JO ANNE STRATTON
Dr. Stratton was recruited to the Montreal Neurological Institute in 2019 and specializes in the analysis of neuro-immune interactions. She completed her PhD in 2013 at the University of Melbourne, then went on to complete her postdoctoral fellowship at Hotchkiss Brain Institute in 2019. She has a long-time interest in neurodegenerative disease and focuses on the use of single cell technologies to understand the mechanisms of glial and immune cell actions within the nervous system. Her lab uses in vitro assays, in vivo mouse modeling as well as human cell and tissue analysis, including the use of iPSCs.
Dr. Stratton is an Assistant Professor of Neuroimmunology at The Neuro, McGill University.
CURRENT LAB MEMBERS
VANESSA OMANA
Lab Manager
Vanessa joined the Stratton lab in 2021 after 8 years as a research technician at the Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, in Toronto, where she worked on animal models of Parkinson’s Disease. She has a master’s in immunology from Queen's University (2013). At the Stratton lab, she is heavily involved in single cell sequencing and day-to-day managing of the lab. Outside of work, Vanessa enjoys going on walks, bike rides, and park outings with her energetic toddlers and husband, and is an avid fiction reader.
ALEXIS ALLOT
Research Associate
After obtaining his PhD in Bioinformatics from the University of Strasbourg, France, Alexis worked as Bioinformatician at EMBL-EBI, UK where he created websites to search biological samples and display genomic variations. He then spent 6 years working at NIH, USA, first as Visiting Fellow, then as a Research Fellow. There, he created several websites providing easier access to information in biomedical literature, such as LitCovid, LitSense, LitVar2, Pubtator3, LitSuggest, etc... Now in the Stratton lab at The Neuro - McGill University, Alexis will create websites allowing users to explore single cell data. In his free time, Alexis enjoys creating websites, android applications, and running.
MOEIN YAQUBI
Postdoctoral Researcher
Moein obtained his master's degree in Cell and Molecular Biology in Iran in 2015. In 2016, he joined McGill's Integrated Program in Neuroscience (IPN), earning his PhD in 2021. During his PhD, he used single-cell RNA-sequencing to study microglia. Moein has extensive background in analyzing high throughput transcriptomic and epigenomic data at bulk and single cell levels. During his postdoctoral fellowship in Dr. Stratton’s Lab, Moein is taking advantage of his bioinformatic expertise to study neurodegenerative disease. In his free time, Moein enjoys watching films, cooking, and relaxing with socio-political novels.
MAXIME BIGOTTE
Postdoctoral Researcher
Maxime obtained his Master’s degree in 2018 and his PhD in 2022 in Lyon, France. During his previous studies, Maxime investigated the effects of autoantibodies from neuromyelitis optica in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models of ependymal cells. He also developed skills for immunolabeling, for ependymal flow assays, and for bulk RNA sequencing. Passionate about ependymal cells and neuroinflammation, Maxime joined Dr. Stratton’s lab in 2023 for his postdoc. Now, he is combining his skills with Dr. Stratton’s expertise in in vitro and in vivo models of ependyma to develop robust functional assays and single cell RNA sequencing pipelines. This will let him study how ependymal cells are impacted by immune cells and autoantibodies in Multiple Sclerosis. In his free time, Maxime loves sharing good food and drinks with his friends, and enjoys hiking, skiing, and skateboarding.
ADAM GROH
PhD Candidate
Adam graduated from Western University with a master’s degree in Anatomy and Cell Biology in 2019. There, his research spanned the fields of autonomic neuroscience, medical imaging, and science pedagogy. Now in the Stratton lab at The Neuro - McGill University, his work focuses primarily on studying ependymal cells with transgenic animal models, single cell and nucleus RNA sequencing, and high-field MRI. He has a particular interest in the relationship between neuroinflammation, ependymal alterations, and ventricular dysregulation. Adam also lectures in the history and philosophy of medicine at King's University College and teaches cadaveric anatomy to 1st and 2nd-year medical students at McGill University. In his spare time, he loves to play piano, write, and cook until the point of physical and culinary exhaustion.
SHERILYN RECINTO
PhD Candidate
Sherilyn earned her undergraduate degree in Pharmacology and Therapeutics and master’s degree in Neuroscience at McGill University in 2017 and 2019, respectively. Her interest in uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases began while studying Alzheimer’s disease, and now she seeks to understand the autoimmune mechanisms driving Parkinson’s disease pathogenesis. She integrate molecular and biochemical work with single-cell technologies to accomplish this goal. In her spare time, Sherilyn enjoys hiking trips with friends and binge-watching sit-coms. She also has a passion in community organizing, particularly raising awareness about issues of Filipino youth and student immigrants.
