Nice to meet you!

Veronica Guariglia, PhD

Principal Investigator

Dr. Guariglia completed her PhD at Cornell University in the Department of Microbiology under the supervision of John Helmann studying cell wall stress response in Bacillus subtilis. She then completed a post doctoral fellowship at Cornell University in the Department of Food Science under the supervision of Martin Wiedmann studying cell wall stress response in Listeria monocytogenes. Dr. Guariglia then moved to Canada and completed a second post doctoral fellowship at Western University in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology under the mentorship of David Heinrichs, before starting her own lab as faculty in the same department in 2023.

Research Interests:
Pathogenesis, transmission, and control of Listeria monocytogenes.

Personal Interests:
Spending time with her family, watching soccer, drinking coffee, and making cheese.

Publications

Our Team

Denise Cao, MSc

MEDICAL STUDENT RESEARCHER
Research interests: The interactions between human pathogens and bacteria of the microbiome and their environment.
Personal interests: Making food, hiking, going to concerts, playing tennis, reading.
Serena Lam, BSc

GRADUATE STUDENT
Research Interests: Investigating innovative therapeutics to prevent the spread of bacterial infectious diseases, with a particular focus on bacteriophages as alternatives in combating antimicrobial resistance. This extends to the study of foodborne pathogens as significant determinants of public health, with an emphasis on identifying and developing novel therapeutic interventions to reduce their transmission and mitigate their impact.
Personal Interest: Playing volleyball, paddleboarding, kayaking, cooking, and baking.
Jaynielyn Dela Paz

GRADUATE STUDENT
Research interests: Investigating intermicrobial communication between bacteria, particularly in food and human microbiomes.
Personal interests: Drawing, singing, baking
Saahi Chirumamilla

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
Research interests: Bacteriology and microbial pathogenesis, with specific focus on foodborne bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes. Exploring mechanisms of bacteriocins and novel antibacterial strategies. Bringing awareness to the prevalence and danger of food borne bacteria in day to day life.
Personal interests: Dance, playing guitar, volunteer work, spending time with friends/family
Cameron Terpstra

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
Research Interests: Bacterial pathogenesis and microbial interactions of Listeria monocytogenes, specifically investigating wildlife and natural environments as a reservoir for Listeria species, uncovering virulence determinants and antimicrobial resistance.
Personal Interest: Playing badminton, running, skiing, hiking, and watching movies.
Jack Murphy

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
Research Interests: Bacterial pathogenesis and antimicrobial responses, particularly the effects of antimicrobial compounds on Listeria monocytogenes and the mechanisms underlying bacterial stress responses.
Personal Interest: Playing tennis, pickleball, baseball, crossword puzzles, birdwatching, and collecting vinyl records.
Jiajun Chen

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
Research Interests: Investigating the role of ATF3 transcription factor on Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) development
Personal Interest: Photography, Rock climbing, Travelling