OUR TEAM
Professor A. Claudio Cuello
Professor Cuello has been trained at the Universities of Buenos Aires (UBA, Argentina), U. C. San Francisco (USA) and Cambridge (England). He held research and academic positions in the Department of Cell Biology at UBA and in the Department of Pharmacology at both Cambridge and Oxford. He is a past Chair of the McGill Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics and presently holds the Charles E. Frosst Merck Chair within the same Department. He is also currently an Associate Member of the Departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University, adjunct Professor of the Scripps Institute (LaJolla) and Visiting Professor at Oxford University.
Dr. Sonia Do Carmo
Research Associate
I was born in Portugal and raised in the Montréal area. In 2009, I obtained a PhD in Biology from Université du Québec à Montréal (Montréal, Québec), working with Professor Eric Rassart. The aim of my thesis was to investigate the molecular function of apolipoprotein D in neurodegenerative conditions using transgenic mice overexpressing or deficient in ApoD. In 2010, I joined Prof. Cuello’s research team as the Charles E. Frosst-Merck Postdoctoral Fellow.
My research interest are the Molecular mechanisms of diseases, Metabolism and Revealing novel tools to detect, track, and halt the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
I am currently the Charles E. Frosst-Merck Research Associate in Prof. Cuello’s lab. My studies are geared toward understanding how the pathological accumulation of intracellular Amyloid beta-oligomers and hyperphosphorylated tau proteins provoke dysregulation of cellular pathways and lead to neurodegeneration. I am particularly interested in biomarkers and therapeutic approaches related to DNA epigenetic modifications, neuroinflammation, NGF metabolism and oxidative stress. I have expertise in using innovative approaches including molecular and functional studies, transgenesis, in vivo imaging, and proteomic and epigenetic techniques.
I like to travel and hike.
You can contact me at: sonia.docarmo@mcgill.ca
Ludmilla Boyer
Secretary to Dr. Cuello
I am Dr. Cuello’s secretary – a.k.a. his aide-de-camp! I am in charge of his secretarial and administrative duties. In short, I ensure the smooth functioning of his office operations. Besides coordinating grant applications, meetings and communications with industrial collaborators as well as editing manuscripts, I assist the group and academic visitors with special events.
On a more biographical note, I speak and write French, English and Russian and enjoy classical literature in all three languages. I love music and arts (eclectically), and love to play guitar/sing (amateurishly), adore classical stretch and enjoy swimming and taking long leisurely walks, when time permits!
Adriana Ducatenzeiler
Research assistant
I obtained my degree in Biology at the Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina). I got my MSc in Microbiology and Immunology at the Université de Montréal (Canada). In 1990 I joined Dr Cuello’s laboratory as Chief Research technician and have been working with him for 30 years. My work focused in the production of monoclonal antibodies, molecular biology, immunocytochemistry and the creation and management of the transgenic rat and mouse colonies. In 2017 I retired but continued to work part-time overseeing the operation of the laboratory.
Chunwei Huang
Chief Research Technician
I graduated from the medical school of Peking University Health Science Center and practiced as a physician in Beijing, China. In 1988, I came to McGill University to study neuroscience before working in a research lab for 25 years.
I was given the great opportunity to participate in the research of Alzheimer’s Disease in 2017, when I joined Dr. Cuello’s research team. I oversaw our transgenic animal models of Alzheimer Disease while also working on performing cell cultures and making monoclonal antibodies. My current job focuses on the managing and genotyping of these transgenic mice and rats, providing a solid foundation for the research team.
My hobbies include gardening and fishing and I enjoy daily walks and swims to stay active.
Agustina Lavagna
Research assistant
I am from Argentina where I obtained my degree in Biochemistry. After travelling for a couples of years I settle down in Canada and obtained my MSc at the University of Montreal.
I joined Dr. Cuello’s lab in 2018 as a research assistant and I am fully dedicated to generate monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies that can be use to detect different molecules affected in Alzheimers Disease.
I enjoy hiking, cooking and reading, and lately I am crazy about plants, specially in summer when I build my own little veggie garden!
