and her research team are testing the hypothesis that surgery induces a sex-dependent gut dysbiosis that hampers healing.
https://www.ladydavis.ca/en/researcher/lorraine-chalifour/
Dr Cristian O'Flaherty
Dr O'FLaherty's interest focuses on the molecular mechanisms that drive the production of mature spermatozoa and their modulation by reactive oxygen species (ROS). The oxidative stress (OS), a condition characterized by high levels of ROS and/or low levels of antioxidant systems, can induce damage on spermatogenesis and sperm maturation, leading to an increase of defects in the paternal genome and impairment of motility and the acquisition of fertilizing ability by the spermatozoon. His research team aim to identify molecular mechanisms modulated by ROS during spermatogenesis, epididymal sperm maturation and capacitation. Their ultimate goal is to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to help infertile men.
https://rimuhc.ca/fr/-/cristian-marcel-o-flaherty-dvm-phd
Dr Eva Michaud
Dr. Éva Michaud is a dedicated researcher specializing in immunology and its implications in cancer therapy. She completed her Ph.D. in Immunology from Université Lyon-Saint-Étienne, France, where she investigated the role of secretory IgA in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Her research delved into understanding the mechanisms connecting dysbiosis and pathogenic immune responses in IBD, aiming to identify novel therapeutic targets.Continuing her academic journey, Dr. Michaud pursued post-doctoral research at McGill University, focusing on immune and microbial determinants of response to radiation therapy in muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Her work explored the interplay between gut microbiome composition and immune responses in bladder cancer, shedding light on potential avenues for improving treatment outcomes. In addition to her research endeavors, Dr. Michaud is passionate about education and mentorship. She has contributed significantly to curriculum design and teaching in immunology and vaccinology at several academic institutions, empowering students with knowledge and practical skills in immunology and genetics. Dr. Michaud's contributions to the field have been recognized through numerous awards and accolades, including the Aaron & Susan Lieberman & Family Award in Urology Research. Her commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and improving patient outcomes lead her to accept an Assistant Professor appointment that will start in the Spring of 2025 at the RI-MUHC, to further mucosal oncology research. She continues to engage actively in research, teaching, and collaborative initiatives, striving to make meaningful contributions to the field of cancer immunotherapy.
Dr Emilia Liana Falcone
Dr. Emilia Liana Falcone is the Director of the Microbiome and Mucosal Defense Research Unit, and the IRCM Post-COVID-19 Research Clinic (IPCO) at the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM). She is an Associate Research Professor at IRCM, an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine at Université de Montréal, and holds a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in the Role of the Microbiome in Primary Immunodeficiency. During the pandemic, she established the IRCM Post-COVID-19 (IPCO) research clinic, the first clinic of its kind in Quebec, and has since evaluated hundreds of individuals with long COVID while elucidating the role of the microbiota in driving the immune dysregulation underlying this post-infectious condition. In addition to leading a fundamental and translational research program centered on in-born errors of immunity and post-infectious conditions, Dr. Falcone is an attending physician in the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Centre Hospitalier the l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), has served as a subject matter expert on several provincial and federal initiatives, including the Chief Science Advisor’s Task Force on Post-COVID-19 Condition and being invited twice to the House of Commons of Canada. She is the content chair for the Canadian Guidelines for Post-COVID-19 Condition - Diagnosis Guideline Team, she co-chaired Canada’s first long COVID research symposium, she is co-President of the Research Committee for the Quebec Network for Complex Diseases, and is the lead microbiome investigator for the Primary Immune Deficiency Treatment Consortium (PIDTC).
https://www.ircm.qc.ca/fr/chercheurs/emilia-liana-falcone
What is a member?
Centre membership aims to be mutually beneficial for the Research Unit and the participating investigators. To this end, Centre members must 1. Hold a full-time Faculty or Contract position with their academic institution or company, 2. Demonstrate the relevance of microbiome sciences in their research program or professional responsibilities and 3. Agree to the terms and conditions of Centre membership. Furthermore, we expect members to:
- Attend all Centre activities
- Lead one outreach activity per year (i.e. interviews, public lectures, network events, trainee workshops, etc)
- Encourage member collaborations to synergize grant submissions and research outcomes;
- Include the Centre as an affiliation on all scientific publications;
- Promote collaboration between members and external researchers at both local and international scales.
In turn, Centre members will be eligible for the following benefits:
- Receive a 10% discount on Centre-affiliated research platform expenses
- Apply for Centre seed funding opportunities
- Apply for Centre student fellowship competitions
- Receive administrative support for event planning/organization and be included in our fundraising portfolio
Potential members can be invited or self-nominated. Centre membership applications (including a CV and short statement of interest and relevance of their research program to microbiome sciences) are reviewed by Centre Directors and CoDirectors. Memberships are 3-year terms, renewable indefinitely, as determined by Centre leadership.
To submit a Member application, contact the Centre by using the following email address: microbiome.centre [at] mcgill.ca