Laurie Doering (Team Leader)

McMaster University

Dr. Laurie Doering is a professor in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine. He completed post-doctoral training at the Montreal Neurological Institute under the supervision of Dr. Albert Aguayo. He has extensive training in stem cell biology, tissue culture, neurotransplantation and molecular imaging. Dr. Doering directs a basic research program that focuses on regenerative strategies for neurodevelopmental disorders with a primary focus on Fragile X syndrome.

[McMaster University faculty page for Dr. Doering]

Doering Lab members associated with the Brain Canada/Azrieli Foundation research

Graduate students:

Present: Kathryn Reynolds, Victoria Krasovska

Past: Mary Sourial, Connie Cheng, Jessica Wallingford

Undergraduate students:

Present: Amanda Poxon, Chloe Wong, Danish Ayub

Past: Ashley Chen, Sally Lau, Helen Zhao, Kelly Rodrigues

Postdoctoral fellows:

Dr. Angela Scott, Dr. Shivraj Singh

Pejmun Haghighi

Buck Institute

Dr. Haghighi trained in Dr. Corey Goodman’s laboratory at the University of California – Berkeley. Dr. Haghighi’s lab studies the molecular mechanisms that regulate synaptic growth, function and plasticity in models of disease. He combines genetic and molecular tools with imaging and electrophysiological techniques to examine the role of signaling molecules in the control of normal and abnormal synaptic function and neurotransmitter release.

[Buck Institute faculty page for Dr. Haghighi]

Haghighi Lab members associated with the Brain Canada/Azrieli Foundation research

Graduate students:

Vacancy to be filled

Undergraduate students:

Postdoctoral fellows:

Dr. Mario Ramiro Calderon

Min Zhuo

University of Toronto

Dr. Zhuo is an international leader in the mechanisms of synaptic plasticity and trained with Professor Eric R. Kandel and Professor Richard W. Tsien.  Dr. Min Zhuo was the inaugural recipient of the EJLB-CIHR Michael Smith Chair in Neurosciences and Mental Health. Dr. Zhuo’s research expertise centers on the cellular mechanisms of synaptic transmission and plasticity in the central nervous system. The laboratory uses a combination of genetic, electrophysiological, pharmacological and behavioral approaches to study synaptic plasticity in the physiology of Fragile X syndrome, chronic pain, anxiety and mood disorders.

[University of Toronto faculty page for Dr. Zhuo]

Zhuo Lab members associated with the Brain Canada/Azrieli Foundation research

Graduate students:

TBD

Undergraduate students:

TBD

Postdoctoral fellows:

Present: Dr. Manabu Yamanaka

Past: Dr. Kohei Koga

David Nelson

Baylor College of Medicine

Dr. Nelson is the Cullen Foundation Professor and currently the Editor in Chief for the American Journal of Human Genetics. He trained at MIT and he was a Senior Associate at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Baylor College of Medicine) with Dr. C. Thomas Caskey. In 1991, he identified the mutation that causes Fragile X syndrome as a triplet repeat expansion in the Fmr1 gene. He has worked extensively to elucidate the function of Fmr1 in mouse and fly models.

[Baylor College of Medicine faculty page for Dr. Nelson]