The Lab

By , June 29, 2009
The Zayed Lab – 2019

Principal Investigator

Amro Zayed, PhD

York University Research Chair (Tier II) in Genomics & Professor of Biology, York University

Amro Zayed is a Professor of Biology and York University’s Research Chair in Genomics. He completed his doctorate in Biology (PhD 2006) at York University, then held a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Illinois’ Department of Entomology (2006-2008). Dr. Zayed later served as a Fellow for the Institute for Genomic Biology’s Genomics of Neural & Behavioral Plasticity Theme at the University of Illinois (2008-2009). Dr. Zayed rejoined York University’s Department of Biology in 2009, where he leads a research program on the genetics, genomics and behaviour of social insects using the honey bee as a model organism. Zayed received the Governor General’s Gold Medal in 2007, the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation’s Early Researcher Award in 2010, and the Faculty of Science’s Early Career Researcher Award in 2014, a York Research Chair in 2015, and YorkU’s President Emerging Research Leadership Award in 2017. He was recently awarded the Entomological Society of Canada’s Gordon C. Hewitt Award for outstanding contributions to the field of entomology.

Postdoctoral Fellows & Research Associates

Dr. Sydney Wizenberg

Postdoctoral Research Fellow
[2022-Ongoing]

Dr. Sarah French

Postdoctoral Research fellow [May 2021 – ongoing] contact

Dr. Mateus Pepinelli

Zayed Lab Manager [Dec 2019 – ongoing]

Dr. Ida Conflitti

Project Manager, BeeCSI [Dec 2017 – ongoing]

Graduate Students

Caroline Ritchie [MSc Candidate, 2023-now.] Novel tools to study quantitive genetics in honey bees.

Aidan Jamieson [PhD Candidate, 2023-now. MSc 2020-2022] contact – Genetics and molecular biology of the honey bee’s detoxification system.

Aishwarya Subramanian [MSc Candidate, 2022 – now]. Genetics of the honey bee Gut Microbiome.

Tanushree Tiwari [PhD candidate, 2016 – Now] contact – genomics of immunity in honey bees

Dova Brenman-Suttner [PhD candidate, 2017 – Now] contact – Research focus: longevity and mutation in social insects

Visiting Scholars

Dr. Yasin Kahya – Visiting Postdoctoral fellow, Ankara University, Turkey [Jun 2019 – Jun 2020]

Nicholas Smith, Behaviour & Genetics of Social Insects Lab, University of Sydney, Australia. Visiting PhD student [Summer 2017]

Claudinéia Costa. Visiting PhD student. São Paulo State University, Brazil [September 2016 to December 2016]

Naiara Climas Pereira – Visiting, PhD student, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Brazil [Aug 2019 – Aug 2020]

Professor Charles Whitfield, Dept. Entomology, University of Illinois. Sabbatical visitor [Sept 2016 – Dec 2016]

Samir Kadri. Visiting PhD student, São Paulo State University, Brazil [September 2014 – 2015] [samirkbr(at)yahoo.com.br]

Past Members

  • Kathleen Dogantzis [PhD candidate, 2016 – 2022; MSc 2015 – 2016. Governor General Gold Medal Winner, 2023] contact – Research focus: adaptive radiation of the European Honey bee (Apis mellifera)
  • Dr. Syed Abbas Bukhari. Postdoctoral Research Fellow. [2021-2023]. Currently, Staff Scientist, National Institute of Ageing, USA.
  • Kathryn ‘KC’ Galang [MSc defended, 2019 – 2022] contact – the neurogenic state of selfish versus altruistic aggression in honey bees
  • Dr. Bahar Patlar, Postdoctoral Research Fellow [Nov 2021 – Apr 2022]
  • Dr. Nadejda Tsvetkov [MSc 2012 -2014; PhD, 2014 – 2020] Currently, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of British Columbia
  • Dr. Rodney Richardson, Postdoctoral Fellow [Jan 2019 – Oct 2020]. Currently, Assistant Professor, University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Science
  • Simran Bahia [MSc candidate, 2018 – 2020] sbahi035 (at) uottawa.ca
  • Mohammad (Arshad) Imrit [MSc, 2017 – 2019] Currently, Data Scientist, GEMINI, University Health Network, Toronto
  • Bandele Morrison [MSc, 2018 – 2020]
    Currently, Developer/Data Scientist, Lup Colombia
  • Dr. Clement Kent Senior Research Associate [Sept 2015 – 2019] Currently, Adjunct Professor, Dept. Biology, York University
  • Dr. Matt Betti NSERC Postdoctoral fellow, co-advised with Dr. Jane Heffernan [Sept 2017 – Jun 2018] Currently, Assistant Professor, Mount Allison University, New Brunswick
  • Dr. Alivia Dey Research Associate [2016-2017]. Currently, Project Manager, Provincial Health Services Authority, BC
  • Dr. Brock Harpur [PhD, 2012 -2016; MSc, 2010 – 2012] contact Currently, Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, Purdue University
  • Daria Molodtsova [MSc 2013 – 2015] contact Currently, Scientist at State Scientific Centre of the Russian Federation
  • Shermineh Minai [MSc, 2010 – 2012] contact Currently,Data scientist, Scotiabank
  • Harshilkumar Patel [MSc candidate, 2016 – 2018] Currently,Senior Data Scientist, Allstate Insurance
  • Stephen Rose [MSc candidate, 2016 – 2018] Currently,Applied Scientist, Amazon

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