Our team
Our team is multidisciplinary and cooperative. We have 3 research professionals to ensure optimal functioning and to help students with their projects. We adhere to the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion and encourage any motivated and talented student to contact us.
Véronique Rioux, M.Sc
Research professional
Véronique is originally from Bas-St-Laurent, Quebec. She holds a master's degree in neurobiology from Laval University. She has worked in the laboratory since it opened and is the main coordinator of our research.
Anne-Marie Castonguay, Ph.D
Research professional
Anne-Marie is originally from Bas-St-Laurent, Quebec. She holds a master's and a Ph.D in neuroscience from Université Laval. Her research focuses on immunotherapy and gene therapy techniques for Parkinson's disease. She is also involved in the laboratory's research administration.
Modesto Peralta, B.Sc
Research professional
Modesto is originally from the United States. He works part-time for the laboratory and is responsible for some mouse experiments and for the coordination with the animal facility.
Béatrice Morin, M.Sc
Research professional
Béatrice is originally from Trois-Rivière, Quebec. She obtained a bachelor's degree in biomedical sciences and a master's in neurosciences from Laval University. Her research focuses on the development of super-resistant neurons for cell replacement therapy. She is also responsible for the coordination of human cell culture-related projects in the laboratory.
Julia Obergasteiger, Ph.D
Postdoc
Julia is from northern Italy. She holds a master's degree in molecular and developmental biology as well as a doctorate in translational neuroscience and nanotechnology from the University of Ferrara. Her research focuses on the roles of autophagy in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease and the identification of new therapeutic targets.
Charles Gora, M.Sc
Ph.D student
Charles is from the north of France. He holds a master's degree in neuroscience from the University of Rouen Normandy. His doctorate focuses on the regulation of the axonal translatome in the dopaminergic circuit during development.
Victoria Soto, M.Sc
Ph.D student
Victoria is originally from Peru. She holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Burman University in Alberta, and a master's degree in neuroscience from Université Laval. Her PhD project aims to develop retinal and microbial biomarkers for the early detection of Parkinson's disease.
Owen Ferguson, M.Sc
Ph.D student
Owen is originally from Kingston, Ontario. He completed a B.Sc. in Neuroscience with a minor in Mathematics at McMaster University, Hamilton. He went on to complete a master's degree in biophotonics at Université Laval. His Ph.D project involves evaluating nanoscale mitochondrial alterations in human cellular models of Parkinson's disease.
Beatriz Lucumi, MD
Ph.D student
Beatriz is originally from Colombia. She holds a medical degree from the Universidad del Valle, Cali. She has been pursuing her PhD in neuroscience since 2022, and her project involves the development of fused organoids of mesencephalon and striatum as a translational model for Parkinson's disease.
Louis Baillot, M.Sc
Ph.D student
Louis is originally from France. He completed his bachelor's and master's degrees in neuroscience and applied physiology at Lorraine University. His project involves developing a cell replacement therapy for Parkinson's disease by promoting the survival and integration of transplanted neurons.
Laura M Bevilacqua, M.Sc
Ph.D student
Laura completed a master's degree in neuroscience in the Translational Neuroscience Laboratory at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil. Her doctoral project involves understanding stress-induced inflammation and the underlying neurovascular dysfunctions that contribute to depressive symptoms in Parkinson's disease.
Angie Milena, M.Sc
Ph.D student
Angie is originally from Colombia. She holds a master's degree in biochemistry from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Her PhD project aims to develop FAB antibodies against alpha-synuclein as a therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease.
Julien McClish, B.Sc.A
Étudiant à la maîtrise
Julien is originally from Quebec City. He completed his bachelor's degree in Natural Environments and Landscaping at Laval Université. His master's project aims to use CRISPRa/i techniques to directly convert astrocytes into dopaminergic neurons in vivo.
