Principal Investigator:
Jean-Paul Paluzzi, Ph.D.
Post-doctoral fellows:
Candidates with a strong record of success during their graduate studies and/or earlier post-doctoral work evident though publications in field-relevant and more general interest journals are encouraged to contact me. I am always eager to work collaboratively with candidates who are considering submitting grants that cover salary support (eg. MITACS, Banting, etc).
Graduate Students:
Salwa Afifi (PhD candidate)
Project: Biogenic amines and their roles in reproductive physiology in the mosquito, Aedes aegypti.
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Jinghan Tan (PhD candidate) 
Project: Neuropeptide signaling regulating excretory physiology in adult Aedes aegypti.
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Marishia Agard (PhD candidate)
Project: Role of tachykinin-related peptides in control of the fruit fly excretory system.
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Sofia Castaño Valderrama (MSc candidate, co-supervised with Dr. Andrew Donini)
Project: Mosquitoes in the cold.
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Mariana Mattos (MSc candidate)
Project: Tachykinins in mosquitoes.
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Karoleen Youkhana (former NSERC USRA and BIOL4000 student)
Undergraduate students in the lab:
Jet Toralba (BIOL4000 student)
Jorge (Andres) Garcia Martinez (BIOL4000 student)
Hananeh Kahlani (Research practicum)
Rocio De Narvaez (Research practicum)
Syeda Mariam Hussain (Research practicum)
Palakh Oswal (Research practicum)
Amitida Parsamehr (Research practicum)
Lab alumni:
| YEAR | NAME | RESEARCH TOPIC | CURRENT POSITION |
|---|---|---|---|
| UG thesis, 2026 & NSERC USRA, 2025 | Karoleen Youkhana | Examining endocrine role of serotonin on excretory organs of the adult fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster | Aspiring physician, Nephrology clinic clerical assistant |
| UG thesis, 2026 & research practicum student, 2025 | Paras Gadri | Molecular investigation of serotonin receptors regulating excretory organs in the mosquito, Aedes aegypti | Aspiring physician, HEDI volunteer @SickKids |
| Research practicum student, 2025-2026 | Gabriela Calderon | Rearing and upkeep of Drosophila melanogaster stocks and physiological studies. | MSc candidate, Biology, Univ. of Copenhagen |
| Research practicum student, 2025-2026 | Ryan Tran | Rearing, screening and upkeep of mosquito transgenic stocks and molecular studies. | Vicari lab (YorkU) research volunteer |
| UG thesis, 2025 | Mikayla Hatton | Drosophila melanogaster tachykinins in the larval midgut in response to stress and their role in development. | Bachelor of Education (BEd) candidate |
| UG thesis, 2025 | Jad Nader | Signalling Pathway of Tachykinins in the Malpighian Tubules of Drosophila melanogaster. | Doctor of Optometry candidate, UWaterloo |
| Research practicum student, 2024 | Sumeyye Camuzcu | Rearing and upkeep of Drosophila melanogaster stocks and physiological studies. | Physician assistant, Endocrine clinic |
| UG thesis, 2024 | Natune-Chineke Eugenia Esor | Investigating Knockdown Effects of RYamide Receptors on Hindgut Function in the Mosquito Aedes Aegypti. | Bilingual Lab and Referral Operations Specialist |
| UG thesis, 2024 | Dhwani Patel | Examining the Expression of Tachykinin in the Enteroendocrine Cells in Drosophila melanogaster Midgut: Responses to Stress and Varied Diet. | Technologist, Sanofi |
| Research practicum student, 2024 | Amit Biljani | Rearing and upkeep of Drosophila melanogaster stocks and physiological studies. | Product Manager @ TutorCraft, Incoming Medical Student at AUC |
| NSERC USRA, 2023 and research practicum student | Chiara Di Scipio | Endocrine mediated signaling in primary urine production in the adult fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. | Medical school (McMaster) |
| PhD, 2023 | Dr. Farwa Sajadi | An Investigation into Neuroendocrine Regulators of Excretory Organs in the Adult Disease-Vector Mosquito, Aedes aegypti | Researcher, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre |
| MSc, 2023 | Zeynab Kohandel | Intestinal Immunolocalization and Insight on the Role of Tachykinin-Related Peptides in the Yellow Fever Mosquito, Aedes aegypti | PhD candidate, Cell & Systems Biology, UofT |
| UG thesis, 2023 | Natalie Guerra | Examining the Activity of Neuropeptides on the Hindgut of the Adult Fruit Fly, Drosophila melanogaster | Medical assistant, LMC Endocrinology |
| UG thesis, 2023 | Delaram Rahmani | Examining the Hormonal Regulators Excretory System of the Adult Drosophila melanogaster | MMgt candidate, Schulich School of Business |
| MSc, 2023 | Thomas Luong | Characterization of RYamide neuropeptides and their Receptor in the Disease Vector Mosquito, Aedes aegypti | M. Biotech., U of T |
| PDF, 2020-2022 | Dr. Leena Thorat | Glycoprotein hormone receptor signaling in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. | Scientist & Policy Advisor, Environment and Climate Change Canada |
| MSc, 2022 | Jinghan Tan | Characterization and functional deorphanization of CCHamides and their receptors in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti | PhD candidate, York University |
