Devin Fraser
Canada – M. Sc. Student in Microbiology and Immunology 
RI-MUHC Studentship (2026)
2025-
devin.fraser [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Email Devin)
About Devin
I graduated from Dalhousie University (Halifax, NS) in 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Immunology (Honours, Co-op) and a Certificate in Genetics. Under the supervision of Dr. Nikhil Thomas, I investigated a tyrosine phosphorylation mechanism in the type III secretion system of enteropathogenic E. coli. In this project, I gained experience analyzing virulence phenotypes using bacterial infection assays and fluorescence microscopy, and I used molecular cloning to develop a genetic construct for co-purifying proteins of interest. I also completed two Co-op terms at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography (Fisheries and Oceans Canada). During these placements, I used PCR to amplify the mitochondrially encoded cytochrome C oxidase I (mtCOI) gene and taxonomically classify copepods (2023) and genotyped Atlantic salmon using microsatellite analysis (2024). In the Behr Lab, I will apply microbiological and molecular techniques to functionally characterize genomic features of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis and evaluate their potential roles in promoting bacterial survival and pathogenicity during infection.
Thomas Dessureault
United States – M. Sc. Student in Microbiology and Immunology
2025-
thomas.dessureault [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Email Thomas)
About Thomas
I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2025 with a B.S. in Biochemistry and a certificate in Forensic Science.
During my undergraduate studies, I first volunteered in the Huibregtse Lab, under the guidance of Dr. Jon Huibregtse, where I worked with the hHERC5 gene. This gene encodes an E3 ubiquitin ligase that transfers ubiquitin-like proteins, like ISG15, to target proteins. My role was to create various truncations of hHERC5 and determine their effects on the ISGylation process.
I then had the amazing opportunity to work in the LeBrun Lab under Dr. Edward LeBrun in the Brackenridge Field Laboratory. This lab’s focus was to control and eradicate the population of invasive ant species, primarily Tawny Crazy Ants and Red Imported Fire Ants, using microsporidia as a natural control. As the lab’s lead molecular technician, my role was to perform DNA extractions on field samples, perform PCR to determine if samples were infected with microsporidia, and use this data to determine the percentage of infected ants within the population. Additionally, I was tasked with genotyping the microsporidia Myrmecomorba nylanderiae and several arthropods, as well as barcoding various myrmecophiles using the CO1 gene region.
I have now moved to Montreal to continue my studies and begin my M.Sc. in Dr. Behr’s lab to determine and characterize the function of the relatively unknown dipZ gene found across several mycobacterium species.
Alejandro Aguirre Hernandez
Mexico – M. Sc. Student in Experimental Medicine
Recipient of a two-year National Council of Humanities, Sciences and Technology of Mexico (CONAHCYT) Scholarship starting in 2024.
2024-
alejandro.aguirrehernandez [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Email Alejandro)
About Alejandro
I graduated from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education in Mexico in 2022 with a B.Sc. in Biotechnology Engineering and two specializations in Biopharmaceutical Processes and Biocatalysis. During my undergraduate studies, I volunteered at the ITESM Multidisciplinary Zebrafish Laboratory. I was trained in handling zebrafish and conducted acute toxicity assays to evaluate the effects of nickel on zebrafish embryonic development under the supervision of Dr. Cecilia Zampedri and Dr. Samantha Carrillo. Later, I worked at the Advanced Materials Research Center under Dr. Joan Salas, investigating the antibacterial effect of oxygen vacancies on the surface of zinc nanostructures. I performed cell viability assays to determine the nanostructures’ IC50 against E. coli and S. aureus and used scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to visualize cell damage. As part of Dr. Behr’s research team, I will use molecular techniques to characterize the non-canonical virulence factor MPT70 and its role in tuberculosis pathology using M. marinum as a proxy.
