ABOUT US
Our Team
Researchers
Dr. Ivan Martinez, PhD
Ivan Martinez earned his degree in Biochemistry at the University of Navarra (Spain) in 2013. After graduation, he performed a Master in Neuroscience followed by his Ph.D. under the supervision of Dr. Maria Rosario Luquin at the University of Navarra, focusin on the relationship between neurodegenerative diseases and type two diabetes. He received his Ph.D. in September 2019 and joined Dr. Gabor Kovacs’ research group as a postdoctoral fellow in January 2020 where he hopes to establish new molecular techniques which help to unravel the heterogenicity of tau and α-synuclein proteinopathies. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6463-6321
Dr. Shelley Forrest, PhD
Dr Shelley Forrest is a Scientific Associate at the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease (CNRD), University of Toronto. She holds a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Sydney (2013) and received postdoctoral training in the Discipline of Pathology, the University of Sydney. During this time, she acquired a deep knowledge of the cellular abnormalities of frontotemporal dementia and related disorders, ageing and a range of neurodegenerative diseases. Dr Forrest was then recruited to the Dementia Research Centre, Macquarie University, as the Neuropathology group leader to facilitate the development of a neuropathology research program combining human neurodegenerative diseases and preclinical models. She has recently joined the Tanz CRND to focus on the progressive supranuclear palsy research program. Dr Forrest’s research focuses on the neuropathology and disease mechanisms underlying progressive supranuclear palsy, frontotemporal dementia, ageing and a range of neurodegenerative disorders. In particular, her work involves the investigation of protein abnormalities and cell types affected to determine the selective regional and cellular vulnerability in these disorders, and associated clinicopathological correlations. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7863-5389
Lab Technicians
Linda Li
Linda Li graduated from China Medical University and also completed Medical Science Doctoral Degree in 2006. She worked in the hospital as a doctor in China. From 2007 to 2020, she worked in the Hospital for Sick Children as a lab technician in different teams, joined the research of Bronchopulmonary Disease histology and pathology, complement characteristics in acute kidney injury and gene treatment for Cystic Fibrosis. Linda is a laboratory technician, working in Dr. Kovacs’ Lab.
Ali Karakani
Ali Mohammadi Karakani received his degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences, Toxicology, and Biochemistry in Iran. He received his Post Graduate diploma in Pharmaceutical R&D in Canada. He worked for 10 years as a Laboratory Technologist (core Lab and histopathology), Lab Supervisor and Pathologist Assistant before moving to Toronto in 2014. Ali started with Antech and then IDEXX as a Medical Laboratory Technician and Histotech and team lead. After, he received the MLPAO/OSMT certificate, joined Dynacare and then PHOL during last two years. He enjoys listening to music and watching movies and also exploring the outdoors and visiting different places with his wife and 16 year old son.
Dr. Helen Chasiotis, PhD
Helen is currently a Histopathology Lab Technician and Instrument Specialist with Dr. Gabor Kovacs’ research group at the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Toronto. Helen completed her PhD in Animal Physiology and Cell and Molecular Biology at York University (2011) and has since received extensive post-doctoral and technical training in various labs across Toronto, ranging in a wide variety of research topics, such as fish and aquatic insect osmoregulation, cardiovascular disease, and neurobiology. In terms of technical expertise, Helen is particularly interested in the design and development of custom histological methods and specializes in advanced microscope systems (e.g. confocal and super-resolution imaging).
Students
Seojin Lee
Seojin is a PhD-candidate in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto. She completed her undergraduate studies in the University of Western Ontario with an Honors Specialization in Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences, and following her interest in neuroscience, joined the Kovacs’ Lab to grow her knowledge and passion in the field. Seojin’s studies focus on deconstructing the pathological iron imbalance in neurodegenerative diseases. Seojin joined the group in September 2019 and plans to complete her PhD degree in 2024.
Ain Kim
Ain is a PhD student at the University of Toronto, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology. She received her Honors Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Cell & Molecular Biology at University of Toronto and is grateful to continue her research career in the Kovacs lab. Her project aims to evaluate cell type specific accumulation of neurodegenerative proteins in the human brain. Ain joined the group in September 2020.
Visiting Scientists
Dr. Koji Yoshida
Current Affiliation:
Inami Central Hospital, Japan
Visiting Period:
September 2019 - June 2024
Project Title:
Clinical and neuropathological findings in preclinical and initial cases of progressive supranuclear palsy
Dr. Hidetomo Tanaka
Current Affiliation:
Neuropathology Research Fellow, Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Japan
Visiting Period:
April 2022 - March 2026
Project Title:
Molecular neuropathology of progressive supranuclear palsy
Dr. Satoshi Tanikawa
Current Affiliation:
Neuropathology Research Fellow, Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Department of Pathology
Visiting Period:
February 2023 - January 2026
Project Title:
Establishment of cell culture methods from post-mortem brain
Previous Lab Members
Dr. Shojiro Ichimata
Visiting Scientist
September 2021 - July 2023
Alfred Maluach
Lab Manager
November 2019 - December 2020
Dr. Tomoya Kon
Visiting Scientist
April 2022 - March 2024
Suganthini Ilaalagan
Senior Technician
November 2019 - May 2021
Dr. Levente Szalárdy
Visiting Scientist
Autumn 2021
Areeb Jafrani
Master's Student
September 2019 - August 2021
Farbod Khorrami
Undergraduate Student
August 2019 - June 2020
Olivia Buffo
Lab Technician
February 2021 - July 2021
Dr. Valerie Sackmann
Post-Doctoral Fellow
March 2020 - March 2022
Positions Available
There are no positions available at this time.
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