The Marcogliese lab
The Marcogliese Lab aims to be an inclusive, diverse, and dynamic group of enthusiastic scientists with expertise across a variety of disciplines, including molecular & cell biology, genetics, and biochemistry.
Paul C Marcogliese, PhD
Principal Investigator
He/Him/His
Email: Paul.Marcogliese<@>umanitoba.ca
Danielle M Pascual, BSc
PhD Student
She/Her
Email: pascuald<@>myumanitoba.ca
Delaram Jebreili Rizi
MSc Student
Email: jebreild<@>myumanitoba.ca
Anthony Kozak
MD/MSc Student
Email: kozaka2<@>myumanitoba.ca
Karmen Britton
PhD Student
Email: britton5<@>myumanitoba.ca
Vashnavi Vashist
MSc Student
Email: vashistv<@>myumanitoba.ca
Behdad Haghighizadeh
MSc Student
Email: haghighb<@>myumanitoba.ca
Ines Bedard
MSc Student
Email: bedardi<@>myumanitoba.ca
David Di Iorio
MSc Student
Luba Degani
Research Technician
Angel Offor
Honours student
Stella Kraft
HEAL Project Student
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Paul received both a BA and BSc from Carleton University. He completed his Ph.D. in Neuroscience in 2016 in the Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine at the University of Ottawa, under the supervision of Dr. David S. Park. There he studied mouse, fruit fly, and cellular models of Parkinson's disease. Paul completed his postdoctoral training with Dr. Hugo J Bellen at Baylor College of Medicine in 2022. During his postdoc, Paul studied rare forms of neurological disorders using Drosophila.
Outside the lab, Paul spends his time with his family, developing scientific outreach, and finding creative outlets.
Danielle received her BSc in Psychology with a minor in Biological Sciences from the University of Manitoba in Spring 2022. She is broadly interested in neuroscience, neurodegeneration, and disorders of the brain. Her current project in the Marcogliese lab continues work on the underlying causes of IRF2BPL-related neurological conditions like NEDAMSS, ASD, and parkinsonism. She will examine IRF2BPL function in flies, mice, and human cells.
Outside the lab, Danielle enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, instruments and spending time with her family and dog, Simba.
Delaram completed her Master of Science degree in genetics at the University of Shahrekord, Iran, in September 2022. She holds a keen interest in neuroscience, particularly in neurodegeneration and brain disorders. Her ongoing research in the Marcogliese lab focuses on investigating how altered Wnt signalling in the SYNGAP1 gene contributes to neurodevelopmental disorders by using Drosophila melanogaster models.
Apart from her academic pursuits, Delaram finds joy in cooking, playing the violin, cherishing moments with her family, and expressing her creativity through painting.
After completing his Honours project in the lab and BS in Genetics, Anthony is now in the MSc program. He is interested in the role of different genes in the molecular pathways involved in human neurological disease.
Outside the lab Anthony enjoys playing tabletop games, travelling, and making music with the university's pep band.
Karmen received her MSc in Pharmacology & Therapeutics from the University of Manitoba in 2024. She is interested in neurodegenerative disorders with a particular personal interest in Parkinson’s Disease. She will examine IRF2BPL function in mice.
Outside the lab, Karmen enjoys spending as much time outdoors during the summer as possible and cheering on her many favourite sports teams. Go Blue! During the cold months, you won’t find her outside but instead trying out new recipes in the kitchen or reading a good book.
Vashnavi is a graduate student in Biochemistry and Medical Genetics at the University of Manitoba. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science at Capilano University, where she developed a strong interest in genetics and cell biology. Her undergraduate research focused on RNAi knockdown of the daf-2 gene in C. elegans to study lifespan modulation under varying temperature conditions. Her current research centers on modeling neurodevelopmental disorders associated with KAT6A and KAT6B variants using Drosophila melanogaster, with a focus on understanding how genetic variation impacts gene function and disease mechanisms.
Outside of research, she tutors high school students in biology, chemistry, and mathematics, and enjoys portrait sketching, painting, henna art, cooking, and craft work.
Behdad received his BSc in Genetics from the University of Manitoba. He is interested in novel helicase genes and their connections to neurological disorders.
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Outside of the lab, Behdad enjoys watching movies, playing board games, and following soccer, particularly FC Barcelona.
Ines received her BSc in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the University of Guelph in Spring 2026. She is interested in neurodevelopmental disorders and child health. Her current research involves modelling IRF2BPL variants using Drosophila melanogaster, with a focus on understanding differences in function among variants.
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Outside the lab, Ines enjoys doing crafts, watching television, and spending time with family.
Jaida Albrechtsen
PhD Student (Primary Supervisor: Dr. R. Keijzer)
Sasha Leggett
PhD Student (Primary Supervisor: Dr. G. Tranmer)
Esther Owusu Acheampong
Research Technician
Mahir Shafeek
Honours Student
Lab Alumni
2024-2026
2023-2025
2022-2026
Winter to Winter 2023/24​
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Summer 2026
Fall to Winter 2025/26
Summer 2025-2026
Winter to Summer 2025
Fall to Winter 2024/25
Fall to Winter 2024/25
Fall to Winter 2024/25
Fall to Winter 2024/25
Summer 2024
Summer 2024 to Summer 2025
Summers 2024 & 2025
​Fall to Winter 2023/24
Fall to Winter 2023/24
Fall to Winter 2023/24
Fall to Winter 2023/24
Fall to Winter 2023/24
2023-2026
Fall to Summer 2022/23
Fall to Summer 2022/23
Fall to Winter 2022/23
Fall to Winter 2022/23
Yina Her
Zoe Goldstone-Joubert
​Harsimran Kaur​
Alondra Griffiths
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​Chuying Ru
Nadia Cap
Camilo Venegas Montenegro
Kate Kvich
Janie Dupuis
Zack Weir-Cooper
Patrick Rozario
K. Magbag
Britt Melvin
Hanna Spring
Mark Piasecki
​Anthony Kozak
Brian Eyitene
Anisha Sharma
D. Magtibay
A. de la Cruz
Bara Bashir
Adedayo Oladejo
Harsimran Kaur
Catherine Bland
Mahkam Shariatzadeh
GRAD STUDENTS
MSc student
GC-MSc student
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TECHNICIANS
Technician​
Technician​
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UNDERGRADS/HS STUDENTS
Summer student
Honours student
ENRRICH Summer & Honours student
Co-op student
Honours student
Honours student
Honours student
HS student
ENRRICH Summer student
USRA (X2) / Honours student
Brain Bee / CHRIM Summer student
​Honours student
Honours student
Honours student
HS student
HS student
URA / USRA / Honours student
Honours & ENRRICH Summer student
Co-op student
Co-op student
Honours student