Lab Members

Dr. Maggie Wai Ming LiDr. Maggie ​Wai Ming Li

PhD (University of British Columbia)
Research Associate

Maggie is interested in understanding the mRNA and miRNA decay processes in cells and organisms. She uses microscopy and zebrafish embryo model system to help her understand these processes. Maggie also oversees various other projects in the lab.

Sebastian Mackedenski

Sebastian Mackedenski​

BSc & MSc (University of Northern BC)
Research Associate, started Sept ‘15
Email: Sebastian.Mackedenski@alumni.unbc.ca
Sebastian is interested in the molecular interaction between IMP1 and KRAS mRNA. He also oversees our BD FACSMelody Cell Sorter and AKTA Pure FPLC.

Vicky MyhreVicky Myhre​

BSc (University of Northern BC)
MSc Student, started Sept ‘13
Co-supervised by Dr. Kerry Reimer

Email: v.myhre@hotmail.ca

Thesis: Evaluation and purification of bioactive compound(s) with anti-proliferative and immuno-modulatory activities from BC wild mushrooms.

Mehreen Zeb​

PharmD (Riphah International University)
MPhil (Quaid-i-azam University)

PhD Stude​nt, started Sept ‘16
Email: zeb@unbc.ca

Thesis: Evaluation and purification of bioactive compound(s) with anti-proliferative and immuno-modulatory activities from BC wild mushrooms.

Hooi Xian Lee

BSc (Hons) & MSc (Universiti Sains Malaysia)
PhD Student, started Sept ‘17
Email: xian_89@hotmail.com

Thesis: Small molecule inhibitors

Belal Tafech

BSc (Simon Fraser University
MSc Student, started Sept ‘15
Email: btafech@unbc.ca
Thesis: Understanding the regulation of IMP1 by APE1.

Almas Yaqoob

PharmD (Hamdard University)
MSc Student, started Jan ‘17
Email: yaqoob@unbc.ca
Thesis: Towards discovering novel growth-inhibitory compound from a selected BC wild mushroom.

Bryan Lim

BSc (Universiti Pertanian Malaysia)
MSc Student, started Jan ‘17
Email: chuchwen@gmail.com
Thesis: Towards discovering novel growth-inhibitory compound from a selected BC wild mushroom.

Jiazhi Da

BSc (Southwest University for Nationalities)
MSc Student, started Jan ‘18
Email: jakeda1026@hotmail.com
Thesis:  Isolation of medicinal compound from British Columbia wild mushroom.

Former La​b Members

Graduate Students:

Sumreen Javed (MSc 2017) – In search of novel immuno-modulatory compounds from British Columbia wild mushrooms and their effectiveness in inflammatory micro-circulation of mice. MSc thesis, UNBC.

Aaron Smith (MSc 2017) – Investigating British Columbia wild mushrooms for growth-inhibitory activity. MSc thesis, UNBC.

Ankush Barad (MSc 2017) – British Columbian wild mushrooms as a potent source of novel natural anti-cancer compounds. MSc thesis, UNBC.

Chuyi Wang (MSc 2016) – Inhibitors of CRD-BP-KRAS RNA interaction. MSc thesis, UNBC.

Sebastian Mackedenski (MSc 2015) – Molecular characterization of the Coding Region Determinant-Binding Protein interaction with KRAS oncogene mRNA. MSc thesis, UNBC.

Gerrit van Rensburg (MSc 2014)  - Investigating the Coding Region Determinant Binding Protein-RNA interaction in vitro, in cells and in silico.  MSc thesis, UNBC.

Kashif Mehmood (MSc 2014)  - Biochemical and cellular characterization of the Coding Region Determinant-Binding Protein-mRNA interaction.  MSc thesis, UNBC.

Mark Barnes (MSc 2013)  - Characterizing the CRD-BP-RNA interaction in-vitro and in cells.  MSc thesis, UNBC.

Manbir Chohan (MSc 2013)  - Investigating the 3’ RNA phosphatase and 3’-5’ exoribonuclease activities of APE1.  MSc thesis, UNBC.

Sang-Eun Kim (MSc 2012) - Investigating the cellular localization of APE1. MSc thesis, UNBC.

Conan Ma (MSc 2012) - Investigating the effects of expressing APE1 human population variants in cellular systems.  MSc thesis, UNBC.

Suhua Ye (MSc 2011) - Towards identifying new human ribonucleases that cleave microRNA using a high-throughput method.  MSc thesis, UNBC.

Wan-Cheol Kim (MSc 2009) - Characterizing the endoribonuclease activity of APE1. MSc thesis, UNBC

Dani-Michael Didier (MSc 2008) - Assessing rattus norvegicus recombinant syntaxin 18 for endonucleolytic function. MSc thesis, UNBC.

William Bennett (MSc 2008) - Expression, purification and evaluation of recombinant human syntaxin 18 as an endoribonuclease. MSc thesis, UNBC.

Tavish Barnes (MSc 2007)  - Purification, identification and characterization of mammalian endoribonucleases that degrade c-myc mRNA in vitro.  MSc thesis, UNBC.

Tyler Bassett (MSc 2007)  - Assessing the role of syntaxin 18 in controlling c-myc mRNA expression and growth in human breast cancer cells.  MSc thesis, UNBC.

Dan Sparanese (MSc 2006)  - The Coding Region Determinant-Binding Protein shields c-myc CRD and MDR1 RNAs from endonucleolytic attack by a novel mammalian endoribonuclease in vitro.  MSc thesis, UNBC.

Joel Urquhart (MSc 2006) - Characterization of a novel endoribonuclease capable of egrading c-myc mRNA in vitro.  MSc thesis, UNBC.

