Sergey V. Plotnikov, PhD
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Associate Professor
University of Toronto
Department of Cell & Systems Biology
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Postdoctoral Fellow, Cell Biology
National Institutes of Health (NHLBI), Waterman Lab
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Postdoctoral Fellow, Quantitative Imaging
University of Connecticut Health Center
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PhD, Cell and Developmental Biology
Institute of Marine Biology (Vladivostok, Russia)
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Sergey Plotnikov Profile | University of Toronto (utoronto.ca)
Ernest
Iu
PhD Student
BSc Biochemistry UofT 2018
BSc Cell & Molecular Biology UofT 2018
Hong Kong
Joined April 2017
Ernest is investigating calcium signalling in lamellipodia of migrating cells. He is a superb microscoptician and active on sci-twitter -- follow him @ernest_iu!
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Outside of the lab, Ernest plays the guitar and is a big fan of french bulldogs, corgis, and pugs!
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Karan
Ishii
PhD Student
BSc Biology UCLA 2020
Jericho, New York
Joined September 2022
Karan studies calcium signaling at focal adhesions. She spent two years at Kyoto University as a research assistant in the Kageyama and Matsuda labs.
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Karan is a former camp counsellor who enjoys skiing, podcasts, and baking better banana bread than Sergey does!
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Fernando Valencia
PhD Student
Hon. BSc Chemistry UTM 2018
Hon. BSc Biology UTM 2018
Toronto, ON
Joined July 2017
Fernando is studying mechanosensitive actin polymerization by the formin Dia1. He is an expert in laser experiments and a great mentor and teacher!
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Fernando's desk is decorated with lots of animals and he is a member of the Toronto zoo!
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Meet Our Microscopes
Yokogawa CSU-X-1 Spinning Disk Unit on Nikon Eclipse Ti2 Inverted Microscope
Our trusty workhorse!
Nikon H-TIRF Module (Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence) on Eclipse Ti2 Inverted Microscope
Super resolution at the imaging interface!
CREST Optics Spinning Disk Unit on Nikon Eclipse Ti2 Inverted Microscope
Great for FRET!
Nikon A1R MP Upright Multiphoton Microscope
Image deep into tissue! Great for micropattering!
Lab Alumni
Alexander Bogatch Undergraduate Researcher 2019-2024
Molecular and Cellular Biology PhD Student at Harvard University
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Arthur Siu Undergraduate Researcher 2022-2024
Biosciences PhD Student at University of Chicago
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Daphne Jiang Undergraduate Research Assistant 2022-2024
Undergraduate Researcher in Dept. of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Vasconcelos Lab
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Rico Dong Undergraduate Research Assistant 2022-2023
Undergraduate Researcher in Dept. of Physics, Zilman Lab
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Rosiey Yang, M.Sc. Masters Student 2018-2022
Medical Writer at IC Axon
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Joy Du Undergraduate Research Assistant 2020-2022
Medical Student at McMaster University
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Chen Tuo Undergraduate Research Assistant 2020-2022
Biochemistry PhD Student at UofT, Wilde Lab
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Ajay Singh Undergraduate Research Assistant 2021
Molecular Biophysics PhD Student at UofT
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Linda Li Undergraduate Research Assistant 2019
Cell and Systems Biology PhD Student, Saltzman Lab
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Gregory Ossetchkine Undergraduate Research Assistant 2019
Medical Student at Syracuse University
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Alessia Fischbacher Undergraduate Research Assistant 2018-2019
Accelerated nursing program at UofT, L&D nurse at St. Michael's Hospital
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Sarah Deng Undergraduate Research Assistant 2017-2018
Cellular & Physiological Sciences PhD Candidate at UBC, Tanentzapf Lab (our collaborators!)
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Antonio Ajhert Undergraduate Research Assistant 2017-2018
PharmD Student at UofT
Toronto | Ontario | Canada