Meet The Team

Principal Investigator
Lindsay Cahill (lcahill@mun.ca)
Lindsay Cahill is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and cross-appointed to Radiology and Pharmacy. She is a biophysical chemist and currently teaches Introductory Chemistry (Chem 1010) and Thermodynamics and Kinetics (Chem 2301).

M.Sc. Student
Grace Mercer
Grace Mercer obtained her undergraduate chemistry degree from MUN. Her research uses a mouse model of preterm birth and involves studying novel therapies to protect the fetal brain. Grace is the group artist - her rendering of a mouse is award-winning.

M.Sc Student
Nikita Harvey
Nikita Harvey is also a MUN alumni. Her research project involves the study of long-term outcomes following maternal exposure to nanoplastics. In her spare time, Nikita plays softball and is also a very talented artist.

Honours Student
Katie Steeves
Katie Steeves is a 4th year chemistry and biochemistry major. She is our resident expert in NMR metabolite assignment. No one reads a 2D COSY like her.

Undergraduate Researcher
Darcie Stapleton
Darcie Stapleton is a 4th year biology major with a concentration for health professionals and a minor in chemistry. She is a superhero and is involved in almost every project in Dr. Cahill's lab. Much of her time is spent collecting human placentas.

Honours Student
Jenna Hanrahan
Jenna Hanrahan is a 4th year chemistry (biological) major. She has become an expert at ultrasound imaging of pregnant mice. She also has an impressive record collection (she owns one that is older than Dr. Cahill!)

Honours Student
Mark Russell
Mark Russell is a 4th year chemistry (biological) major. He is our animal expert and is using ultrasound to study a mouse model of neurodegeneration. In his spare time, he is a true Newfoundlander and likes to fish.

Honours Student
Katherine Dibbon
Katherine Dibbon is a 4th year pursuing a joint degree in chemistry (lab coat) and political science (no lab coat). She is an active volunteer and is keen to mentor other young leaders. She likes hiking, swimming and ice cream!

Undergraduate Researcher
Catherine Barrett
Catherine Barrett is a super second year in Kinesiology. She has been instrumental in implementing patient-oriented research in the group and she is becoming a whiz at spreadsheets. In her spare time, she coaches swimming!

Research Assistant
Alexandre Maekawa
Alex Maekawa is a Master's student in Medicine (Cancer and Development program). He is a biotechnologist in our group and is known as "the PCR guy".

Undergraduate Researcher
Lauren Ringer
Lauren Ringer is a spectacular second year in the chemistry program. She loves photography, hiking and sunrises. She also has the MUN course calendar memorized.

Undergraduate Researcher
Jada Santuccione
Jada Santuccione is a stellar second year in the biochemistry program. She likes microscopes and her fingers are often stained purple.

Undergraduate Researcher
Drew Locke
Drew Locke is a stupendous second year in the biochemistry program. He has four(!) dogs and enjoys motorcycle riding (motorcycle club member #1). He also likes thermodynamics.

Undergraduate Researcher
Will Williams
Will Williams is a star second year in the biochemistry program. He likes golf and chess and he is very good at coming up with names for mice that start with the letter D.

Undergraduate Researcher
Emma Mcisaac
Emma McIssac is a special second year in the chemistry program. She loves the ocean and spends a lot of time doing things related to water (e.g. paddleboarding on it, drinking it, saving people from it). Fun fact: she can recite over 200 digits of pi!

Undergraduate Researcher
Haley Adams
Haley Adams is a sincere second year in the chemistry program. She knows our decrepit mice better than anyone. She is originally from Nova Scotia and enjoys reading and studying kinetics.

Undergraduate Researcher
Amy Stephenson
Amy Stephenson is supreme second year in the chemistry program. She is very outdoors-y and also loves to travel. Like her colleagues, she enjoys a good differential equation.

Undergraduate Researcher
Amelia Hollett
Amelia Hollett is a sparkly second year in biochemistry. She loves music and plays five different instruments (these most likely include piano, trumpet, guitar, cello and bassoon)! We look forward to her performances at group meeting.

Undergraduate Researcher
Rachael Windsor
Rachel Windsor is a successful second year in biochemistry. She enjoys playing the piano, dancing and the Carnot cycle.

Undergraduate Researcher
Caroline Ryan
Caroline Ryan is a sociable second year in chemistry. She likes to hike, travel and play with her dog. She is also a Potterhead (she is definitely Hufflepuff).

Undergraduate Researcher
Mikela Rowsell
Mikela Rowsell is a splendorous second year in chemistry. She likes to paint and cook and owns a 883 Harley Sportster (motorcycle club member #2).

Undergraduate Researcher
Megan Spurrell
Megan Spurrell is a sophisticated second year in biochemistry. She has a black belt in Kung-Fu! She always has a copy of Atkins in her book bag.

Undergraduate Researcher
Thomas O'Brien
Thomas ("Tommy") O'Brien is a seaworthy second year in biochemistry. He likes hockey and when he isn't walking one of Drew's dogs, I suspect he is motorcycle club member #3.
Alumni

Past M.Sc Student
Zahra Aghaei
Zahra Aghaei obtained her degree from Sharif University of Technology in Iran. Her current project focuses on studying the impact of maternal exposure to micro- and nanoplastics on fetal growth and placental metabolism. Zahra is very talented at making resin art and practices yoga.

Past Undergraduate Honours Student
Hannah George
Hannah George is a 4th year chemistry major. Her research focuses on studying placental metabolism in a genetic mouse model of fetal growth restriction. She also studied brain structure and function in these mice in young adulthood. In her free time, Hannah loves to surf and dive for scallops.

Past Undergraduate Researcher
Leah Paranavitana
Leah Paranavitana has a B.Sc. in biochemistry from MUN. She is currently in her last year in the Bachelor of Education program. She has worked with Dr. Cahill on a number of different projects including sex differences in ultrasound parameters. In her spare time, she enjoys baking and cake decorating.

Past Undergraduate Honours Student
Ashley Pelley
Ashley Pelley is a 4th year biochemistry major. Her research is focused on NMR-based metabolomics of human placental tissue. In her spare time, Ashley loves to dance!

Past Undergraduate Researcher
Dakshita Jagota
Dakshita Jagota was a NSERC URSA in Dr. Cahill's lab. She analyzed thousands of clinical ultrasound images! She is currently a student in Medicine at MUN.

Past Undergraduate Researcher
Alexander Darmonkow
Alex Darmonkow was a NSERC USRA student in Dr. Cahill's lab. He worked on a clinical research project, exploring the impact of marginal cord insertions in the placenta on pregnancy outcomes. He is currently a student in Medicine at MUN.