Rastegar Lab Personnel
Carl Olson
Part time Lab Research Technician (Since 2009)
Carl obtained his BSc in Applied Biology from the University of Winnipeg and his MSc in Neurophysiology from the University of Manitoba. He joined the lab in 2009 soon after the lab started up and was instrumental in establishing the lab and training of lab trainees. Carl greatly enjoys helping students with their projects and participating in ongoing research in the lab. Besides his interest in research and continued learning, Carl enjoys participating in many outdoor activities and competing in marathons.
Marjorie Buist
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Graduate Student (Since 2018) Marjorie has obtained her B.Sc. Honours degree in Biotechnology at the University of Manitoba. She is currently pursuing her MSc degree in Biochemistry and Medical Genetics. Marjorie has received many awards including a current CIHR graduate scholarship. Marjorie studies the therapeutic role of Metformin for Rett Syndrome. Prior to starting her MSc studies in our lab, Marjorie completed her honour project thesis (2017-2018) in our lab and was the recipient of CHRIM scholarship awards in 2016 and 2017. |
Sandhini Lockman
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Sari Glow
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Summer Student (Since 2018) Sari is currently pursuing a BSc degree with a major in Microbiology and minors in Chemistry, Biology and Psychology at the University of Manitoba. Sari is a recipient of 2019 NSERC undergraduate scholarship award and has also received the University of Manitoba Undergraduate Research Award for the summer of 2018. Sari is studying the effect of MeCP2 isoforms on cell signalling pathways in the human brain cell lines. |
Annan Ali Sher
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Nada El Tobgy
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Summer Student (2018), BSc Med Student (2019-2020) Nada is a BSc Med student in our lab, and a medical student at the Max Rady College of Medicine in University of Manitoba. Nada has completed a three-year General Science degree prior to entry into medical school. In the summer of 2018, Nada received an NSERC award for her research studies in our lab and will continue her research on the pathobiology of Rett Syndrome. |
Meysam Ganjibakhshghoucha
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Visiting International PhD Student (2018-2019) Meysam is an international visiting PhD student in the Rastegar lab, and is a candidate in reproductive biology at the Iran University of Medical Science. Meysam has an MSc in Histology and embryology with a multidisciplinary research interest in the fields of assisted reproductive technology (ART), cancer stem cells, and application of stem cells in Regenerative Medicine. His current project is focused on MeCP2E1-E2 gain-of-function mutations in the human brain cells. |
Allison Banks
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Honour Project Student (2018-2019) Allison is currently pursuing a BSc degree with a major in Genetics at the University of Manitoba. Allison is completing an Honours Thesis project in our lab (2018-2019), through studying the MeCP2 regulatory network and downstream pathways in the human brain cells. Allsion’s research has direct relevance to Rett Syndrome. |
Kazem Nejati-Koshki
Visiting International PhD Student (2018-2019)
Kazem is an international visiting student in the Regenerative Medicine Program at the University of Manitoba. He is also affiliated with the Zanjan University of Medical Sciences as a Ph.D candidate in medical biotechnology department. His research project in our lab is “Lentiviral overexpression and CRISPR/Cas9 loss-of-function studies in cell fate commitment of neuronal stem cells”. In his past studies, he has focused on Nano Drug Delivery Systems for Cancer Therapy.
Kazem is an international visiting student in the Regenerative Medicine Program at the University of Manitoba. He is also affiliated with the Zanjan University of Medical Sciences as a Ph.D candidate in medical biotechnology department. His research project in our lab is “Lentiviral overexpression and CRISPR/Cas9 loss-of-function studies in cell fate commitment of neuronal stem cells”. In his past studies, he has focused on Nano Drug Delivery Systems for Cancer Therapy.
