Our Team

Dr. Siba Haykal

Dr. Golnaz Karoubi

Dr. Tom Waddell

  • MD, PhD, FRCS(C), FACS

    Dr. Haykal graduated from the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine in 2007 as class valedictorian and silver medalist, and subsequently completed her residency training in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Toronto in 2016. During her residency, she completed a four-year Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and immunology with a focus on tracheal reconstruction. She obtained numerous grants and awards including a CIHR Vanier Scholarship. Dr. Haykal then pursued fellowship training in microsurgical reconstruction at the Albany Medical Centre in Albany New York where she accepted a position of Assistant Professor. Her practice focused on breast, head and neck and extremity reconstruction. Dr. Haykal joined the University Health Network and the Toronto General Hospital in 2018. She is also cross-appointed to the Division of Thoracic Surgery within the University Health Network. Her clinical focus is on complex oncological reconstruction and microsurgical reconstruction of the breast, head and neck and extremity. Her research focuses on tissue-engineered techniques for tracheal reconstruction and the immunology of vascularized composite allotransplantation. Dr. Haykal has been the recipient of numerous awards for her clinical, academic and research work, and is the author of several peer-reviewed publications.

  • PhD

    Dr. Golnaz Karoubi is Assistant Scientist at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute and junior principal investigator in the Latner Thoracic Research Labs. She currently holds an Assistant Professor appointment in the department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and a cross-appointment in the department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto. Dr. Karoubi received her PhD in Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto under the guidance of Drs Duncan Stewart and David Courtman in 2006. Her doctoral research was focused on a novel approach for enhancing cell-based therapeutic delivery of mesenchymal stromal cells to the lung microvasculature using hydrogel-based single cell encapsulation. Upon completion of her doctoral studies, she joined the Lung Regenerative Medicine Program in the Department of Clinical Research in Berne University, Switzerland and stayed on as a Group Leader in 2008 to direct the basic and transitional science as related to Cancer Stem Cell and Lung Regenerative Medicine in the Department of Biomedical Research at the University of Berne until 2012. In early 2012, she moved back to Canada and joined the team of Dr. Tom Waddell at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute as a Senior Scientific Associate. She was appointed to Assistant Scientist at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute (University Health Network) in November 2019 and to Assistant Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology in July 2020. She is also cross appointed in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. Her research focuses on the application of stem cells in tissue engineering approaches for lung and airway repair and regeneration. She has a strong interest in mentorship and education and has authored several peer-reviewed publications.

  • MD, MSc, PhD, FRCSC, FACS

    Dr. Waddell is the Pearson-Ginsberg Chair, Division of Thoracic Surgery, University of Toronto and Head of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at University Health Network, including Toronto General Hospital. Dr. Waddell received his MD from the University of Ottawa in 1987, where he received the Gold Medal in Surgery. He completed surgical internship at St. Michael’s Hospital before joining the University of Toronto General Surgery Residency Program. He pursued basic laboratory training in the Surgical Scientist Program, completing his MSc with Alec Patterson in 1992 and his PhD with Greg Downey in 1995. He received numerous honors for his research work including the Governor General’s Gold Medal for best doctoral thesis in the sciences and the Royal College Prize for Resident Research. He completed general surgery training in 1997 and his thoracic surgery fellowship in 1998. Following completion of clinical training he undertook an additional year of lab training as a McLaughlin Fellow at Imperial College in London, England. He was appointed as Assistant Professor in 2000, promoted to Associate Professor in 2004, and was in 2010 promoted to Full Professor. He has earned numerous distinctions during his faculty tenure as well, including the Blalock Scholarship from the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, a Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) New Investigator Award, a Canadian Foundation for Innovation New Opportunities Fund Award, the George Armstrong Peters Prize and the Lister Prize in the Department of Surgery, a Wightman-Berris Individual Teaching Award in 2002 and the Ross Fleming Surgical Educator Award in 2012. He was recognized with the R. Fraser Elliott Chair in Transplantation Research in 2005, and the Thomson Family Chair in Translational Research in 2011.

