Meet our team

thakshila dharmasena

PHD STUDENT
I completed my BSc degree at University of Peradeniya in 2017 with Plant Pathology as my major research interest.  I’m currently working on a project related to plant genetics. In my free time, I like to grow cactus, watch movies, observe wild animals and walk. 

Ruoqi Dou

PHD STUDENT
My research interest is in molecular biology particularly focusing on the resistance mechanism of plants. Nature and science drive me crazy, which deserve my lifelong hard work. I am also a fan of hiking, photography, and cooking, and I enjoy reading novels.

Faranak SolEimani

PHD STUDENT
My research interests are rooted in understanding signaling pathways that control plant immune responses and the control of central plant metabolism. Outside of science, I enjoy reading, spending time with friends and family & traveling as much as I can!

​KAMÉLIA MAGUEMOUN

PHD STUDENT
I completed my MSc degree at Université de Montréal in biochemistry specialized in genetics and genomics. I have an interest in plant genetics since I was introduced to that topic in an evolutionary biology class. In my free time I like cooking/baking, travelling and romance movies/anime. ​

FAIQA AMIN

RESEARCH ASSISTANT
When I completed my BSc in Botany in 2020, it sparked my interest in plant metabolism and stress responses at the molecular level. My focus is on understanding metabolic adaptations and underlying signaling mechanisms to develop efficient crops for sustainable agriculture. Other than that, I love being in nature, the colour green, and I enjoy watching dance.​

THARIKA MAHATHANTHRIGE

PHD STUDENT
I am strongly interested in studying how plants defend against pathogens using incredibly sophisticated and effective mechanisms at the molecular level. I completed my BSc at the University of Peradeniya, specializing in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology with first-class honors. My hobbies are reading novels, listening to music, and watching movies. 

VIRGINIA MIGUEL

POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLAR
I got my Ph.D. in Biology from the Universidad Nacional del Litoral in Argentina. I love cellular and molecular plant biology. My research interests are focused on understanding how plants respond to life-threatening signals. In that way, I would like to implement genetic engineering techniques in crop improvement. In my spare time, I enjoy traveling, especially visiting places where I can do scuba diving. I also like hiking and going to the gym.

Márcia Gonçalves Dias

POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLAR
I completed by PhD at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, where I studied structural changes in raspberry plants infected by pathogens. Now, it is time to better understand these plant responses at the molecular level. I love cats, books, coffee, wine, and nature treks.

Jacqueline Monaghan

Canada Research Chair in plant immunology​

I am an Associate Professor of Biology at Queen’s University and a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Plant Immunology. I studied undergraduate biology at the University of Toronto and was an NSERC graduate scholar at the University of British Columbia. I continued as an EMBO Long-term Fellow and BBSRC Future Leader Fellow at the Sainsbury Laboratory Norwich. My research group focuses on immune signal transduction and fine-tuning mechanisms with a particular interest in protein kinases.

It is my privilege to train the next generation of plant scientists. I focus on first principles, rigour, and integrity, and encourage collegial team-work and a collaborative approach to experimental biology. With a strong sense of community, I proudly hold positions at academic journals and learned societies that align with my core values. 

join OUR GROUP
We are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion and encourage those from under-represented groups in STEM to join our growing team. We believe that science is for everyone for matter their race, nationality, sexuality, or economic status. If you are interested in working together to create an inclusive space for everyone interested in plant molecular biology, please reach out! 
Our growing lab has hosted scientists and trainees from 11 countries.
Our current group includes nationals from Canada, Sri Lanka, China, Brazil, India, Iran, Argentina, Pakistan, and Algeria. 

OVERVIEW
Our lab offers an excellent training environment in molecular biology and genetics.

Our Department is well established with exciting research programs in plant biology.

We will help you to secure external funding such as NSERC, OGS, and others (trainees have secured over $400K in scholarships so far).

International experiences are encouraged through collaborative projects.

We have regular one-on-one meetings in addition to weekly lab meeting and journal club.

Individual development plans ensure you focus on your desired career path. 

Support for career-enhancing activities such as presenting at conferences.

Annual research-intensive retreat at the Queen's Biological Research Station in the winter. 

Annual team-building retreat at Elbow Lake in the summer.
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UNDERGRADUATE 
Part-time and work-study employment - We welcome inquires from students interested in working ~5h/week to help with routine tasks as an introduction to bench science. Sorry, we do not accept volunteers.​

Co-op placements - We welcome inquires from students requiring work placement experience for their degree programs at other institutions. ​

​BIOL537/541 Honours Thesis - Earn 12 credits towards your BIOL major while you conduct a hypothesis-driven project over the fall and winter terms.  ​

BIOL538/539/540 Research Mentorship - Earn credits towards your BIOL/BCHM/LSCI major while you conduct research over the fall (539; 3 credits), winter (538; 3 credits), or both semesters (540; 6 credits).   ​

SWEP - Paid full-time summer work. Applications are typically due in February each year.  

NSERC USRA - Highly competitive national scholarships enabling full-time summer work. Applications are due to the Dept of Biology in the winter semester each year.  ​

​​ASPB SURF - Highly competitive society scholarship enabling full-time summer work. Applications are due to ASPB in March of each year.  ​​

Graduate
Inquires from potential MSc and PhD students are always welcome. Please look here for more information about our program. Students typically start in Sept or Jan, but other start times are possible. Be sure to include a motivation statement and CV in your email.