ADAM MACDONALD
PhD Candidate
Adam fast-tracked from his masters program in the summer of 2022. For his PhD project, he is investigating how the immune system is implicated in Parkinson's disease. To address his research questions, he uses a variety of single cell sequencing strategies with bioinformatic analysis, paired with animal models and a variety of cultured cell lines ranging from iPSC-derived dopamine neurons, to T cells, to monocytes and macrophages. During his free time, Adam loves to take long walks in nature and to eat poutine (ideally simultaneously).
YUE ZHANG
PhD Student
Yue obtained her master’s degree in Neuroimmunology in China in 2021. There, she investigated microglia’s relationship with neurogenesis in depression. Now in Dr. Stratton’s Lab, she focuses on developing the first protocol of inducing ependymal cells from human iPSCs and will further apply it to interrogate the role of ependymal cells in neurological diseases. In her free time, Yue likes to watch crime and sci-fi series preferably with a female lead, play video games, write original novels, cook delicious meals and try to exercise.
DIANA CASAS
PhD Student
Diana completed her bachelor's degree in Biotechnology engineering at Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education in Mexico. During her undergraduate research internship, she studied the innate and adaptive immune response in Parkinson's disease using macrophages, T cells and dopaminergic neurons derived from iPSCs. In the Stratton lab, Diana investigates the impact of CSF1R mutations on microglia development and function using patient-derived iPSCs. Her hobbies include watching movies, listening to music, and taking long walks at the park to pet puppies!
ELIA AFANASIEV
MSc Student
Elia completed his undergraduate degree at McGill University, with a Major in Neuroscience. He started working at the Stratton Lab in 2021 and in 2022 he started his Master's degree in McGill's IPN program. He's highly interested in neurodegenerative pathology at a cellular level, which is what drew him to the Stratton Lab. In his free time, Elia loves to read about programming language design and implementation.
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ABIGAIL RALPH
MSc Student
Abigail Ralph joined the Stratton lab in September 2023. She obtained her bachelor's degree in Neuroscience and health policy from the University of Toronto Scarborough in 2023. During undergraduate studies, Abigail has been involved in projects spanning from exploring ependymal proliferations in cervical injury mice to growing iPSCs in a spider-fibred artificial silk membrane. She is interested in exploring the neuro-immune interactions in Parkinsons' disease through adoptive transfer during her time at the Stratton Lab. Abigail is also active in her community as she founded a scholarship organization that supports low-income Black youth in Toronto to apply to STEM university programs. In her free time, she enjoys anything adventurous, plays volleyball and commercial/print models.
abigail.ralphmail.mcgill.ca
SHOBINA PREMACHADRAN
MSc Student
Shobina is an undergraduate student currently in her forth year at McGill University, studying Anatomy and Cell Biology. She joined Dr. Stratton's lab due to her interest in neuroscience, neurodegenerative diseases and to expand her knowledge on laboratory techniques. In the lab, Shobina works with Sherilyn to examine the gut-brain axis and the altered immune responses that facilitate the progression of Parkinson's disease. In her free time, Shobina enjoys playing tennis, cycling, playing the violin, and watching movies.
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS
JOSH GERTSVOLF
Josh is an undergraduate student currently in his second year at McGill, studying Neuroscience. He joined Dr. Stratton's lab last summer due to his interest in developing wet and dry lab techniques in an exciting field like neuroscience. In the lab, Josh works with Elia and Adam Groh to study the ependymal cell's role in the brain-CSF barrier and is currently working on developing a means of visualising the ependyma by means of 3D imaging with light sheet microscopy. Outside of the lab, Josh enjoys playing basketball, cooking, exploring Montreal, and spending time with friends
LIN LUI
Lin is an undergraduate honours student in her fourth year at McGill University, studying Microbiology and Immunology. She joined Dr. Stratton's lab in January 2023 and works with Adam MacDonald. In the lab, she is currently studying the implications of macrophages and dendritic cells by presenting antigens from mitochondria to T cells in Parkinson’s Disease, with the aid of the iPSC technique. In her free time, Lin is passionate about practicing Taekwondo and other sports, she also loves travelling and watching musicals. Lin is also a part of the volunteer team that provides teaching resources to poverty-stricken areas of China.
VINCENT WONG
Vincent is an honours neuroscience student at McGill University. He joined the Stratton Lab in January 2024 with an interest in studying ependymal cells in the context of Multiple Sclerosis. Vincent is working with Maxime to investigate the effects of pathogenic autoantibodies on ependymal cells and periventricular regions using in vivo models. Outside of the lab, Vincent volunteers as a first responder on the McGill Student Emergency Response Team and enjoys running on Mount Royal.