Early Career (EC) Member Profiles
Adrien Rihoux
As secretary for the NMD4C Basic Trainee Committee, Adrien is passionate about fostering collaboration within the neuromuscular research community and supporting initiatives that advance our understanding of these complex diseases.
Alasdair Rathbone
Dr. Rathbone has been interested in electrodiagnostics, neuromuscular medicine and pain management since early in his training. In residency, he has developed skills in interventional pain management and electrodiagnostics. His research interests have focused on myofascial pain syndrome and quantitative electromyography.
Alberto Aleman
Dr. Alberto Aleman is a neurologist at the The Ottawa Hospital. Within the NMD4C, Dr. Aleman is a member of the Curriculum Development working group.
Alexa Derksen
Alexa is an MD/PhD student at the University of Ottawa, currently completing the PhD portion of her degree in the laboratory of Dr. Hanns Lochmüller, where she studies GNE myopathy. She completed her undergraduate studies in Biology at Carleton University, conducting an honours thesis investigating Parkinson’s disease in a mouse model. Following graduation, she moved to Montréal to pursue a Master’s in Neuroscience at McGill University, where she studied the genetic causes of rare pediatric neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.
Amanda Yaworski
Dr. Yaworski completed her undergraduate degree at Acadia University in Psychology and Neurosciences. Following this, she completed medical school at McMaster University and residency in Pediatric Neurology at the University of Alberta.
Angela Russell
Dr. Angela Russell completed undergraduate degrees in Nursing and Health Sciences, followed by a Master of Nursing degree and Post-Master’s Nurse Practitioner diploma. She practiced as a Registered Nurse and Nurse Practitioner for 14 years in clinical neurosciences before pursuing a career in medicine.
Anna Branch
Dr. Anna Branch is a Neurology Resident currently completing her Neuromuscular fellowship at the University of Ottawa with support from the national clinical fellowship award.
Bridget Mulvany-Robbins
Co-Chief Neuromuscular Fellow (2025-2026), NMD4C National Neuromuscular Lecture Series
Camille Bouchard
Dr. Camille Bouchard is a postdoctoral researcher at the LOEX (Université Laval, CHU de Québec–Université Laval Research Centre). She works under the co-supervision of Dr. Nicolas Dupré, Dr. Vincent Picher-Martel and Dr. François Gros-Louis on hereditary neuromuscular diseases, with a focus on limb-girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMD). Her postdoctoral work is centred on patients and clinics, including the interpretation of genetic variants in LGMD. She completed her PhD in molecular medicine at Université Laval, where she studied gene therapy approaches for dysferlinopathy (LGMD R2). She co-organized the LGMD Summit and is part of the organizing team of the 2027 International LGMD Conference. She is also a mentor and student committee member with RARE.Qc.
Caroline Part
BSTC Workshop & Mentorship Program Development, NMD4C (2026)
PhD student, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa
Lochmuller Lab, CHEO Research Institute
Clémence Leger
Dr. Clémence Leger is a postdoctoral researcher at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR), working at the interface of skeletal muscle physiology and neuroscience. Her research focuses on the muscle–brain axis and on understanding how muscle-derived signals and systemic alterations influence brain function in both physiological and pathological conditions.
Djurdja Djordjevic
Dr. Djordjevic is a member of the neuromuscular team at BC Children’s Hospital. Her academic and research interests include exploration of biopsychosocial factors and social determinants of health.
Emanuela Pannia
Dr. Emanuela Pannia is currently a Post-doc in Dr. James Dowling’s lab in the Department of Genetics & Genomic Biology at SickKids.
Emilie Groulx-Boivin
Dr. Emilie Groulx-Boivin, pediatric neurology resident & MSc candidate at McGill, and NMD4C Collaborative Research Training Award Recipient (2025), is developing Quebec’s first pediatric Brain–Computer Interface program to empower children with neuromuscular disorders and enhance their participation and quality of life.
Emma Sutton
Dr. Emma Sutton is the Basic Science Trainee Committee (BSTC), Co-Chair. She earned her BSc in Neuroscience and her PhD in Medicine from Keele University in England, where her doctoral work focused on developing novel therapeutics for Spinal Muscular Atrophy.
During her PhD, she served as a postgraduate representative and contributed to ethics and diversity committees. Emma is now based in Ottawa, pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship and leading research in SMA with the goal of advancing and improving therapies for neuromuscular disease..
Gordon Jewett
Dr. Gordon Jewett is an Assistant Professor, Neuromuscular Neurologist and early-career researcher at the University of Calgary, and Director, University of Calgary Neuromuscular and EMG Fellowship and Education Program.
Gurpreet Chaggar
Dr. Gurpreet Chaggar is a neurologist completing subspecialty training in Neuromuscular Medicine and EMG at the University of Alberta. His clinical and research interests focus on autoimmune neuromuscular disorders, electrodiagnostic medicine, and neuromuscular ultrasound, with a growing interest in leveraging artificial intelligence and innovative care models to improve neurological care and clinical workflows.
