People

Joanna Y. Wilson, Professor and University Scholar

Educational Background:

  • H.B.Sc. in Biology and Pharmacology, McMaster University
  • M.Sc. in Biology, University of Victoria
  • Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography, MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

I have taught in Biology 1A03 (Cellular and Molecular Biology), Biology 2A03 (Integrative Physiology of Animals), Pharmacology 3A06 (Introduction to Pharmacology), Biology 4C09/4F06 (Senior Project/Thesis) and Biology 726 Topics in Integrative Physiology.  For the past few years, I have been mostly teaching Biology 3ZZ3 (Topics in Physiology) in fall term and Biology 3AA3 (Introduction to Pharmacology) in winter term.

I am an Associate Member of the Department of Psychology, Neurosciences and Behaviour (McMaster University) and a Guest Investigator at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution). I am Special Faculty at the University of Guelph for Integrative Physiology.

Current Lab Members

Mellissa Easwaramoorthy, MSc Candidate

Jack Salole, MSc Candidate

Max Hendershot, MSc Candidate

Hunter Herron, MSc Candidate

2024-2025 Undergraduate Thesis students: Emily O, Raveena Parse, Naiha Ali

Former Trainees (Graduate, Post-doctoral, and Technicians)

Lisa Stoa, Research Technologist, now in Chemical Engineering at McMaster University

William Andrew Thompson, Post-doctoral researcher 2022-2024; currently a PDF at Wilfrid Laurier University

Derek Alsop, Research Associate, 2016-2024; now  a technician at Wilfrid Laurier University

Arpan Ghosh, Visiting MSc, 2023-2024

Andrea Michelle Murillo Ramos, Ph.D. 2017-2024. “The estradiol signalling pathway in Capitella teleta“. Andrea now works in science communication with the Company of Biologists

Shamaila Fraz, Post-doctoral researcher 2019-2022

Shemar Williams, MSc 2019-2022 “Developmental Health Effects of Metformin and Guanylurea on Larval Zebrafish (Danio rerio)”

Dwight Causey Post doctoral researcher, co-supervised with Richard Manzon at the University of Regina 2019-2022

Oana Birceanu, NSERC Post-doctoral Fellow 2019-2021.  Oana is an Assistant Professor in Physiology and Pharmacology at Western University

Carly Graham, Postdoctoral researcher 2019-2021 co-supervised with Chris Somers at University of Regina.  Carly is a faculty member at University of Regina.

Meghan Fuzzen, Postdoctoral researcher 2017-2020. Meghan is a researcher at the University of Waterloo

James McEvoy, Ph.D. 2020  “Diagnostic exposure of ionizing radiation and its long term effects” Co-supervised by Dani Dixon. James is a researcher at Flinders University

Victoria Restivo MSc 2020  “Effect of wastewater on the gut microbiome of rainbow darter” Co-supervised by Karen Kidd.  Victoria works in environmental consulting (Risk assessment and toxicology).

Lana Shaya, Ph.D. 2019 “Characterizing the function and regulation of orphan CYP3 genes in zebrafish (Danio rerio)” Lana is a scientist with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Shamaila Fraz, Ph.D. 2017  “Carbamazepine and gemfibrozil affect zebrafish reproduction”

Jessica Preston, M.Sc. 2019 “Effect of radiation in utero on mouse cardiovascular function”

Adomas (Adam) Kulesza, MSc 2017 “The combined effects of thermal and radiological stress on the embryonic development of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis).” Adam is in medical school

Shayen Sreetharan, MSc 2017 “Prenatal Ionizing Radiation Exposure Effects on Cardiovascular Health and Disease in C57Bl Mice.” Shayen is a PhD candidate at McMaster University

Michael Lim, MSc 2016 “Thermal, morpholine, and radiation stressor effects on the embryonic development of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) and round whitefish (Prosopium cylindraceum). ” Mike is a PhD candidate at the University of Guelph

Kristine Hammill, MSc 2016 “The Effects of Parental Carbamazepine and Gemfibrozil Exposure on Sexual Differentiation in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)” Kristine is a senior regulatory policy and risk management advisor for Health Canada.