Morgan Foret
PhD student
In 2014, I obtained my BSc Honours in Cellular Molecular Microbial Biology (CMMB) from the University of Calgary where I gained research experience studying interactions between lung cells and nanoparticles using atomic force microscopy (AFM). During the third year of my undergraduate degree, I completed an academic exchange at Lund University, Sweden and following my graduation in 2014, I completed a three-month internship at Merck KGaA in Darmstadt, Germany as part of the DAAD-RISE Professional Program.
Presently, I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics. My project focuses on studying the role of oxidative stress in the Alzheimer’s pathology while also establishing methodologies to assess real-time production of free radicals in various biological samples.
Outside the lab I enjoy playing clarinet with the I Medici Orchestra at McGill and being involved in various initiatives on and off campus.
morgan.foret@mail.mcgill.ca
Chiara Orciani
PhD student
I received a Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences at Università Politecnica Delle Marche (Ancona) and then a Master's degree in Molecular Biology of The Cell at the University of Milan (Milano). I have been interested in neurodegenerative diseases since the beginning of my Master's, when I participated in a preclinical study to test a possible therapeutic avenue for Huntington’s Disease. I am working on my PhD in Neuroscience as a member of the Integrated Neuroscience Program (IPN) supported by the Rita Levi-Montalcini fellowship. My main project is focused on studying the impact of cholinergic depletion on the Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) metabolic pathway and the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
In my free time I love painting, cooking (as a good Italian) and handsewing clothes.
Joshua Emmerson
PhD student
Born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, I completed a HBSc. in Biology at the University of Ottawa and a MSc. Neuroscience at Carleton University.
I joined the Cuello lab at McGill in Fall of 2017. My main research project focuses on the relationship between amyloid and tau in AD in vivo. Since joining the lab, I have become immersed in multiple projects such as characterization of our new transgenic rat models.
On a more personal side, I love music, cooking and am an avid fan of Lord of the Rings! In my free time, you will find me practicing or learning a new skill.
Ai Liu
MSc student
I am from China where I received my master’s degree in animal medicine. My master's project is related to the pathogenesis of depression disorder which inspired my interest in neuroscience. I am working on my PhD in Neuroscience as a member of the Integrated Neuroscience Program (IPN) supported by the China Scholarship Council (CSC) Joint Scholarship Program. I joined the Cuello lab at McGill in Fall of 2021.
In my free time, I love traveling and cooking.
Ben Kannel
MSc student
In 2020 I completed my Bachelor's degree in Cognitive Science from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster Pennsylvania. While in undergraduate I investigated the underlying pathology of rare inherited neurodevelopmental diseases in the local Amish and Mennonite populations. I also briefly studied the role of glial cell communication in circadian rhythm as a member of the F. Rob Jackson Lab at Tufts Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, as well as helped author the first set of papers analyzing global trends in Autism symptom progression utilizing novel access to the entirety of the Autism Research Institute’s ATEC result data while working with Dr. Andrey Vyshedskiy.
I joined the Cuello Lab as a Masters student in the IPN program in the Fall of 2020. Here, the majority of my projects center around assessing the role of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) metabolism in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Quentin Bonomo
MSc student
I graduated from a B.Sc. in Honours Neuroscience at McGill University. During my undergraduate research project, I became proficient in the use of AAV-mediated gene delivery to knock out targeted genes in mice.
In 2020, I joined the Cuello lab to start a M.Sc. degree in IPN. My project will focus on experimental therapy related to halting Alzheimer’s pathology in transgenic rat models for amyloid and tau.
In my free time, I love to write SF stories, play piano and cook food “à la Provençale”.
Undergraduate students
Maggie Wishart
Yingying Liu
Past Lab members
Dr. Lisi Flores Aguilar
Dr. Lindsay Welikovitch
Dr. Rowan Pentz
Dr. Hélène Hall
Dr. Janice Malcom
Dr. Edward N. Wilson
Dr. Lionel Breuillaud
Palma Gubert, BSc.
Dr. M. Florencia Iulita
Dantong Jia, BSc.
Adam Marks
Joseph Windheim
Dr. Simon Allard
Marie Jacobs, BSc.
Dr. Cecilia E. Hanzel
Dr. Luisa Pimentel
Alison Ower, BSc.
Dr. Maria Teresa Ferretti
Dr. Wanda Leon
Dr. Fabio Canneva
Aaron Hackett, M.ScDr. Maria Teresa Ferretti