PEOPLE
A lab is only as good as the people in it.
We have some of the best.
Ayesha Saleem, PhD
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management (FKRM), University of Manitoba
Research Scientist, The Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM)
Dr. Saleem received her BSc (hon) and MSc in Kinesiology from York University in 2005 and 2008 respectively. She then completed her PhD in Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology from York University in 2013. She pursued postdoctoral training in the Department of Pediatrics at McMaster University, before joining the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management at the University of Manitoba and the Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba in July 2018.
Her passion lies in researching extracellular vesicle and mitochondrial biology, and the curious link between the two.
LAB MEMBERS
Samira Seif, MSc, DVM
Staff, Research Technician (Jan 2020 – present)
Samira graduated from the University of Tehran, Iran, in 2014, where she received her doctorate in veterinary medicine (DVM). She received her master's degree in physiology and pathophysiology at the University of Manitoba (2020) and joined Saleem lab as a research technician in Jan 2020.
In Dr. Saleem's lab, besides collaborating in projects lead by other trainees, she mainly works on animal models to study feto-maternal communication via extracellular vesicles during pregnancy. She also is the go-to person for all microscopy work in the lab!
Tamiris de Fatima Goebel de Souza, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow (Jan 2022 – present)
Dr. Souza is a post-doctoral fellow at CHRIM in Dr. Saleem’s lab starting in Jan 2022, and is currently funded by a Research Manitoba Health Research Postdoctoral Fellowship Award. She completed a Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy (2013), MS.c. in Pharmacology (2015), and a Ph.D. (2019) in Pharmacology at the Federal University of Ceara (UFC), Brazil.
The main focus of her post-doctoral research in the Saleem lab is to evaluate the mechanisms underlying the bioactivity of extracellular vesicles using animal and cell culture models.
Patience Obi, MSc
Ph.D. Student (Sep 2019 – present)
Patience obtained her BSc and MSc degrees in Biochemistry at Covenant University, Nigeria, where she worked on using stevia to treat diabetes, and understanding some genetic factors that are associated with breast cancer respectively.
Her Ph.D. project is focused on investigating the role of extracellular vesicles in mediating the positive effects of chronic contractile activity, as well as evaluating the role of EVs as mediators of skeletal muscle-cancer cross-talk.
Benjamin Bydak, BSc
PhD Student (Feb 2022 – present)
MSc Student (Sep 2019 – Feb 2022)
Summer Student (May – Aug 2019)
Ben has an Arts undergraduate degree and a BSc in Kinesiology. He is interested in exploring the potential of EVs to transmit endocrine effects throughout the body, particularly during aging and exercise. Ben joined the Saleem lab in the summer of 2019 as a part-time research assistant, looking into the effects of the differentiation of C2C12 muscle cells on extracellular vesicle production.
Ben officially started his Master's in September of 2019, studying the effects of chronological age and frailty status on EV production and the ability of these EVs to transmit the effects of aging. He will begin his PhD in the Saleem lab in Feb 2022 studying the mechanisms of EV release from cells during exercise and aging.
Carlynn Davidson
Research Assistant & Volunteer High School Student (Jan 2020 – present)
Carlynn Davidson, a high school student at Grant Park High School, joined the Saleem Lab in January of 2020 as a part-time research assistant and volunteer high school student to strive deeper into scientific studies. In 2020, Carlynn’s research project was based on determining if extracellular vesicles derived post-muscle contractions could recapitulate the effects of exercise in C2C12 muscle cells.
In 2021, Carlynn performed a narrative literature review with Ben looking at the effect of aging on EVs. Carlynn’s lab research project was awarded three distinctions in the Youth Science Canada Online STEM Fair in 2020. In 2021, Carlynn cleaned out the awards at the Winnipeg School Division Fair, Manitoba School Science Symposium, and at the Canada Wide Science Fair! She was even interviewed on CTV!
Anass Ajenkar
Undergrad Research Assistant & Volunteer (Nov 2021 – present)
Anass Ajenkar, an upper level undergraduate student, joined the Saleem Lab in November of 2021 as a research assistant/volunteer student to strive deeper into scientific studies on extracellular vesicles.
ALUMNI
Taiana Magalhães Pierdoná Martins, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow (Sep 2019 – Aug 2021)
Dr. Martins was a post-doctoral fellow at CHRIM in Dr. Saleem’s lab from Sept 2019-Aug 2021. During her fellowship, she was funded by a Research Manitoba Health Research Postdoctoral Fellowship. She completed a Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy (2008), MS.c. in Pharmacology (2011), and a Ph.D. (2019) in Pharmacology at the Federal University of Ceara (UFC), Brazil. During her graduate training, Dr. Martins worked mainly in the area of drug development, evaluating the pharmacological activity of natural products and their downstream effects.
The main focus of her PDF research in the Saleem lab was to study the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in youth with obesity, as well as the role of EVs breast milk from mothers with and without asthma (through collaboration with the CHILD study).
Karim Sidhom, BSc
BSc Medical Student (May 2020 – Aug 2021)
CHRIM Summer Student (May – Aug 2019)
Karim Sidhom started as a medical student at the University of Manitoba in Fall 2020. He started in the Saleem lab in the summer of 2019 as a CHRIM Summer Studentship award winner as a 4th-year undergraduate student. As a medical student, Karim was awarded a place in the BSc Med program and completed the two 12-week research stints in the summer of 2020 and 2021 in the Saleem lab.
The main focus of his work in the Saleem lab was to study how extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate the benefits of exercise, and during his BSc Med program, he performed pilot experiments on the role of EVs in mitochondrial disease.
Alexandria Brooke Martin
CHRIM Summer Student (May 2021 – Aug 2021)
Volunteer High School Student & Undergrad Research Assistant (Nov – Aug 2020)
Alexandria Martin was involved as a volunteer at CHRIM in Dr. Saleem’s lab since November 2019, first as a high school student and then as a research assistant. A graduate of Shaftesbury High School, she began her BSc program at the University of Manitoba in Fall 2020. She received a CHRIM Summer Studentship Award in the summer of 2021.
The main focus of her research in the Saleem lab was studying the effects of extracellular vesicles (EVs) on childhood obesity and response to exercise training, as well as evaluating the role of EVs in breast milk.
Jennifer Kent, BSc (Hon)
CHRIM Summer Student (May – Aug 2020)
Jennifer was a summer student in the Saleem lab, as a recipient of a CHRIM Undergraduate Summer Studentship Award. She graduated with a Bachelor of Kinesiology in June 2020. She was a President’s Scholar and on the Dean’s Honour List during the four years of her undergraduate degree. She is currently pursuing a MSc in Physiotherapy.
Her project in Dr. Saleem's lab was writing a rapid review to summarize existing literature relating to extracellular vesicles and their relationship to asthma.
Oluwaseyi Adegbesan
Research Technician (June – Oct 2019)
Seyi was a research technician in the Saleem lab, with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from Nigeria and a diploma in Biotechnology from Humber College in Toronto. Seyi assisted in helping set up the lab along with trainees, Ben Bydak and Karim Sidhom. Specifically he helped isolate extracellular vesicles from murine skeletal muscle cells pre- and post-diferentiation.