Haley Geertsma
Dr. Haley Geertsma is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the CHEO Research Institute under Dr. Hanns Lochmüller studying the mechanisms of disease of myotonic dystrophy type 1. She aims to use stem cells to improve our understanding of myotonic dystrophy and to identify new therapeutic targets.
Hisham Aldhukair
Dr Hisham Aldhukair is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC), and a Fellow of the American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnsotic Medicine (FAANEM). He is currently enrolled in Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnsotic Medicine clinical fellowship in McGill University, Montréal, Canada.
Ian Smith
Dr. Ian Smith is a Clinical Research Associate at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute in Ottawa, Canada. He is currently leading multiple translational research projects in a wide variety of neuromuscular conditions at The Ottawa Hospital’s NeuroMuscular Centre.
Isabelle Demers
Dr. Isabelle Demers, is a physiotherapist (Université de Montréal, 2004) and holds a PhD in Clinical and Biomedical Sciences (Université Laval, 2023). She is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Université de Sherbrooke, focusing on improving care and rehabilitation for children with myotonic dystrophy type 1. Her research aims to develop adapted outcome measures and document disease progression in the context of emerging therapies. Actively involved with the Quebec Network for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (RQAS) and NMD4C, Isabelle works to bridge research and clinical practice for the benefit of children and their families.
Jaryeon Lee
Jaryeon is a MSc student, under the supervision of Dr. Anthony Scimè in York University’s Stem cell research group and affiliated with the Muscle Health Research Center.
Jaskaran Singh
Dr. Jaskaran Singh is currently serving as a member of the NMD4C Basic Science Trainee Committee, contributing to podcast development and planning. He recently completed his PhD in Neuroscience at INRS, where he studied neuromuscular and neurodevelopmental disorders under the supervision of Professor Kessen Patten. His doctoral research used zebrafish to investigate the mechanisms behind Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), specifically examining chromatin organisation and DNA damage. He combines wet‑lab genetics with bioinformatics, using approaches such as ATAC‑seq and Hi‑C alongside Python and R for large‑scale data analysis.
Jean-Philippe Leduc-Gaudet
Dr. Leduc-Gaudet is an Assistant Professor in the Medical Biology Department at Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR). He is our BSTC Lead. His research program at UQTR investigates how dysregulated autophagy / mitochondrial quality control can be harmful to muscle cells in context of NMDs. He was recently awarded a CRC2 to work on inflammation in context of NMDs.
Jeremy Slayter
Dr. Jeremy Slayter, received a 2025 NMD4C Collaborative Research Training Award, he is a Resident Physician in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and an MSc candidate. He completed his MD at Dalhousie University in 2023 and is currently enrolled in the Clinician Investigator Program, where he is pursuing a Master’s of Medical Research at Dalhousie University.
Joaquín Machado
Co-Chief Neuromuscular Fellow (2025-2026), NMD4C National Neuromuscular Lecture Series. Training Institution: The Ottawa Hospital, ON.
Juan Francisco Idiaquez Rios
Dr. Idiaquez is a clinical and research neuromuscular fellow in the Neurology Department at the University of Toronto.
Katelyn Eisner
BSTC Social Media & Communications
PhD student, York University, Muscle Health Research Centre
Katherine Archibold
Training Institution: The Ottawa Hospital / University of Ottawa, ON
Supervisor: Dr. Ari Breiner
Kiran Polavarapu
Dr. Kiran Polavarapu completed his PhD in 2019 at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in India. He is an M.B.B.S (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) graduate who shifted his focus to research in neuromuscular disorders and neurogenetics. His research interest is in primary muscle disorders and neuromuscular genetics. He recently joined the Lochmüller Lab as a postdoctoral fellow and is looking forward to continuing research in neuromuscular genetics and Congenital Myathenic Syndrome.
Larissa Maini
Dr. Larissa Maini is currently completing her residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Ottawa, where she has developed interests in neuromuscular medicine, electrodiagnostics, and medical education. She is excited to complete the Clinical Neuromuscular and EMG Fellowship Program at the University of Calgary.
Léa Lescouzères
Dr. Léa Lescouzères is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Patten lab at the INRS-Institut Armand Frappier.
Louise Moyle
Dr. Louise Moyle is a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto, Canada. Her research investigates mechanisms of muscle stem cell dysfunction in neuromuscular disorders, with the aim of transferring this knowledge towards future cell and gene therapies.
Madison Garibotti
Madison Garibotti is a PhD Candidate studying under Dr. Christopher Perry. Her PhD focus is on muscular and cardiac functional impairments in the early stages of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and how these impairments affect cell function.
In 2025, Madison received the NMD4C Collaborative Research Training Award.
