Your Elected '25-'26 Executive Team

Hey everyone! My name is Genevieve, and I am one of the Co-Presidents for the BMIGSA this year. I am currently a master’s student and I am studying PGC1-alpha and how it affects mitochondrial metabolism in breast cancer. During my free time, I love to play tennis, go hiking, and try new restaurants. A fun fact about me is that I have an identical twin sister!

Hello everyone! My name is Christina Sannan, and I am one of the Co-Presidents. I am a PhD student in the St-Pierre lab studying PGC1-α in breast cancer mitochondrial metabolism and its effects on chemosensitivity. When I am not in the lab, you can find me reading, binge-watching a new show, or bouldering with friends. A fun fact about me: I have successfully avoided having to parallel park for the last five years.

Hey! My name is Rayan, and I will be one of the BMIGSA's VP Socials this year. I'm a Ph.D. student in the Sad and Blais labs working on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of host susceptibility against Salmonella infection by IFN-I signalling. During my free time, I enjoy going to the gym, playing sports and playing the piano. I'm looking forward to an enjoyable and fun year! :)

Hi everyone! My name is Sabrina Guo, and I am your VP External this year. I am a master’s student in the Addison lab at the OHRI, and I am studying the effect of G6PD inhibition on breast cancer metastases. When I’m not in the lab, you can usually find me at home. I love curling up in bed watching a good show or doing a jigsaw puzzle. A fun fact about me is that I have a little brother who is 10 years younger than me, which means I’ve been mistaken for his mom more times than I can count.

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Hello! My name is James Singh and I am the VP Communications in BMIGSA! I am a master’s student in Dr. Vanessa D’Costa’s lab and we study Host-Pathogen Interactions. My project focuses on understanding bacterial manipulation of host machinery with Acinetobacter baumannii in human lung epithelial cells, targeted at late-stage infections. In my free time I enjoy cooking, baking, city walks, and a LOT of tv/movies!

Hi everyone! My name is Kainat Zahra, your VP Professional Development. I’m a PhD student in Dr. Couture’s lab, where I’m exploring the structural and functional roles of WDR82 and its interactions with protein complexes involved in transcription regulation. Outside the lab, I love exploring nature, capturing moments through photography, making new friends, and playing sports—especially badminton. I also enjoy singing, cooking, watching movies, and just having fun wherever life takes me!

Hello everyone! My name is Jordan Yin, and I am the VP Academic for this year. I am an integrated BSc/MSc student at CHEO Research Institute in Dr. Shawn Beug’s lab studying the immunomodulatory prosperities of exosomes derived from SMAC mimetic treated cancer and immune cells. In my free time, I love going out to eat, run, and swim!

Hi everyone! My name is Anastasia Fahlman and I am the 2025-2026 UOHI representative. I am an integrated BSc/MSc student at University of Ottawa Heart Institute in Dr. Katey Rayner’s lab where I study how the post-translational modification, lysine lactylation modifies inflammatory resolution responses in immune and vascular cells. When I am not at UOHI, you can find me baking, running, or spending time with my two dogs.

Hello everyone! My name is Dina Yazji and I’m this year’s VP Wellness. I’m a master’s student in Dr. Juthaporn Cowan’s lab at OHRI studying switched memory B-cells as a potential biomarker for immune reconstitution in patients with secondary antibody deficiency due to hematological malignancies. In my free time I enjoy DIY projects, painting, gardening, and listening to music. I also like trying new foods and exploring new places. I recently started learning figure skating, and I’d love to learn how to do cartwheels someday!

Hey everyone! I'm Danylo Aloshyn, the VP of Finance for BMIGSA. I'm a 2nd-year PhD international student from Ukraine, working in the Giguère lab on opioid receptor signalling. When I'm not buried in research, you can find me at the gym or biking around Ottawa. Fun fact about me: I actually enjoy dealing with bureaucracy - crazy, right? Ha-ha!

Hi all! My name is Cassandra Stabile, and I’m your VP Archives this year. I’m a master’s student in the Lee Immunology lab studying gene modifications to enhance Natural Killer cell function as a cancer immunotherapeutic. Outside of the lab, I enjoy playing hockey, exploring new places with friends, and doing my granny hobbies like baking, crocheting and puzzling. I’m looking forward to a great year!

Hey everyone! My name is Kuzey, and I'm your VP Internal this year. In my free time I like playing video games, soaking up the sun at Strathcona Park, or producing music that will never see the light of day. As your VP Internal, I'll represent you at the departmental meetings to promote and defend our common interests and enrich your graduate experience. Feel free to stop me in the hallway for a chat or to share ideas on how we can better achieve our goals together. Looking forward to an exciting year ahead!

Hey everyone! My name is George, and I’m this year’s student representative for the OHRI! I’m a master’s student in Dr. Robin Parks’ lab where I’m working on enhancing the efficacy of oncolytic adenoviruses with the use of fusogenic proteins. When I’m not in the lab struggling with basic math, you’ll probably find me browsing thrift store racks, exploring new coffee shops around the city, or on the ski hill. A fun fact about me is I recently broke my foot playing volleyball but still went on vacation a week later (on crutches of course…or so my doctor thinks).

Hi! My name is Eknoor and I am the student representative for CHEO! I am a master’s student in Dr. Tommy Alain’s lab studying the reovirus as a vector for cancer vaccination. In my free time I love to read, bake, and watch movies. I love exploring the city with friends and finding new spots to grab a coffee.