GROUP MEMBERS

Siavash Vahidi

PhD (University of Western Ontario, 2010-2015). PDF (University of Toronto & The Hospital for Sick Children, 2015-2020) Google Scholar

As a teenager in high school, my main goal was… to play basketball in the NBA! A combination of a knee injury and inadequate basketball skills made me re-evaluate my life choices. Less time on the basketball court allowed me to focus on school and finish close to the top of my class as an undergrad. My interest in biophysical mass spectrometry lured me to the laboratory of Prof. Lars Konermann at Western for a PhD, where I developed and applied biomolecular mass spectrometry methods to study protein folding, structure, and dynamics. After struggling for the first two years of my doctoral studies, during which I strongly considered quitting, I managed to be productive and won the Paul de Mayo award for the best PhD thesis in the department. My fascination with biomolecular machines set me on a path for a career in academia and to a CIHR postdoctoral fellowship with Prof. Lewis Kay at the University of Toronto and The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). Through my postdoctoral research, I broadened my scientific horizons and learned to use biomolecular nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to study the Clp protein degradation machinery. I also worked closely with the Rubinstein group at SickKids to complement our studies with electron cryomicroscopy. My research group at University of Guelph takes advantage of an integrative approach in structural biology by combining various methods, including mass spectrometry and NMR, which can provide a detailed picture of the functions and dysfunctions of mega Dalton-sized biomolecular machines in health and disease.

svahidi -at- uoguelph.ca

Algirdas “the Wizard“ Velyvis

BSc (Vilnius University, 1993-1997); PhD (Case Western Reserve University, 1997-2003). PDF (University of Toronto & The Hospital for Sick Children, 2003-2010)

As an undergraduate I studied chemistry and biochemistry at Vilnius University. When an opportunity arose to pursue protein NMR spectroscopy for my Ph.D. at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, I was glad to dive in. More protein NMR work followed in Lewis Kay's lab at the University of Toronto, first as postdoc, then as a staff scientist. Subsequently, I worked in early stage agrochemical discovery (especially focusing on mode of action elucidation) for Syngenta UK at the beautiful Jealott's Hill site in southeast England, before joining the Vahidi lab back in Canada.

avelyvis -at- uoguelph.ca

Madison Turner

BSc (University of Guelph, 2013-2017). MSc (University of Guelph, 2017-2020).

In 2013, I moved from Ottawa and started my studies in biochemistry at the University of Guelph. I was lucky enough to get a summer position after second year in the lab of Dr. Rod Merrill, where I was introduced to the world of protein biochemistry. I continued to work in the Merrill lab throughout my undergraduate degree and eventually completed my MSc focused on bacterial exotoxins in 2020. I’m excited to be moving forward with my PhD in the Vahidi lab and continue to explore protein structure and function.

mturne09 -at- uoguelph.ca

I completed my undergraduate degree in biochemistry here at the University of Guelph.  From the beginning of my academic journey, I loved spending time in the lab and knew I wanted to pursue research. Over the course of my studies, I became especially interested in the complex structure-function relationships that allow proteins to carry out their many unique and critical roles in living organisms. Towards the end of my undergraduate, I also fortuitously discovered my keen interest in the use of computational techniques for understanding natural phenomena. Now, as a graduate student, I get to combine both of these passions by using cutting-edge machine-learning tools to probe allosteric modes of regulation in large biomolecular complexes.

jogatabe -at- uoguelph.ca

My interest in structural biology began during my undergraduate studies at the University of Guelph. Here, I was captivated by the idea that the subcellular machinery that drive biological processes and underpin sickness and disease could be studied at the molecular level. In the latter part of my degree, I was offered an undergraduate position in the Vahidi lab, where I developed strong research skills and became fascinated by protein degradation systems implicated in human disease. In January of 2024, I began my Master of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology under Dr. Vahidi's supervision. I transferred to the PhD program in Spring of 2025.

scurri06 -at- uoguelph.ca

Brad Davis

BSc (University of Guelph, 2017-2021).

My mom’s career as a nurse gave me an early interest in science and the interactions between humans and disease. I chose to study microbiology at the University of Guelph because it encompasses many other disciplines such as biochemistry and molecular biology. The subject of antibiotic resistance and the development of novel therapeutics to combat highly resistant pathogens has interested me throughout my studies. I am looking forward to the opportunity to use cutting-edge technology and methodology to study the pathogenic mechanisms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, almost as much as I’m looking forward to the Toronto Raptors repeating as 2020 NBA Champions!

bdavis09 -at- uoguelph.ca

My fascination with pathogenic microbes brought me to the University of Guelph in 2018. I was fortunate to join the Vahidi Lab as I entered the third year of my undergrad. Here, I began to investigate the role of conformational dynamics in the substrate selection mechanism of the Pup-proteasome pathway in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This work led me to a direct-entry PhD position in the Vahidi Lab where I continue to use state-of-the-art biological mass spectrometry to further probe these questions of importance.

plourdea -at- uoguelph.ca

Since I was a kid, I have been interested in science and how life works. This led me to studying biochemistry as an undergraduate at the University of Guelph. I then began my research career in the Vahidi lab in early 2023, gaining valuable lab experience and protein biochemistry knowledge as an NSERC USRA-funded undergraduate researcher. After a brief hiatus from lab work due to a rock-climbing injury, I was fortunate to be offered a position to continue my studies in the Vahidi lab as a direct-entry PhD student, which I began in the summer of 2024. I am excited to continue making use of exciting technology and new developments in the field of biochemistry to investigate protein interactions. 

kvosper -at- uoguelph.ca