Magda Lesinski
Dr. Magda Lesinski contributes to the development of Pre‑Clinical Science Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as a member of the NMD4C’s Basic Science Trainee Committee. She is a PhD candidate at McMaster University investigating the molecular and metabolic mechanisms underlying skeletal muscle wasting in cancer cachexia, with a focus on how energy‑sensing pathways and substrate methylation regulate muscle mass, mitochondrial function, and stress adaptation during disease.
Mansoore Gholizade
MSc Candidate | Groupe de recherche interdisciplinaire sur les maladies neuromusculaires (GRIMN).
Home Supervisor: Dr. Cynthia Gagnon
Host Supervisor: Dr. Hanns Lochmuller
Host Institutuion: CHEO Research Institute
Marianne Nury
Dr. Marianne Nury is one of three recipients of the NMD4C, MDC, and CSCN 2022 Clinical Fellowship funding competition which awarded national clinical fellowships in neuromuscular medicine and electromyography.
Marine Theret
In 2016 Dr. Theret started her post-doctoral fellowship under the supervision of Dr. Fabio Rossi at the University of British Columbia. She now works on the cellular interactions between tissue resident mesenchymal stromal cells and the inflammatory milieu, which are primordial for skeletal muscle homeostasis, regeneration, and repair.
Marion Boyer
Marion Boyer is a fourth‑year PhD candidate at Dr. Silvia Pozzi’s lab in the CERVO Brain Research Centre, Université Laval. She completed her Master’s in Cellular and Molecular Biology at Université Laval. Her research focuses on the molecular mechanisms that drive neuromuscular junction denervation in ALS, exploring how and why nerve–muscle connections progressively fail. Marion is a recipient of a 2025 NMD4C Collaborative Research Training Award. Through this award, she completed hands‑on training at The Neuro to generate iPSC‑derived motoneurons, strengthening ongoing CERVO–McGill collaborations. Marion shares more about this work in her early‑career blog, where she reflects on developing advanced neuromuscular models and building interdisciplinary research partnerships.
Mark Danesh
Mark is a PhD candidate at York University under the supervision of Drs Anthony Scimè and Tara Haas. His research explores the cell autonomous adaptations of myogenic regenerative potential to its external environment. He is passionate about promoting an environment where trainees can demonstrate their talents and advance their careers.
Mathias Bell
Dr. Mathias Bell contributes to the development of Pre‑Clinical Science Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as a member of the NMD4C’s Basic Science Trainee Committee. He is a PhD student in biochemistry at Queen’s University, where his research focuses on limb‑girdle muscular dystrophy type R1/D4 (LGMD), a disorder caused by mutations in the calpain‑3 gene. Using cryo‑electron microscopy, biochemistry, and cell‑based approaches, he investigates how calpain‑3 interacts with its protein partners in healthy muscle and how these interactions are disrupted in LGMD.
Mo Zhao
Dr. Mo Zhao completed her PhD in Molecular Genetics (2013-2017) in Dr. Robert Bryson-Richardson’s lab at Monash University (Melbourne, Australia) before joining Dr. James Dowling’s lab as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Genetics & Genomic Biology at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada.
Mona Hnaini
In August 2020, Dr. Hnaini moved to Canada to sub-specialize in Pediatric Neuromuscular at Children’s Hospital London Health Science Centre under the supervision of Dr. Craig Campbell.
Ohanes Ashekyan
BSTC Workshop & Mentorship Program Development, NMD4C (2026)
PhD student, Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI)
Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Ottawa.
Olumide Emmanuel Adegunna
Dr. Olumide Adegunna, is a Neurology Resident currently in advanced training through the University of Toronto City-Wide Neuromuscular Medicine and EMG Fellowship. A graduate of the Medical Neuroscience program at Dalhousie University, he brings together a strong foundation in translational neuroscience, clinical neurology, education, and collaborative care.
Paula Adler
Dr. Paula Adler completed her Neurology residency at Queen’s University. She is currently completing a Neuromuscular Medicine Clinical Fellowship at the University of Toronto. At the 2026 NMD4C Clinical Summer School, she was elected by her peers as one of four Co-Chief Neuromuscular Fellows.
Pauline Garcia
BSTC Social Media & Communications, NMD4C (2026)
Postdoctoral Fellow, CHU Sainte Justine – Université de Montréal
2025 NMD4C Fellowship Funding Recipient
Rachel Thompson
Rachel completed her PhD at Newcastle University in the UK, where she was involved in the coordination of the RD-Connect data sharing and analysis platform. She is a postdoctoral fellow in the Lochmüller Lab with a research interest in the use of data integration methods for medical genomics and precision medicine in neuromuscular diseases.
Rebecca Robertson
Rebecca Robertson is a NMD4C/MDC postdoctoral research fellowship funding recipient. With the support of the MDC & NMD4C Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Rebecca will do her post-doctoral training in the lab of Dr. Natasha Chang at the Biochemistry department of McGill. There, she will study the role of satellite cell dysfunction in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
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