  • Dr. Florian Le Billan

    Lab Manager and Research Technician

    PhD, Molecular and Cellular Aspects of Biology, Paris-Saclay University (France), 2017

    MSc, Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2014

    BSc, Biology and Health, 2012

  • Samantha Ligi, MSc

    Research Technician

    MSc, Chemical Sciences, Laurentian University, 2024

    BSc, Biochemistry, 2021

  • Pascal Duchesneau

    (Lab Manager and Research Associate)

  • Dr. Felor Biniazan

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    PhD, Molecular Medicine, University of Shahid Beheshti, Tehran (Iran), 2022

  • Dr. Cagdas Duru, MD

    Postdoctoral Fellow

    Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Ankara City Hospital (Turkiye), 2022

    MD, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine (Turkiye) 2016

  • Dr. Fatemeh Ganji

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    Project title: The Use of Immune-modified Safe Cells as a Cell Replacement Therapy for Pulmonary Fibrosis

    Ph.D., Tissue Engineering, Iran University of Medical Sciences, 2021

    MSc, Cell and Developmental Biology

    BSc, Biology

  • Dr. Arsalan Nikdoost

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    Project: “Therapeutic use of pluripotent designer cells in cell-based therapy applications for pulmonary fibrosis”

    PhD, Mechanical Engineering, York University, Canada, 2022

    MSc, Mechanical Engineering, Bilkent University, Turkey, 2017

    BSc, Sharif University of Technology, Iran, 2014

  • Ferdinand Reke Avikpe, BSc(Hons), BA

    PhD candidate, Institute of Biomedical Engineering at UofT

    Project: In Silico Approaches for Understanding the Differentiation Dynamics of iPSCs to Lung Progenitors

    BSc(Hons), Biochemistry, University of Winnipeg (Canada), 2022

    BA, Mathematics, University of Winnipeg (Canada), 2022

  • Shiyuan Bian, BASc

    PhD Candidate, University of Toronto Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology

    Project: "The effect of cyclical stretch on lung cells and structures: Implications for Lung Re-epithelialization"

    BASc, Engineering Science, University of Toronto

  • Dana Brinson, BSc

    PhD Candidate, Biomedical Engineering at University of Toronto

    Project: Improving pluripotent stem cell-derived distal lung organoids using a biomimetic culture platform

    BSc, Biomedical sciences with a minor in biophysics, University of Ottawa (Canada), 2019

  • Leo Castiblanco Guzman, BASc

    PhD Student, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto

    Project: "Generation of functional epithelial patches for tracheal regeneration"

    BASc, Engineering Science (Biomedical Systems Engineering), University of Toronto (Canada), 2024

  • Faraz Chogan, MSc

    PhD student, Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto

    Project: “Fabrication of a novel 3D cell printed skin substitute for burn healing applications.”

    MSc, Biomedical Engineering, 2019

    BSc, Biomedical Engineering, 2016

  • Anthony Eiliazadeh, M.Eng

    PhD Candidate, Biomedical Engineering at UofT

    Project: “Rejuvenation of Type II Alveolar Epithelial Cells Using Interrupted Reprogramming to Reverse the Hallmarks of Aging”

    MEng, Tissue Engineering and Materials Science, University of Manchester (England), 2014

  • Yuejia Yin

    PhD Student

  • Muyang Michael Zhou, MSc

    PhD candidate, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology

    Project: "The use of immune-modified safe cells as a cell replacement therapy for cystic fibrosis"

    BSc, McGill University, Anatomy and Cell Biology

    MSc, McGill University, Experimental Medicine

  • Cindy Lei

    BSc Student, Molecular Genetics at University of Toronto

    Project: “Engineering Biomimetic Substrates for iPSC-derived alveolar organoids”

  • Ashley Bhang

    Summer student

    Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto

    Project: “Characterization of integrin expression during hiPSC directed differentiation to alveolar epithelial cells”

  • Ethan Chen

    Summer student

    BSc Student, Department of Human Biology, University of Toronto

    Project: “The effect of cyclical stretch on lung cells and structures: Implications for Lung Re-epithelialization”

  • Mengqi Coco Guo

    Summer student

    Project: “Re-epithelialization of de-epithelialized trachea scaffolds with human pluripotent stem cells-induced basal cells”

  • Jonathan Kan, BSc

    Summer student

    Project: "Characterization of Ciliary Beat Dynamics in Stem Cell-Derived Airway Epithelial Cultures"

    BSc, Integrated Science, McMaster University

  • Jennifer Li

    Summer student

  • Olivia Tietz

    Summer student

    BSc Student, Biochemistry (Microbiology & Immunology option), University of Ottawa

  • Tima Turk, BA

    Volunteer

    Psychology and Computer Science at McGill University

Lab Alumni

  • Alba Marin

    Clinical Specialist, O-Two Medical Technologies Inc.

