Nada Jabado Laboratory

Damien obtained a Protein Engineer degree in a former life and then decided to cross the Atlantic Ocean to see what life looked like in the New World.  Once here, he completed an MSc in Applied Microbiology and then joined the Jabado lab as its very 1st member… in 2003. Since then, his role has evolved but his passion remains the same. He makes sure conditions are there for everyone to work in a good and safe research environment. The thematic of his research project is liquid biopsy. He plays soccer and is a big fan of that sport. With 3 boys at home, he almost has his own team.

Caterina is a native Montrealer. She obtained her BSc in Biochemistry at McGill University and an MSc at Concordia University-CO-OP. Her focus was on characterizing the structure and function of the mouse oxytocin receptor gene. She has been working for Mcgill University as a Research Assistant for nearly thirty years. She has worked in several labs at the RVH, Goodman Cancer Centre, MNI and is now at the Glen under the supervision of Dr. Nada Jabado. The list of techniques she acquired over the years is quite extensive. She is now mainly involved in elucidating the role of histone H3 mutations and their involvement in the oncogenesis of pediatric tumors. In her spare time, Cathy enjoys gardening, working out at the gym, watching movies, ancient history, reading and long walks with her dog.

Nikoleta joined the Jabado lab in 2015 after an eventful youth spanning Croatia, Canada, Japan and the Philippines and research subjects ranging from plants to insects and monkeys. Following a PhD at McGill University on the role of transposable elements in plant genome evolution, she started working as a project manager on large-scale genomics research projects and has been involved in a number of projects funded by Genome Canada, Genome Quebec and the NIH. In her free time, Nikoleta enjoys traveling, reading novels, jogging, dancing and yoga.

Augusto completed his BSc in Biology and his Master’s degree in Genetics. During his PhD (Science, Genetics) at University of São Paulo (Brazil), he studied the effects of DNA methylation inhibition in pediatric medulloblastoma. Next, he was a postdoctoral fellow at INSERM U1194 (France), where he worked aiming to unravel mechanisms of cancer resistance and immune response to chemotherapy.

Augusto joined Dr. Jabado lab in March 2019 as a postdoctoral fellow and transitioned to a research associate position in August 2022. Currently, he is working on studying the role of K27M histone mutation in gliomagenesis using mouse models and screening for effective drug combinations. Outside of the lab, he spends his time swimming, listening to music and exploring Montreal for the best beers/food.

Amel graduated in pharmacy from the Faculty of Pharmacy of Algiers (Algeria) and later earned a Master’s degree from the Faculté de Pharmacie de l’Université Paris 5 in France. She then moved to Montreal for a Ph.D. in Biology at McGill University, focusing on histone mutations and epigenome remodeling using the Drosophila melanogaster (fruitfly) model. Having completed her Ph.D. in 2021, Amel joined the Jabado lab as a Research Associate, continuing her work with histone mutations using the same fruitful model. Her hobbies outside of academia include reading or listening to detective novels, spending time with friends, and exploring museums and art exhibits.

Alexander majored in biology at the University of Toronto and obtained his master's degree in quantitative genetics from the University of Edinburgh. He joined the Jabado lab in 2023 and is co-supervised by the Kleinman lab. Alexander became interested in cancer genetics and epigenetics during his master's and is enthusiastic about developing his bioinformatic skills, especially for analysing single-cell level data sets. In his free time, he enjoys reading novels, playing tennis, and pencil drawing.

Nmesoma completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, Mississauga, with studies in Biotechnology and Psychology. After her degree, she worked at the Structural Genomics Consortium, Toronto, where she worked on identifying and purifying potential therapeutic targets in the mammalian reproductive system. Her undergraduate degree and her volunteer work with children sparked her interest in high grade pediatric gliomas, and she decided to join the lab in 2024 to pursue her Master’s degree. She looks forward to developing her research skills and prowess to improve the prognostic outcomes of these gliomas. In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer, sewing, crocheting, watching reality TV shows and dancing.