Research Assistant and Lab Manager
Joined Jul. 2022
Projects: Involving multiple projects, mainly focusing on investigating tissue-specific effects of sod-2 disruption on lifespan and stress resistance, aging gene screening by CRISPR activation and RNAi, drug screening and chemical reprogramming for lifespan extension and DNA damage determination.
Interests: Hiking, aliens, traveling, cooking.
E-mail: shusen.zhu@rimuhc.ca
See Shusen on PubMed
PhD Student
McGill, Integrated Program in Neuroscience
Joined January 2024
Projects: Determining the effect of biological resilience on lifespan extension and investigating if these pathways are neuroprotective in models of Parkinson’s, Alzheimer's and Huntington’s disease.
Interests: I like dancing, gardening and being outdoors. I also love reading and travelling to explore new places.
E-mail: aura.tamezgonzalez@mail.mcgill.ca
PhD student
McGill, Integrated Program in Neuroscience
Joined Sep. 2022
Projects: Investigating the relationship between the C. elegans innate immune pathway and the mitochondria, and how they are interconnected to the process of aging and their lifespan.
Interests: Hiking, drawing, addicted to coffee
E-mail: bokang.ko@mail.mcgill.ca
PhD student
McGill, Integrated Program in Neuroscience
Joined Sep. 2025
Project: characterizing worm models of Huntington’s disease.
Interests: Big fan of K-pop & concerts; addicted to manga and life simulation games; and always down for ramen and matcha.
E-mail: jiaxi.guan@mail.mcgill.ca
PhD Student
McGill, Integrated Program in Neuroscience
Joined: January 2023
Projects: Examining the molecular mechanisms by which mild impairment of mitochondrial function contributes to increased stress resistance, slow physiologic rates, and extended longevity.
Interests: Comic book and coffee enthusiast, who enjoys spending quality time with family, friends, good books, and her fur children.
E-mail: suleima.jacob@mail.mcgill.ca
See Suleima on Google scholar
PhD Student
McGill, Integrated Program in Neuroscience
Joined Jan. 2025
Projects: Utilizing the C. elegans model to explore how drugs that extend lifespan in model organisms can protect against Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s, which will be beneficial in developing better pharmacotherapies for neurodegenerative disorders.
Interests: Painting, Dancing, Sports, Food and Travelling
Email: maisha.promi@mail.mcgill.ca
PhD student
McGill, Integrated Program in Neuroscience
Joined August 2026
Project: Exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying healthy aging and stress resistance in C. elegans, with a focus on mitochondrial function and its potential implications for neurodegeneration.
Interests: Outside the lab, I love photography, making videos, exploring the mountains, and going on nature walks. I enjoy capturing little moments through my camera and discovering new places.
E-mail: mutian.feng@mail.mcgill.ca
MSc. Student
McGill, Integrated Program In Neuroscience
Joined Sept. 2025
Projects: Investigating the effect of mitochondrial dynamics and the modulation of mitochondrial fission/fusion genes on Alzheimer's disease and neurodegeneration.
Interests: Family, Mycology, Skiing, Climbing, Video games, Computers, Foraging, Hiking, Fluorescent Microscopy
E-mail: grant.booth@mail.mcgill.ca
Alibek Moldakozhayev (January 2021 - April 2026) obtained a PhD degree from McGill's IPN program. Alibek studied the potential of metabolic modulation to promote healthy aging. In his main project, Alibek examined the ability of a young host environment to rejuvenate old tissue by transplanting white adipose tissue from an old mouse to a young mouse. Alibek’s other main project was focussed on the effects of early life temperature on longevity. Alibek also contributed to several other projects in the Van Raamsdonk and Gladyshev labs. After graduating with his Ph.D., Alibek began a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University.
Ulrich Anglas (September 2019 - April 2025) obtained a PhD degree from McGill's IPN program. Ulrich investigated mechanisms involved in lifespan-extension of mutants that lack the ROS scavenger SOD-2, linking mitochondrial function to aging in C. elegans. His research focused on how mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and kinase signaling pathways regulate stress resistance, cellular resilience, and lifespan through mitochondria-to-nucleus communication.