Charles Mitz, Ph.D. 2016, co-supervised with D. Boreham; “The cost of hormesis” Charles works for Golder Associates.

Chris Thome, Ph.D. 2015, co-supervised with D. Boreham;  “The effects of thermal, chemical and radiological stressors on embryonic development in lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis)” Chis is an Assistant Professor at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.

John Eme, Postdoctoral Fellow  John is currently an Assistant Professor at California State San Marcos.


Casey Mueller, Postdoctoral Fellow  Casey is currently an Associate Professor at California State San Marcos.

Michal Galus, Ph.D. 2014 “Chronic Exposure to Environmentally Relevant Pharmaceutical Concentrations Effects Reproductive and Developmental Physiology in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)” Mike is a science officer for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.


Eugene Choi, M.Sc. 2014 ” The effects of chronic acetaminophen exposure on the kidney, gill and liver in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)” Eugene is a pharmacist

Lana Shaya, MSc 2014 “Expression of cytochrome P450 3C and 3B genes in teleost fish” Lana is a science officer with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Chris Dejong, MSc 2014 “The cytochrome P450 superfamily complement in Capitella teleta” Chris is a bioinformatics analyst in biomedical sciences.

James Harskamp, MSc 2012 “Functional screening of cytochrome P450 activity and uncoupling by capillary electrophoresis” James is a teacher.

Nina Kirischian, MSc 2010 “Phylogenetic and in silico functional analyses of the cytochrome P450 families 2 and 4” Nina is an academic advisor at University of Toronto

Lucas Bowley, MSc 2010 “Endocrine disruption in round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) from Hamilton Harbour” Luke is a physician

Emily Smith, MSc 2009 “Cytochrome P450 drug metabolism and protein induction and inhibition in fish liver microsomes” Emily is a teacher

Marcus Scornaienchi, MSc 2009. “Functional characterization of zebrafish cytochrome P450 1 and 3A genes using heterologously expressed proteins” Marcus is a compliance and enforcement officer with Health Canada

Recent Posts

Summer 2025 Research

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We have well started summer term and so many new things going on in the lab. Mellissa just came back from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, where she spent 2 months learning some molecular docking. Mellissa is an NSERC CGS-M holder and was awarded a Michael Smith foreign study supplement, which made this exciting training opportunity a reality. We are excited to dig into this data, where she is comparing the molecular docking results to our in vitro high throughput screening data to see if the in silico approaches predict the in vitro data.

Both Hunter and Max, our newer graduate students, have been awarded scholarships. Hunter won an NSERC CGS-M and Max and OGS and we are super happy for both of them. Hunter is currently off in France taking advantage of a research opportunity with Sigal Balshine and Grant McClelland that is unrelated to his thesis. Max is here training our Mitacs Global links interns Sydnee and Julia and McMaster undergraduate Clarice. Clarice was a research course student last year working on some enrichment for fish and is doing her thesis in the lab next academic year. This group will begin to test some of our top hits from prior high throughput screening of CYP3A65 and CYP3C1 to assess embryo toxicity. Max’s research is focused on the extrapolation of our in vitro expressed proteins in vivo, using embryo exposures in zebrafish with and without his genes of interest. The CYP3A65 knock out line is from our collaborator, Jed Goldstone ( WHOI) and we hope to first identify if any of the substrates for these enzymes induce embryo toxicity and then will assess whether the KO line has a change in the toxicity or compound metabolism. We hope to screen several compounds this summer in our wild type fish, while the KO lines grow up.

Jack and Mellissa are both in their second year and are working up data and finishing experiments over the summer. They are looking closer and closer to finalizing experiments and data analyses for their thesis.

Lastly, I am looking forward to being on research leave soon. I have a few things on the list for the summer, including getting a renovated fish room fully on line and some grant writing. I will probably also be testing some protein expression parameters, which have proved rather finicky in the last 2 years. Hope everyone else is having a great summer of research.

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