Meet The Team
Our lab is a blend of brilliant minds and passionate researchers (plus Michele), all driven by the love for immunology. Meet our quirky and dedicated team members – the scientific explorers leading the charge in unraveling the immune system’s mysteries.
Michele Ardolino
Emperor Professor
Michele was born and raised in Italy, near Rome, as you will know from his accent and inappropriate comments. Michele has a true passion for cooking and mouse work. Fortunately, the two are rarely combined.
Reem Kurdieh
Associate (real) Boss
After receiving a master degree from McGill University in Montreal, Reem moved to Ottawa and she is now our lab tech. After complaining for two years, she has finally started to like her new city mainly thanks to her awesome lab mates that made it fun for her and to the NK cells that are amazing to study.
Sara Asif
PhD candidate
Sara is a Ph.D. student in the Ardolino and Vanderhyden labs, interested in reproductive biology and cancer immunology. Her research project aims to understand the inflammatory role of group 2 innate lymphoid cells during ovulation, and how the dysregulation or absence of these cells leads to uncontrolled inflammation and subsequent pathogenesis in the ovaries. Sara also volunteers with Let’s Talk Science & Let’s Talk Cancer. Outside the lab, Sara spends her free time painting, reading, and running.
Olivia Makinson
PhD candidate
After receiving her BSc. in biochemistry from McGill University, Olivia decided to leave her hometown of Montreal and make the long-distance move to…Ottawa! Interested in studying cancer immunology, she joined the lab in September 2021 and has been fascinated by NK cells ever since. Outside of the lab, Olivia can be found on the rugby field, baking treats for the lab, or attending the social events that Marie plans!
Colin O’Dwyer
PHD candidate
While running a lawn care business, Colin completed his BSc in biology at Carleton University and discovered a particular interest in immunology. Afterwards, he decided to leave the luxurious life of landscaping and join the Ardolino lab to work on his MSc. When he isn’t trying to figure out how PD-L1 intracellular signaling affects cancer cells, he is tracing the lineage of immunoproteins to uncover when ligands evolved relative to their receptors.
Valeria Vasilyeva
MD/PHD candidate
Valeria is an MD-PhD student who first wandered into the lab many, many years ago as an undergrad, lured by a fascination with cancer immunology—and because studying NK cells is objectively cooler (and more rebellious) than sticking with those mainstream T cells. She's now on a mission to uncover how metabolism drives NK cell dysfunction under the supervision of Dr. Michele Ardolino and co-supervision of Dr. Mary-Ellen Harper. When she's not untangling complex metabolic pathways, Valeria can be found training her 11 parakeets or befriending any animal that crosses her path—proof of which is featured in the photo above. She can also be found at spin class with Colin (whom she bullied into joining her) since NK cells are not the only ones who need metabolic fitness to thrive.
Dalia Ibrahim
MD/PHD Candidate
Dalia is currently an MD/PhD student. Her work focuses on investigating combination therapies, including checkpoint inhibitors, for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Outside the lab, she stays active playing soccer and water skiing whenever she gets the chance, and loves exploring new cafes in search of the perfect iced coffee.
PAUL AL HADDAD
jr. Research Tech
Paul is a Jr. research tech who did his honours in the lab and immediately fell in love with the work and the team. Having moved around the world a lot, he has collected many stories and experiences. Rumor has it he played D1 soccer and was on the brink of becoming a professional, but a knee injury ended his career. He was also a competitive swimmer, but due to COVID, he transitioned into the world of competitive eating.
Amélie Papineau
MSc candidate
Amélie is a fourth-year student in the BSc in biochemistry at the University of Ottawa. Interested in metabolism and immunology, she decided to work alongside Valeria on her project, which focuses on understanding the metabolism of NK cells. In her free time, she can either be found in the kitchen trying to master a new baking recipe or curled up on the sofa reading a good book.
Tessa O'Connor
MSc candidate
After completing her BSc in Cellular and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry in St. Louis, USA, Tessa traded pipettes for a backpack and set off to “find herself” across 17 countries in Europe (turns out she was mostly in cafés eating croissants). Now back in her hometown of Ottawa, she’s starting her Master’s on NK cell immunotherapeutics for Multiple Myeloma—because nothing says welcome home like battling cancer at the cellular level. When she’s not trying to outsmart NK cells, she’s either dreaming of her next trip, playing hockey, or aggressively pretending to enjoy winter again.
Sydney Brown
BSC/PHD Candidate
Sydney is a TMM student in the integrated BSc/PhD stream, where she studies the role of ILC2s in ovarian cancer. She spent her TMM rotation grinding mouse bones (to isolate immune cells of course...) and consequently, fighting the witch allegations from her family and friends. Now, she is particularly interested in investigating how the nervous system regulates ILC2s in the tumor microenvironment. Outside the lab, she has three other personalities: dancer/choreographer, French immersion mentor, and Taylor Swift superfan.
Meghan Walsh
BSC/MSC Candidate
Meghan is a 4th-year TMM student in the integrated master’s program who joined the lab to study natural killer cells because no other cells sounded as cool. Before moving from dance floors to lab benches, she spent over a decade as a competitive Irish dancer, finishing her career with a final spin at the World Championships in Dublin. When she’s not studying the immune system's silent assassins, you can find her swimming, cycling, and strategically avoiding geese on Ottawa bike paths.
Kateryna Krykunova
Honours student
Katya is a fourth-year TMM student who joined the lab to learn more about the interactions between cancer cells and the immune system. Before choosing a career in science, she spent an Eat, Pray, Love-style gap year in India, which inspired her love for solo travel and habit of checking Expedia too often. She now balances her academic pursuits with yoga and a lot of self-help books.
Contact Us
Address: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute – 501 Smyth Road – Cancer Center – Ottawa, ON K1H 8M2
Tel: 613-737-8899 ext 77253
Mail: mardolino@ohri.ca
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