Abdelrahman AlOkda (September 2021 - August 2025) obtained a PhD degree from McGill's IPN program. His research at the Van Raamsdonk lab focused on identifying common downstream mediators of neuroprotection in models of genetic and chemically induced neurodegeneration (i.e. PD, AD, HD and ALS).
Zenith Rudich (September 2019 - December 2024) Postdoctoral Fellow. Zenith's research at the Van Raamsdonk lab focused on identifying common downstream mediators of longevity in long-lived genetic mutants from different pathways of lifespan extension and determining the extent to which these common downstream mediators of longevity are neuroprotective in models of Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease.
Annika Traa (September 2019 - April 2024) obtained a PhD degree from McGill's IPN program. Her research at the Van Raamsdonk lab focused on characterizing the role of mitochondrial dynamics in stress resistance and longevity, identifying changes in mitochondrial morphology in models of Huntington's disease and investigating the role of the DAF-16/FOXO stress response in long-lived reduced insulin signaling and mitochondrial mutants.
Allison Keil (April – June 2023). Allison joined the Van Raamsdonk lab for a research rotation as part of the IPN graduate program. She characterized novel worm models that overexpressed mitochondrial fission and fusion genes.
Sonja Soo (Sep 2019 - Jun 2022): Sonia obtained a PhD degree from McGill's IPN program. Her research at the Van Raamsdonk lab focused on identifying overlapping mechanisms of lifespan extension in long-lived mutants, involving evaluation of the 7 pillars of aging in each mutant.
Juliane Campos was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School (December 2020 - July 2022). Her projects examined the role of innate immunity in the extend longevity of the long-lived mitochondrial mutants and the relationship between exercise, mitochondrial dynamics and aging. Juliane’s work was published in PNAS and EMBO Reports.
Thomas Liontis (Sept 2018 - August 2020): Thomas obtained a Master's degree from McGill's IPN program. His research at the Van Raamsdonk lab focused on elucidating the conditions required for ROS-mediated lifespan extension and investigating mechanisms of stress resistance in mutants of mitochondrial dynamics.
Mutian (June 2024 - August 2026) spent three summers in the lab. Her first summer was right after finishing CEGEP and the other two as a McGill undergraduate student. Mutian studied the beneficial effects of heat stress hormesis on lifespan and stress resistance, including the role of mitochondrial dynamics and pathways of cellular resilience. She also examined the beneficial effects of exercise in models of neurodegenerative disease. Mutian received an Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) from NSERC.
Ekin Celtikcioglu (May - August 2024). Ekin was a summer student intern from McGill University. He investigated the role axonal regeneration pathways in biological resilience and how they affect long-lived mutants.
Alexa Di Pede (May-August 2023). Alexa was a summer student intern from McMaster University. Alexa was awarded an NSERC Undergraduate student research award (USRA) to examine the relationship between the mitochondrial unfolded protein response, lifespan and stress resistance. She determined the optimum levels and timing of expression of constitutively active ATFS-1 for lifespan and resilience.
Rebecca Li (Sept. 2022 – June 2023). Rebecca was a student intern from the CEGEP Marionopolis. Rebecca completed a research project examining the ability of a compound called cyrene to protect against neurodegenerative diseases. Rebecca presented her work at regional, provincial and national science and technology fairs. She placed 1st in the Quebec provincial science fair and won a silver medal at the Canadian national science fair.
Namasthée Harris-Gauthier (2019-2020): Namasthée did an 8 month undergraduate project with the Van Raamsdonk lab, focusing on the involvement of the thioredoxin system on lifespan and resistance to stress.
Hazel Shields (Jan - Sep 2020): Hazel joined the lab at the beginning of the year for a 4 month undergraduate project during which she investigated how an impaired DAF-16/FOXO stress response affects lifespan and stress resistance of long-lived mitochondrial mutants. Starting in May, she then completed a 4 month NSERC USRA project in the lab, during which she focused on the effects of reactive oxygen species on aging across the tree of life.
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