Current Lab Members

Dale Laird

Distinguished University Professor

Research Interests / Specializations: Gap Junctions and Disease

Sergiu Lucaciu

PhD Candidate

Biography: Serge completed his BMSc with an Honours Specialization in Physiology & Pharmacology at Western University in 2019. He is currently investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms underpinning skin disease linked to Cx43, Cx31, and Cx30.3 variants and developing treatments to reverse these defects.

Stephanie Leighton

PhD Student

Biography: Stephanie completed her BSc from the University of Toronto in 2021. She is currently exploring the role of connexins as potential suppressors of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma growth and progression. Stephanie is particularly interested in interrogating poorly understood keratinocyte connexins that may fail to establish canonical gap junctions and intercellular communication.

Danielle Johnston

Research Assistant

Biography: Danielle obtained her BSc from the University of Toronto followed by a MSc from the University of Western Ontario. Following lab manager and research assistant positions at Western and Stanford University she joined the laboratory in 2021. Danielle uses her extensive expertise and skillset to oversee and guide the wet-bench research in both the Laird and Penuela laboratories.

Alexandra Hauser

Summer Student

Biography: The Laird laboratory routinely trains 2-3 summer and/or 4th-year honours thesis project students each year. Alexandra Hauser is a current 2023 NSERC-funded summer project student. Honours thesis project students include students that are part of the Pharmacology and Physiology program as well as the Cell Biology and Biochemistry program. Interested students should contact Dr. Dale W. Laird.