Alaeddin Tafech (MSc 2005)  - RNA sequences and structures cleaved by a novel mammalian endoribonuclease in vitro. MSc thesis, UNBC.

Janis Shandro (MSc 2003)  - Investigation into class II P-glycoprotein mRNA decay in normal liver and liver tumours.  MSc thesis, UNBC.

Undergraduate Stud​ents:

Gurbind Deo (2014-2017) - Volunteer Student, BCMB499 Independent Research Project, BCMB430 Honours Thesis, NSERC USRA.

Sukhpreet Buttar (2014-2017)  -  Volunteer Student, BCMB499 Independent Research Project, BCMB430 Honours Thesis, NSERC USRA.

Jatinder Khatra (2014-2017) - Volunteer Student, BCMB499 Independent Research Project, BCMB430 Honours Thesis, NSERC USRA.

Brendan Reiter (2015-2016) - Volunteer Student, BCMB499 Independent Research Project.

Muhammad Faran Rashid  (2015-2016) - BCMB499 Independent Research Project, BCMB430 Honours Thesis, Brain Tumour Foundation Studentship.

Michael van Dijk (2015-2016) - BCMB499 Independent Research Project.

Alexa Dang (2014 - 2015) - URE and Volunteer Student.

Antonio Wong (2015) - Volunteer Student.

Amanda Icazatti-Burtell (2015) (Exchange student from University of Puerto Rico) - BCMB499 Independent Research Project.

Daud Akhtar (2012 - 2014) – Volunteer Student, URE, BCMB430 Honours Thesis, NSERC USRA, BC Cancer Studentship.

Tanner Dobson (2012 - 2014) - BCMB430 Honours Thesis, BCMB499 Independent Research Project, NSERC USRA.

Shirley Rudecki (2011 – 2012) NSERC USRA and BCMB499 Independent Research Project.

Gerrit van Rensburg (2009 - 2012) Volunteer Student, BCMB430 Honours Thesis, BCMB499 Independent Research Project.

Aaron Smith (2011 – 2012) BCMB430 Honours Thesis and BCMB499 Independent Research Project.

Randi Woodbeck (2009 – 2012) NSERC USRA, BC Cancer Studentship, BCMB430 Honours Thesis, BCMB499 Independent Research Project.

Jasmeet Bhullar (2011) BCMB499 Independent Research Project.

Charles Bennie (2009 - 2011) BCMB430 Honours Thesis and BCMB499 Independent Research Project.

Mark Barnes (2009 – 2010) CHEM499 Independent Research Project.

Franziska Foertsch (BSc 2010) (Exchange student from Friedrich Schiller University, Germany), Summer Intern Research.

Daljeet Chahal (2009 – 2010) CHEM499 Independent Research Project.

Chris Unger (2009 – 2010) NSERC USRA and CHEM499 Independent Research Project.

Dustin King (2006 – 2010) Volunteer Student, NSERC USRA, BC Cancer Studentship, CHEM499 Independent Research Project, and Alfred Bader Scholarship.

Dana Thomsen (2008 – 2010) CHEM499 Independent Research Project and Summer Research Student.

Elizabeth Bagnall (2009) NSERC USRA.

Chris Uy (2008 – 2009) CHEM499 Independent Research Project and NSERC USRA.

Sang-Eun Kim (2007 – 2009) Volunteer Student, NSERC USRA, BC Cancer Studentship, CHEM499 Independent Research Project.

Conan Ma (2006 – 2008) CHEM499 Independent Research Project.

Navpreet Sidhu (2008 – 2009) NSERC USRA.

Rachel Henri (2006 – 2007) CHEM499 Independent Research Project.

Natalie Dickinson (2006 – 2007) CHEM499 Independent Research Project.

Brock Harpur (2007) NSERC USRA.

Trevor Haines (2007) BC Cancer Studentship.

Crystal Marko (2006) CHEM499 Independent Research Project.

Andrea Singh (2006 – 2007) CHEM499 Independent Research Project.

Stephanie Sellers (2006 – 2007) NSERC USRA, BC Cancer Studentship, and CHEM499 Independent Research Project.

Fergil Mills (2007) NSERC USRA, and Canadian Liver Foundation Summer Studentship.

William Bennett (2005) CHEM499 Independent Research Project.

Stanley Poon (2004 – 2005) Volunteer Student and CHEM499 Independent Research Project.

Sarah Kaehn (2005) NSERC USRA.

Erin Doyle (2004 – 2005) CHEM499 Independent Research Project and BC Cancer Studentship.

Joel Urquhart (2003 – 2004) CHEM499 Independent Research Project.

Pierre-Paul Bitton (2003 – 2004) CHEM499 Independent Research Project.

Thomas Bahng (2001 – 2002) CHEM499 Independent Research Project.

Anna Meuwissen (2001 – 2002) CHEM499 Independent Research Project.

Sharndeep Kaler (2001 – 2002) NSERC USRA and CHEM499 Independent Research Project.

Melanie Pinchbeck (2002) BC Cancer Studentship.

Tanya Whyte (2001) BC Cancer Studentship.

George Forrest (2001) NSERC USRA.

Andy Eberding (2000 – 2001) BC Cancer Studentship and CHEM499 Independent Research Project.

Eric Pastor (2000 – 2001) CHEM499 Independent Research Project.

Jennifer Takasaki (2000 – 2001) CHEM499 Independent Research Project.

Jo-Anne Goodall (2000 – 2001) CHEM499 Independent Research Project.

Sara Jamieson (1999 – 2001) CHEM499 Independent Research Project.