meet our team
Prof. Patrick MacDonald principal investigator & ADI IslETCORE DIRECTOR Pat completed his BSc at the University of Western Ontario and his PhD at the University of Toronto. He then spent time as a postdoctoral fellow at Lund University and the University of Oxford before being recruited back to Canada in 2006. He is now a Professor of Pharmacology and directs ADI IsletCore. In his spare time, he likes to run, play hockey, and spend time with his family. |
Tina Dafoe ADI ISLETCORE PROGRAM coordinator Tina has been with ADI IsletCore since 2014. As the Program Coordinator, she oversees all aspects of ADI IsletCore's administration, communications, operations, and financial management. A long-suffering Oilers fan, Tina enjoys getting outside with her husband and two children, playing sports, teaching hot yoga, and making (but especially eating) baked goods. |
Chris Peacocke program support Chris has a background in financial management, policy and procedure development, and communications. He has been providing administrative support to the MacDonald Lab, ADI IsletCore, and various islet biology training programs since 2022. In his free time, Chris is a cookbook collector, an amateur birdwatcher, and a professional homebody. |
Dr. Xiao-Qing Dai research associate Originally from Nanjing, China, Xiao-Qing completed her PhD and postdoctoral training at the University of Alberta. A member of the MacDonald Lab since 2007, she is the lead electrophysiologist and involved in many collaborative projects. When she is not busy patch-clamping, XQ enjoys spending time with her son, watching movies, and traveling. |
Dr. Kunimasa Suzuki research associate In addition to his role as a research associate with the MacDonald Lab, Kuni has been the manager of the Alberta Diabetes Institute Molecular Biology Core since 2008. In his spare time, Kuni is busy taking care of tropical fish, reptiles (turtles, tortoises, skinks, and geckos), and many house plants. |
Dr. Birbickram Roy postdoctoral fellow Birbickram obtained his PhD in 2015, then completed a short stint in the private sector before joining the MacDonald Lab in 2018. He is investigating how molecular heterogeneity in islet cell populations translate into functional diversity. His hobbies include reading non-fiction books, hiking in the Rockies, and fishing in prairie lakes. |
Dr. Cara Ellis postdoctoral fellow Cara first became interested in islet biology after doing diabetes research during her engineering undergrad. She completed her PhD in Experimental Surgery at the University of Alberta in 2015, then travelled to UBC to further her knowledge in stem cell biology and bioinformatics. Cara returned to Edmonton to join the MacDonald Lab in 2021. Outside the lab, she enjoys sailing, running, backpacking, and playing D&D. |
Dr. Xiong Liu POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW Xiong obtained his BSc from Wuhan University and his PhD in Physiology from the University of Alberta. He previously worked on the functional and structural characterizations of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels. He joined the MacDonald Lab in February of 2022. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking and searching for funny scientific stories on Twitter. He is a big fan of Oded Rechavi. |
Theodore dos Santos Graduate student Theo is a graduate student in a joint program between the Alberta Diabetes Institute and the Helmholtz Research School for Diabetes. While he originally worked in the field of virology as a microscopist, he is now transitioning into data-driven science in human health and diabetes. In addition to staring at data on screens, he enjoys cooking, music, home renovation, and supporting Arsenal. |
Amanda Gomes graduate student Amanda grew up in Brazil and has been a PhD student in the MacDonald Lab since January of 2020, in partnership with the Helmholtz Research School of Diabetes. In her free time, she enjoys ice skating, reading, and watching TV series. |
Jasmine Maghera GRADUATE STUDENT Jasmine joined the MacDonald Lab as a graduate student in September of 2020. She is interested in stem-cell derived beta-cell behaviour. Previously, she has worked in the fields of phage display and glycobiology, as well as on a number of ion channel-related projects. In her spare time, Jasmine enjoys playing sports, going to the gym, and painting. |
Aliya Spigelman technician Aliya started in the MacDonald Lab in 2008 as a student before later becoming a technician in 2011. She performs secretion experiments and assists in other technical aspects of the lab and ADI IsletCore. In her spare time, Aliya enjoys figure skating, exploring our beautiful country, and spending time with her husband and kids. |
James Lyon tissue specialist James has 27 years of experience with human organs and has performed almost every isolation for ADI IsletCore. When he is not busy procuring islets, he can be found cycling, playing guitar, and coaching his kids' soccer teams. |
Nancy Smith TISSUE SPECIALIST A technician in the MacDonald Lab since 2007, Nancy is also the second human islet isolation lead for ADI IsletCore. She assists with many isolations and acts as the technical lead to expand the ADI IsletCore's isolation capacity. When she's not working, she enjoys knitting and camping with her husband and two girls. |
Austin Bautista TEchnician Austin has been with the MacDonald Lab and ADI IsletCore since 2013. He assists with isolations and performs functional characterization of islets. His favourite pastimes are alpine skiing, Ultimate frisbee, and video games. |