Rastegar Lab Alumni
Shayan Amiri: MSc Graduate (2016-2019)
Shayan joined our lab in 2016 and successfully defended his thesis in November 2018. Shayan was a recipient of Research MB scholarship. His research was focused on the genetic and epigenetic regulation of brain development, and studied the role of prenatal alcohol exposure in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), using differentiating neural stem cells. |
Shervin Pejhan, MD: MSc Graduate (2016-2019)
Shervin joined our lab in 2016 and recently completed her MSc studies. Shervin has an MD from Iran and her project was focused on studying MECP2 isoform-specific homeostasis in the human brain, and the impact of MECP2 mutation in the human Rett Syndrome brain tissues. |
Daniel Kroft: BSc Med (2017-2018)
Daniel obtained his BSc Honours degree in Biopsychology from the University of Winnipeg, and is currently entering his second year of the Doctor of Medicine program at the Max Rady College of Medicine. Daniel has a particular interest in neurology and paediatrics, and is studying methylation patterns in the brains of patients with Rett Syndrome.
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Kimia Sheikholeslami: Student Research Assistant (2011, 2017)
Kimia obtained her BSc Honours in Genetics, with a minor in Chemistry, from the University of Manitoba in May of 2015. Kimia was also the recipient of the Schulich Leader Scholarship (2012), Leader of Tomorrow Scholarship (2012), and NSERC Undergraduate Scholarship (2015), among others. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine.
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Pedro Penzuti Pacheco: Honour Project Student (2017-2018)
Pedro completed his honours project on the identification of alternatively spliced genes during neural stem cell differentiation. His project helped to further understand the epigenetic basis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in brain-derived neural stem cells. |
Vichithra Rasangi Liyanage: PhD Graduate (2011-2018)
Vichithra joined our lab in January 2011 with BSc in Molecular Biology-Biotechnology (University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka). Vichithra successfully defended her PhD thesis on December 2017 on regulatory role of DNA methylation on Mecp2 isoforms during neural stem cell differentiation.
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Robby Mathew Zachariah: PhD Graduate (2009-2017)
Robby completed his research studies on MeCP2 isoform-specific expression and function in murine brain cells. He successfully defended his PhD thesis on December 2016, and graduated on February 2017. Robby was the first PhD graduate from our lab.
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David Fuss: Undergraduate NSERC Student (2016),
Part-time Technician (2016-2017) 
David completed his BSc in Biochemistry at the University of Winnipeg in 2016. He received an NSERC for his research studies in the lab and continued his research as a Part-time technician in the Rastegar lab.
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Kyle Curtis: BSc-Med Graduate (2014-2015)
Kyle completed his BSc Med in 2015. Kyle's project received the "ADE and Co. Award for Excellence in Biochemistry & Molecular Biochemistry with Potential for Commercial Application BSc Med award". Romina Levy: Honour Project 2015, Summer Student 2014
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Dr. Wenjun Zhu: Postdoctoral Fellow (2014-2015)
During his training in our lab, Wenjun's research studies was focused on characterizing the effects of environmental factors and alcohol exposure in the brain cells on DNA methylation and altered gene expression program of neural stem cells.
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Kelly Duke: Co-op student 2013
Kelly was an undergraduate student in BSc Honours program in Genetics who completed her Co-Op training in the lab. Kelly ireceived Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship (NSERC) for 2013-2014.
Yohannes was the recipient of MICH summer studentship and Dept. of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics summer studentship awards. Yohannes is currently a medical student at the U. Manitoba.
Melissa completed a BSc Honours in Genetics. In 2011 she received MICH summer studentship and a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship Award. She currently is a PhD student in Oxford, UK. |
Benjamin Arthur Barber: MSc Graduate 2009-2012
With a BSc Honour in Biochemistry from McMaster, Ben completed his MSc degree in my lab in 2012. Ben studied the gene expression program of neural stem cells with a focus on homeobox genes.
Skye was an invited speaker for the "Annual Joe Doupe Memorial Lecture Ceremony" 2010. His project was selected as the "Best Basis Science Project" among the BSc-Med graduates of 2010 at U. Manitoba.
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