| MSc, 2022 | Salwa Afifi | Functional Elucidation of The Adipokinetic Hormone/Corazonin Related Peptide and Insights into Its Receptor Specificity Using Receptor Chimera in Aedes aegypti Mosquito | PhD candidate, York University |
| UG thesis, 2022 | Lulia Snan | Endocrine mediated signaling in primary urine production in the adult fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. | MSc candidate, UofT |
| NSERC USRA, 2021 & research practicum student | Sakshi Karwasra | Ion selective microelectrode measurements of ions in haemolymph and excretory droplets in Drosophila. | MSc candidate, McMaster University |
| MSc, 2019 | Aryan Lajevardi | Functional Characterization of Pyrokinins and their Receptors in the Adult Mosquito, Aedes aegypti | Medical school, Florida |
| research practicum student, 2021-2022 | David Wong | Rearing and upkeep of Drosophila melanogaster stocks and physiological studies. | High school teacher, York region |
| research practicum student, 2021-2022 | Melissa DeLuca | Rearing and upkeep of Drosophila melanogaster stocks and physiological studies. | Doctor of Optometry, UWaterloo |
| PhD, 2019 | Dr. David Rocco | Functional elucidation and characterization of GPA2/GPB5 and its receptor LGR1 in the mosquito, Aedes aegypti | Project Manager, OmniaBio |
| UG thesis, 2019 | Hanad Adan | Effects of GPB5 knockdown on spermatogenesis in the mosquito, Aedes aegypti. | PhD candidate, McMaster University |
| UG thesis, 2019 | Manpreet Kooner | Examining post-translational modifications of the insect hormone, Ion Transport Peptide (ITP). | Pursuing further studies |
| UG thesis, 2019 | Do Eon Lee | Expression of select aquaporins in adult mosquito alimentary canal organs and the examination of regulation by secondary messenger cAMP. | Assistant Crown Attorney at the Ministry of Attorney General |
| research practicum student, 2018-2019 | Ola Salama | Rearing and upkeep of craneflies for comparative excretory physiology studies. | PhD candidate, Microbiology, U. of Manitoba |
| MSc, 2018 | Azizia Wahedi | Functional characterization of adipokinetic hormone/corazonin-related peptide signaling in the mosquito, Aedes aegypti. | Resident Physician, University of Toronto |
| MSc, 2018 | Andreea Cristina Matei | Revealing the distribution of ion transport peptide and the function of its prospective second messengers on the hindgut in the mosquito, Aedes aegypti. | Resident Physician, University of Toronto |
| UG thesis, 2018 | Daniel Correia | Ingestion of bacterially expressed dsRNA silences GPB5 glycoprotein hormone subunit expression in Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae. | Commercial Data Analyst, Roche |
| MSc, 2017 | Ali Uyuklu | Distribution and activity of CAPA-like peptides in the black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis. | Resident Physician at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital |
| MSc, 2017 | Melanie Paez | Distribution of ionomotive pumps and control of Malpighian tubule secretion by cyclic nucleotides in the black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis. | Registered Respiratory Therapist |
| UG thesis, 2017 | Fidan Guseynova | Mutagenesis and chimeric studies to establish critical binding domains conferring ligand selectivity in mosquito pyrokinin receptors. | Compensation Analyst at Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) |
| UG thesis, 2017 | Basma Nazal | Investigating the effects of CAPA peptide on fruit fly Malpighian tubule excretion rate, ion concentrations, and chill coma recovery. | HR Liason, Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, New Jersey |
| UG thesis, 2016 | Christine Paputsis | Molecular identification of neuropeptide expressing endocrine cells in the midgut of the adult mosquito, Aedes aegypti. | Scientific Business System Analyst at Amgen |
| UG thesis, 2016 | Alireza Oryan | Functional characterization and quantitative expression analysis of two GnRH-related peptide receptors in the mosquito, Aedes aegypti. | Doctorate in Dental Medicine, Rutgers University |
| UG thesis, 2016 | Carmela Curcuruto | Examining endocrine control of excretory organs in larval-stage mosquito, Aedes aegypti. | Doctor of Pharmacy, UWaterloo |
| research practicum student, 2014-2015 | Brigida Bruno | Molecular analysis of pyrokinin receptor in the tick, Ixodes scapularis | Doctor of Medicine, University of Toronto |
| UG thesis, 2015 | Doo Hyun Kim | Expression and analysis of glycoprotein hormones and their receptors in heterologous systems. | Doctorate in Dental Medicine, NYU |
| UG thesis, 2015 | Afra AlDhaheri | Examination of dose-response relationships of diuretic hormones in adult mosquito (Aedes aegypti) renal tubules. | Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Project Manager at UAE Biotech Research Center |
| UG thesis, 2014 | Anam Qudrat | Expression analysis of neurochemical G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) in the visceral system of the hard-bodied tick, Ixodes scapularis. | Doctor of Philosophy, Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto |
| UG thesis, 2014 | Mikwi Cho | Examining glycoprotein hormone system in ticks and mosquitoes. | Assistant Professor of Japanese Studies, Earlham College, Indiana |
