Staff

Stephen Wayne
Laboratory Technician

Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Education:
  • BSc (honours) in Microbiology, University of Manitoba (1986)
Research Project:
  • Influenza luminex bead assays
Interests: Hockey, Cars, Model Railroading, Food

Natasha Hollett
Laboratory Technician

Hometown: Clarenville, Newfoundland
Education:
  • MSc (Immunology and Infectious Diseases), Memorial University of Newfoundland (2008)
  • BEd. (Post-Secondary), Memorial University of Newfoundland (2008)
  • BSc. (Biology/Psychology), Memorial University of Newfoundland (2005)
Selected Awards: 
  • University of Manitoba - President’s Award of Excellence (2019)
​Other Academic Positions:
  • Program Coordinator- International Infectious Disease and Global Health Training Program (IID&GHTP)
  • Program Coordinator - Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship Program (QES-2017)
Interests: Sports, Food, Wine, and Climbing

Kenneth Omollo 
Postdoctoral Fellow

Hometown: Nairobi, Kenya
Education:
  • MSc. Medical Microbiology, University of Nairobi
  • BSc. Biomedical Technology, University of Nairobi
  • Graduate of the International Infectious Disease and Global Health Training Program
  • ​PhD Medical Microbiology, University of Nairobi 

​Research Project: My study is exploring the impact of the anti-inflammatory drug acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) on inflammation in the female genital tract and the impact that has on the number of HIV target cells in the FGT.  If proven effective, this could be a new HIV prevention approach.  Ken is leading a clinical cohort study of ASA in Nairobi.

​Selected Awards/Scholarships: 
  • Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship Program (2016)

Titus Olukitibi
Postdoctoral Fellow

Hometown: Ijebu-Jesa, Nigeria
Education:
  • B.Tech. Microbiology, The Federal University of Technology, Akure
  • M. Tech Medical Microbiology, The Federal University of Technology, Akure
  • PhD Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba
  • Graduate of the International Infectious Disease and Global Health Training Program

​Research Project: My research focuses on the investigation and characterization of adaptive immune responses responsible for the natural clearance of HPV infection among female sex workers in Kenya, including the population of people living with HIV. This will help to inform the development of a therapeutic vaccine against HPV and the prevention of cervical cancer.

​Selected Awards/Scholarships: 
  • Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship (2025)
  • IMPaCT Trial Training Award (2025)
  • Dr. Dick Smith Research Manitoba Postdoctoral Fellow in HIV Epidemiology (2024)
  • 3MT Postdoctoral Competition 2nd Place & People's Choice (2024)
  • Dr. Ed Kroeger Travel Award (2023)
  • Allan Ronald Award of Excellence (2023
  • Lab2market/Mitacs Grant (2022)
  • University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (2020-2022)
  • Research Manitoba/Children Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba PhD studentship (2019)

Graduate Students

Allison Balasko
MD/PhD Student

Hometown: Winnipeg, Mantioba
Education:
  • BSc honour Microbiology, University of Manitoba
  • Trainee in the International Infectious Disease & Global Health Training Program

​Research Project: My project focuses on understanding and reversing immune exhaustion in chronic HIV infection. More specifically, I study immune exhaustion markers, such as LAG-3 and PD-1, on immune cells like T, NK and iNKT cells to understand how these exhaustion markers affect immune cell function in people living chronically with HIV; are these immune cells too exhausted to function normally? Can we reverse this immune exhaustion resulting in a healthier immune response?

Selected Awards/Scholarships:
  • Vanier Doctoral Scholarship
  • CIHR Masters Scholarship
  • UM Emerging Leader (2019)
  • Student Affairs Participation Award (2018)
Interests: Basketball (U of M Varsity alumna, Go Bisons!), Biking, Hiking, Boating. Basically, anything outdoors!

Toby Le
PhD Candidate

Hometown: Guelph, Ontario
Education:
  • Bachelor of Medical Sciences (BMsc) Honors Specialization in Microbiology and Immunology, University of Western Ontario (2019)

Research Project: My research project focuses on how the intake of DMPA, a hormonal contraceptive, affects the risk of acquiring HIV among sex workers in Kenya. Specifically, I will be looking for these effects on innate immune cells such as monocytes and NK cells.

Selected Awards/Scholarships: 
  • 3MT First Place & People's Choice Award 
  • MMID Graduate Student Knowledge into Action Award 
  • CIHR Masters Scholarship 
  • MMID Top Rookie Journal Club Presentation 
  • Tunaweza Global Opportunities Award 
Interests: Sustainable development, knowledge translation, running, badminton
Hometown: Lamjung, Nepal
Education:
  • M.Sc. in Medical and Molecular Microbiology, Mahidol University, Thailand (2020)
  • B.Sc. Medical Microbiology, Pokhara University, Nepal (2017)

Research Project: My research investigates the immune response elicited by a novel vector-based Influenza vaccine using a murine model. The project specifically focuses on immunophenotyping key immune cell populations, including T cells and NK cells, to characterize their activation, differentiation, and functions following immunization with the Influenza vaccine candidate. Additionally, antigen-specific antibodies are also assessed to measure the humoral immunity. The main aim of the project is to gain insight into vaccine-induced immunity to evaluate the potency of the novel Influenza vaccine. These effects are on innate immune cells such as monocytes and NK cells.
​
Interests: I enjoy cooking, spending time in nature, listening to podcasts about health, spirituality and life, and I love binge-watching movies and K-dramas

Summer Students

Logan Lam
2024

Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Education: BSc General, University of Manitoba (Current)
Research Project: Led by PhD Candidate Toby Le, our project aims to validate a new approach for studying CD16-induced activation of Natural Killer Cells via flow cytometry. 
Interests: Hockey, Badminton, Football, Golf, Basketball, anything sports!

Joud Shehadeh
2024

Hometown: Amman, Jordan
Education: BSc Biochemistry Co-op, University of Manitoba (Current)
Research Project: My research project focuses on how DMPA/MPA can have different effects on Male vs Female individuals by studying the different immune responses MPA produces in Female vs Male Winnipeg donors.
Interests: Basketball, Chemistry, Knowledge development, EDI in academia

Cara Follows
2021-2023

Hometown: Winnipeg 
Education: Bsc in Microbiology 
Research projects:  (1) Assessing aspirin’s induction of immune quiescence; (2) Blocking immune checkpoint molecules in HIV infection. 
Interests: houseplants, gardening, reading and dogs

Paula Pidsadny
​2020  

Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Education:
  • BSc Honours Microbiology with Co-op, University of Manitoba (Current)
Research Project: My project aims to assess how aspirin affects immune cell motility as well as to determine metabolites of the arachidonic acid pathway that may induce the immune quiescence phenotype.
​
Interests: Cooking, house plants, sewing and embroidering, biking

Gillian McIvor
2019 & 2020

Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Education:
  • BSc Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba 
  • University of Manitoba Medicine Class 2014
Research Project: My research was in collaboration with our community partner Sunshine House and focused on the understanding the effect of solvent use on the immune system. During the summer I ran assays to determine the concentration of soluble immune messengers cytokines/chemokines as well as molecules of gut damage in the blood of individuals who use solvents and community matched controls.
​
Selected Awards/Scholarships: 
  • Athena Leadership Leader of Tomorrow 2020 Scholarship
  • Undergraduate Research Award
  • PIKE-Net Internship award
Interests: Camping, Hiking, anything outdoors!

Fowke Fun

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