Dr. Lisa Julian
Principal Investigator
Assistant professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry.
Tier II Canada Research Chair in Developmental Origins of Stem Cell Fate, and Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research / Parkinson Society BC Scholar.
Meet the Team
Current Members
Dr. Kin Lam (Kenny) Wong
Postdoctoral Fellow
Kenny completed his PhD thesis in the Verheyen lab at SFU, where he used the Drosophila Hipk tumor model to reveal potential metabolic vulnerabilities that could be exploited in cancer treatment. He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University, where he studied synaptic partner matching, and developed methods to probe the brain wiring that sculpts cognition and behavior. In the Julian lab, Kenny is using his expertise to develop innovative ways of engineering brain tissues from human pluripotent stem cells.
Negin Imani Farahani
Research Associate
Negin formerly worked at STEMCELL Technologies on their Neural R&D team, where she contributed to the commercialization of 3D neural organoid media kits, and also at Notch Therapeutics, where she helped generate iPSC-derived CD8SP T-cells for use in immuno-oncological applications. She joined the Julian lab in 2023, and uses iPSC-derived cerebral and choroid plexus organoid models to understand the developmental processes that underlie rare genetic brain diseases such as Tuberous Sclerosis and Spinocerebellar Ataxias.
Lisa Lin
PhD Candidate
Lisa formerly worked at the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute where she developed methods for maturing iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes in vitro, and helped produce a more physiological relevant model for studying adult-onset cardiomyopathies. In the Julian lab, she is using iPSC-derived neural cells to characterize and identify the mechanisms behind the metabolic dysfunction in hyperactive mTORC neuropathies such as cancer, cortical formations, and tuberous sclerosis. By harnessing the power of machine learning and robotic automation, she hopes to identify novel small molecule drugs that can target these pathways.
Shama Nazir
PhD Candidate
Shama completed her master's degree by studying self-assembling peptide hydrogels for tissue engineering applications. As part of the Julian lab, she is investigating the unfolded protein response (UPR), a cellular pathway whose dysfunction is thought to underlie neurodegenerative diseases like tauopathies, synucleopathies, or prion diseases. Shama hopes to describe the UPR mechanism within human organoid models, and thereby identify potential therapeutic targets.
Alireza (Ali) Naderi
MSc Student
Ali holds a bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from SFU and a degree in Computer Science from Tehran, Iran. As part of the Julian lab, he is focused on pioneering a cerebellar organoid model for spinocerebellar ataxia type 1.
Amelinda Firdauzy
MSc Student
Amelinda won her bachelor's degree from McMaster University in 2021, where she investigated the effects of ocean acidity on sea urchin spine regeneration. In the Julian lab, she is focused on a rare genetic disease called CLN3 Batten Disease, and is using patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to explore the initial molecular events that drive disease progression.
Ronak Salamat
Lab Manager
Ronak formerly worked at Black Tusk Research Group as a Clinical Research Coordinator where she coordinated research studies for Cystic Fibrosis patients at Saint Paul's Hospital. She also worked at Jane Fowler's Lab at SFU, where she sequenced bacteria isolated from the SFU drinking water, and monitored recreational water sites to understand their microbiome and contamination sources. She joined the Julian lab in January 2025 as a lab manager.
Abhimanyu Minhas
Research Associate
Abhi formerly worked at BC Cancer in the Venturutti lab within the Centre for Lymphoid Cancer. There, he contributed to investigating the role of the receptor protein CXCR3 in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma. he also served as a volunteer in the Pantophlet lab at SFU, aiding research surrounding HIV vaccine formulations. In the Julian lab, he uses various microbiological techniques, including western blotting, qPCR, cell culture, and bioprinting to investigate diseases such as Tuberous Sclerosis and Batten Disease. Abhi was awarded a Bachelor's degree in Health Science from SFU in June 2024.
Andrea Quintanilla
Undergraduate Researcher
Andrea is a 4th year Molecular Biology and Biochemistry undergraduate currently doing a research term at the Julian lab. Her research project focuses on identifying immune cells in choroid plexus organoids produced from Spinocerebellar Ataxia 1 (SCA1) patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells using immunofluorescence staining and analyzing the fluid inside the organoid. She hopes to contribute to the understanding of the role of immune cells in neural organoid development.
Lab Alumni
Graduate students:
George Allen, MSc
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Postdoctoral Fellows:
Dr. Aaron Dhanda
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Undergraduate researchers:
Parham Fathi Naz (Summer-Fall 2024)
Nick Rice (Fall 2024)
Makenna Chow, BSc (Summer 2024)
Taha Yildirim (Spring 2024)
Kaitlyn Locke (Spring 2023-2024)
Christina Walker (Fall 2022-2023)
Siddi Patel (Spring 2021-2023)
Joshua Smithman (Spring 2021-2023)
Nicole Vukasovic (Spring 2022-2023)
Rachel LaFrance (Fall 2023)
Danielle Bonenfant (Spring 2022)
Alejandra Jahns (Fall 2021-2022)
Omnia Taha (Fall 2021)
Ashley Jukich (Fall 2020-Spring 2022)