Scholarship opportunities - There are several scholarship options allowing students to focus on research with a reduction in TAships. Application deadlines vary throughout the year.  Incoming students who are awarded an NSERC CGS receive a $5,000 top-up.

NSERC Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement - Supplemental funding of $6,000 to allow international collaborations for students holding NSERC-CGS. Applications are due to Queen's University in September of each year. So far, two students from our lab have been successful with this program enabling 3 month-long stays at the Sainsbury Laboratory in England (2017) and the University of Freiburg in Germany (2019). 

​Mitacs Globalink - The Mitacs Globalink Research Award (GRA) supports research collaborations between Canada and select partner organizations and eligible countries and regions. Under the joint supervision of a home and host professor, successful senior undergraduate students, graduate students, as well as postdoctoral fellows will receive a $6,000 research award to conduct a 12- to 24-week research project in the other country. Awards are offered in partnership with Mitacs’s Canadian academic partners (and, in some cases, with Mitacs’s international partners) and are subject to available funding.  So far, three students from our lab have been successful with this program, enabling a 3 month-long say at the University of Freiburg in Germany (2023); a 3 month-long stay at the University of Iowa in the USA (2024); and a 4 month-long stay at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry in Halle Germany (2024).

Visiting graduate students - We are happy to host motivated students from other countries through various scholarship programs such as the Emerging Leaders of America, Mitacs, DAAD, or others.

​Scholarship opportunities for non-Canadian nationals/residents may be available from other sources.

Postdoctoral
Inquiries from potential postdoctoral scholars are always welcome, however internal funding is not guaranteed.  Be sure to include a motivation statement and CV in your email.

Although competitive, applying for external fellowships is encouraged (be sure to confirm eligibility).

  • Banting postdoctoral fellowship applications – due internally in June, selected to be endorsed by Queen’s by July, full applications due to NSERC in October, and announced in March.
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  • NSERC postdoctoral fellowship applications – due on October and announced in March.
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  • Queen’s postdoctoral fund applications – due in January for spring decisions.
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  • EMBO long-term fellowships – due in August for fall interviews and winter decisions.
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  • MSCA global fellowships – due in September for winter decisions.
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  • +several others from the CSC, NSF, Mitacs, etc 

alumni  

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Katherine Dunning, NSERC/OGS MSc,  2018-2020
Carmen Gonzalez-Ferrer, OGS MSc, 2018-2020
Irina Sementchoukova, NSERC/OGS MSc, 2017-2019
Kristen Siegel, NSERC/OGS MSc, 2016-2019
Lauren Grubb, NSERC /OGS MSc, 2016-2018

postdoctoral scholars

Anamika Rawat, Postdoctoral Scholar, 2022
Melissa Bredow, NSERC Postdoctoral Scholar, 2017-2021

Visiting scholars

Marina Silvestre Vano, Visiting Postdoctoral Researcher (Laval University, Canada), 2023
Natasha Kelkar, Visiting MSc Student (University of Pune, India), 2020 ​

Undergraduate STUDENTS

​Abi Krishnakumar, NSERC USRA + Work-Study, 2024-2025
Bassem Doss, SWEP, BIOL537 Hons thesis, ASURF, 2022-2023
Emily DeSousa, BIOL537 Hons thesis, 2022-2023
Madison Giroux, BIOL537 Hons thesis, 2021-2022
Claire Wright, BIOL537 Hons thesis, 2021-2022
Mackenzie Loranger, BIOL537 Hons thesis, 2020-2021
Brandon Saltzman, BIOL537 Hons thesis, 2020-2021
Nick Smith, NSERC USRA + BIOL539, 2020
Cailun Tanney, BIOL537 Hons thesis, 2019-2020 
Emma Cameron, BIOL540, 2019-2020
Andrew Ji, BIOL540, 2019 
Ruxandra Bogdan, SWEP + BIOL540, 2018-2019  
Mansuba Rana, SWEP + BIOL537 Hons thesis, 2018-2019 
Olivia Siemens, Summer Student, 2018
Alex Johnson Dingee, SWEP + BIOL537 Hons thesis, 2016-2018 
Danalyn Holmes, BIOL540 + BIOL537 Hons thesis, 2016-2018 
Alysha Thomson, BIOL537 Hons thesis, 2016-2017 
​Sydney Pascetta, BIOL537 Hons thesis, 2016-2017 
Danielle Ciren, NSERC USRA + BIOL538, 2016  
Kathy Sihavong, BIOL538, 2016

placement STUDENTS

Katelyn Butts, SLC Placement, 2021
Heather Hennessy, SLC Placement, 2019 
Jennifer Wesley, SLC Placement, 2018 
Heather Galley, SLC Placement + Lab Technician, 2017 
Patrick VanVolkingburgh, SLC Placement, 2016 

WORK-STUDY STUDENTS

Celestina Onabajo, Work-Study Student, 2022-2025
Sanchia Samaraweera, Work-Study Student, 2023-2024
Foroozan Torki, Work-Study Student, 2022-2024
Luning Wang, Work-Study Student, 2022-2023
James Liu, Work-Study Student, 2021-2022
Rachel Shin, Work-Study Student, 2020-2021
Annelise Perron, Work-Study Student, 2020-2021
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