Gruenheid Lab | People

Samantha Gruenheid, PhD, is a Full Professor and Chair of the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at McGill University. She has expertise in bacterial pathogenesis and host-pathogen interactions governing intestinal infections. When not at the lab, she can be found at the gym or cuddling on the couch with her dog, Charlie.

Dr. Gruenheid has been a recipient of a Canada Research Chair (Tier 2), a Senior Research Scholar award from the Fonds de Recherche du Quebec and is the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology Visiting Research Professor for 2019/2020. Her laboratory is currently supported by funding from CIHR, NSERC, Genome Canada/Genome Quebec and FRQNT. She is a member of the McGill Center for Research on Complex Traits and an Associate member of the McGill Microbiome and Disease Tolerance Center.

Lei Zhu, Research Technician. After graduating from McGill University, Lei never left her Alma Mater and started working in Dr. Gruenheid's lab that summer. Throughout the years, she met many interesting undergraduate students, some who became her friends. Her research was concentrated on mouse genetics as a model for human bacterial intestinal infections. She enjoys a glass of wine while reading a good book, and relaxing massages outside work.

Alex Kazanova, Research Associate. After four years of practice as a pediatrician she completed her PhD in immunology in the Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccine and Sera in Moscow, Russia. Later she worked as a Post-doctoral fellow in the lab of Christopher E. Rudd at the Centre de recherche de l'Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont in Montreal, where she studied the role of PI3K/Akt/GSK-3 pathway in T cell exhaustion. Her work focuses on adaptive immune response against DA neurons triggered by gastrointestinal tract infections in mouse models of Parkinson’s disease. When she’s not around the lab, Alex enjoys gardening and spending time with her children.

Marilena Gentile, Research Associate. Maria Elena (Marilena) Gentile earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology at McGill University under the supervision of Dr. Irah King, where she explored the role of IFNγ and NK cells in promoting disease tolerance during intestinal helminth infections. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania in Dr. Andrew Vaughan’s lab, where she investigated the signaling pathways involved in tuft cell development and their contribution to epithelial remodeling after influenza infection. Marilena has since returned to Montreal and joined Dr. Samantha Gruenheid’s lab in August 2024 as a research associate. Here, she oversees the mouse colony and helps support various research projects in the lab. Outside of her scientific work, Marilena enjoys figure skating and cherishes time with her children and family!

Nathalia Luisa Oliveira, Post-doctoral fellow. Nathalia received her Ph.D. in Genetics from Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil. She has been working with functional genetics, inflammatory diseases, lung infection, neutrophilic response, intestinal inflammation, and helminth-based therapies. Her previous research focused on the mechanisms involved in the effect of helminth-derived metabolites-induced tolerogenic dendritic cells in experimental colitis. Her expertise includes microbiology, immunology, molecular biology, genetics, and host-pathogen interactions.

Jessica Pei, PhD candidate. Jessica is a 3rd year PhD student working on investigating the role of intestinal myofibroblasts and fibroblasts in inflammation and infection. In her spare time she enjoys eating tons of snacks, teaching dance classes, and binging Netflix shows.

Jacqueline Sung, PhD candidate. Jacqueline is a 3rd year PhD student working on the YAP/TAZ effectors of the Hippo pathway in the gastric epithelium. She graduated from McGill’s Microbiology and Immunology Honour’s program where she did her training in virology. Outside of the lab, she enjoys hiking, biking, and building legos.

Alexa Truong, BSc Honours Student. Alexa is a 4th year undergraduate student in the Interdepartmental Honours Immunology (IHI) program working on investigating the effects of diet on inflammation and infection in the colon. In her free time she enjoys reading, watching movies, and when back in Toronto, spending time with her 5 guinea pigs!

Charlie, Animal Representative. Currently studying who is a good boy. Hypothesis: it's him. Charlie likes going on walks, receiving cuddles, and looking adorable. Give him a follow on Instagram @charlie_goobboi.

Donato, Honorary Member. Donato is a kind soul who watches over the Gruenheid lab from his windowsill throne. He smiles upon all the experiments being conducted and blesses each with good luck. In his free time, Donato likes to participate in trivia, play Animal Crossing, and grow some shoots.