Emmanuelle Roy
Canada – M. Sc. Student in Microbiology and Immunology
Studentship from McGill Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences 2025
2024-
.emmanuelle.roy3 [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Email Emmanuelle)
About Emmanuelle
I graduated from the University of Waterloo in 2024, with a B. Sc. in Honours Biology and a specialization in Microbiology. During my undergraduate degree, I first worked in Dr. Müller’s research lab exploring the genus of red alga called Bangia. I worked towards resolving genus delineations and completing the phylogenetic tree and Genbank database by employing molecular methods to sequence the 18S rRNA and the rbcL genes. Following this, I did an NSERC USRA as well as my honours thesis project in Dr. Hug’s research group, where I sampled across various Ontario landfills, collecting geochemical data and soil samples. This was done to evaluate microbial and environmental differences in soil with changing methane emission levels, with a goal of using microorganisms such as methanotrophs as a tool towards mitigating methane emissions. I have since joined Dr. Behr’s research team, where I will be working on Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis pathogenesis using a novel enteric infection model recently developed by lab alum Shannon Duffy
Ashley Kwak
Canada – PhD Student in Microbiology and Immunology
2023-
About Ashley
I graduated from McGill University in 2023 with a B. Sc. in Honours Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Under the supervision of Dr. Ajitha Thanabalasuriar, my honours research project was focused on characterizing the function changes of alveolar macrophages (AMs) following e-cigarette exposure (e-cig). The characterization of e-cig-exposed AMs involved various techniques such as fluorescent microscopy, qPCR and proteomics. I will continue to research AMs with Dr. Ajitha Thanabalasuriar and co-supervisor Dr. Marcel Behr for my M. Sc. in Microbiology and Immunology. Specifically, I aim to study the behavioural heterogeneity of AMs at homeostasis and the changes undergone during pathogenesis including Mycobacterium abscessus and Streptococcus pneumoniae infections. Intravital microscopy will be used to visualize AMs at different stages of infection within the lungs of live animals in real-time. I hope to gain a better understanding of how AM behaviour is related to immune function and further elucidate host-pathogen interactions.
Hojjat Ghasemi Goojani
Canada- Post-Doctoral Fellow, Microbiology and Immunology McGill University
2023-
About Hojjat
In 2022, I graduated my Ph.D in biochemistry and molecular biology in the Department of Molecular Cell Biology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam under the supervision of Dr. Dirk Bald. My project at VU Amsterdam was embedded within the Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences (AIMMS), an interdisciplinary Research Institute at VU on molecular mechanisms of diseases and the development of new drugs. In 2023, I start as a post doctorate in the Dr. Behr’s lab to work on different species of mycobacterium. My research topics will be divided into tuberculosis and non-tuberculosis mycobacteria, specifically the differences in virulence between natural variants of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex (MTBC).
Ori Solomon
Canada - PhD Student - Microbiology and Immunology McGill
Recipient of a McGill Faculty of Medicine Studentship Award 2021 and 2022; Studentship from MUHC Research Institute 2023
2021-
ori.solomon [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Email Ori)
About Ori
I graduated from the University of Western Ontario in London, ON with a BMSc. honours specialization in Microbiology and Immunology in 2018, where I gained research experience in bacterial genomics as well as transplant immunology. Following my undergraduate degree, I spent time away from the lab to pursue a Master in Global Health degree at the ISGlobal Barcelona Institute for Global Health in Barcelona, Spain. There, my research focused on analysis and mapping of the Spanish National Action Plan against the rise of Antibiotic Resistance, culminating in recommendations proposed to a diverse panel of experts across Spain for their feedback. Following my experience in studying policies, I found myself drawn back to the lab in search of experience in infectious disease diagnostics. This led me to a research assistant position at the University of Edinburgh, in Edinburgh, Scotland. There, I worked on development and optimization of graphene-based biosensor technology for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2. I later went on to work on establishing an implementation plan for a novel rapid-point-of-care device for urinary tract infections in Assam, India. Following this invaluable experience, I had been searching for a PhD opportunity to study antibiotic resistance spread and detection, in the context of low- and middle-income countries. This search led me to pursue a PhD in Dr. Behr’s lab at McGill University. Here, I will conduct bacteriological studies of MDR-TB samples obtained from a Vietnam-based randomized control trial of TB prevention. Combining phenotypic and genotypic analyses, I will look to characterize resistance patterns, analyse transmission, and study mechanisms of resistance.