  • Fabio Gava Aoki

    Assistant Professor, Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia.

  • Haleema Khan

    M. Eng. Candidate, Biological & Biomedical Engineering, McGill University.

  • Hankyu Lee

  • James Poon

  • John Soleas

    Medical Resident, University of Alberta.

  • Lily Guo

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Nagy Lab, Mount Sinai Health.

  • Linwen Huang

  • Maryam Nejatian

    Endoscopy Product Support Specialist, Olympus Canada.

  • Mohammad Ali Ahmadipour

  • Parmida Jafari

  • Parnian Jadidian

  • Ramin Mardani

  • Ratna Varma

  • Sogand Namdar

  • Yoon Jin Suh

  • Takaya Suzuki

  • Junaid Ishaq

  • Ahmed Hasan

  • Michael Xu

  • Sara Rostami

  • Daisuke Taniguchi

    Postdoctoral Researcher

  • Saba Fooladi

  • Abbie Lo

  • Diana Svorinic

  • Aisha Adil, MSc, BSc

    MSc (graduated 2023)

  • Andrew D'Elia, BASc

    MD student, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

    Project: Partial Perfusion Decellularization of Porcine Latissimus Dorsi Flaps in a Perfusion Bioreactor

    BASC, Biomedical and Materials Engineering, McMaster University (Canada), 2021

  • Nina Hadzimustafic, MSc

    MD Candidate, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

  • Valentina Shamoun

    BSc Student

    Department of Biological Science, University of Toronto Scarborough

    Project: “Ex-vivo perfusion of porcine hindlimbs”

  • Fatemeh Mohabatpour, PhD

    Postdoctoral Fellow, UHN

    Project: "Generation of functional tracheal grafts using iPSCs-derived airway epithelial cells"

    PhD, Biomedical Engineering, 2022

    MSc, Biomedical Engineering-Tissue engineering, 2015

    BSc, Biomedical Engineering-Biomaterials, 2013

  • Jason Say

    Research Student

  • Armaan Ghandi

    Undergraduate Student

  • Melissa Suma

    Undergraduate Student

    HBSc Candidate, Department of Human Biology, University of Toronto

    Project: Characterization of alveolar epithelial progenitors in a human organoid model

  • Yifei Eve Wang

    Undergraduate Student

  • Amirmahdi Mostofinejad, PhD

    Ph.D., Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto

    Project: “In silico model development and optimization of cell populations"

    MASc, Biomechanics, University of Waterloo, 2019

    BEng, Civil Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, 2015

  • Arash Zargar

    Description goes here

  • Angela Sun, MSc, BHSc

    MSc , Institute of Medical Science at University of Toronto

    Project: “Evaluating the Immunogenicity of Moust Partial Hindlimb Allografts for Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation”

    BHSc, Biomedical Discovery & Commercialization, McMaster University, 2022

  • Nicholas Karantakis

    Volunteer, collaboration with the Bazylak Group

    Mechanical & Industrial Engineering Department at University of Toronto

    BASc Mechanical Engineering student, University of Toronto

  • Satoshi Kamata, MD, PhD

    Postdoctoral Researcher, Latner Thoracic Surgery Research Laboratories, University Health Network.

    Project: “Preconditioning of Bioengineered Lung Scaffolds for Enhancement of Vascularization”

    MD, Tohoku University (Japan), 2008

    PhD, pulmonology, Tohoku University (Japan), 2016

  • Alina Stoian, MD, PhD

    Postdoctoral Researcher

  • Anne-Marie Bulboaca

    Undergraduate Student

  • Jiya Jakher

    Undergraduate Student