OUR TEAM
Team 2024/25
CURRENT LAB MEMBERS
Steve Kerfoot is originally from Calgary, Alberta where he did his undergraduate and graduate training before moving to Yale University for Post Doctoral Training. He returned to Canada in the fall of 2011 to join the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at Western University.
Dr Kerfoot wears many hats as a PI (Principle Investigator), but is happiest working with and mentoring junior scientists in the lab and introducing undergraduate students to the mysteries of the Immune System. Outside of the lab, his interests include photography and canoeing on lakes as far away from people as possible.
Heather Craig, RLAT RVT
Technician
I spend my time caring for our mouse colonies, doing experiments, and keeping the lab organized as the lab technician. I am also the main contact person for our intravital microscopy collaborations with other research groups.
Daniel Morelli
PHD Candidate
Awarded: Ontario Graduate Scholarship 2024
Daniel is a very boring person who refuses to write something to put in this space.
Morgan Langille
MSC student
My current work focuses on understanding the roles of B cells during T cell activation in chronic inflammatory conditions, and the ability of different B cell subsets to present cognate or non-cognate antigens to T cells.
Yi-Han Chen
PHD Candidate
My project is focused on B cell peripheral tolerance. Outside the lab, I am learning skills such as skiing and skating recently.
Cameron Whalen
MSC Student
My project is focused on understanding how B cells that reside in the meninges contribute to CNS autoimmunity. In my free time, I love to ride my bike, watch baseball, and listen to Rush.
Porsha Taheri
MSC Student
My project focuses on understanding how B cells influence T effector responses in CNS autoimmunity. Outside of the lab, I enjoy going on runs, learning new languages, and trying out new recipes!
(Jen) Ha Yeon Jang
Honour’s Thesis Student
My project is focused on understanding whether the inflammatory environments enhance B cell phagocytosis. In my free time, I like playing my cello, walking my dog and going on runs.
Courtney Elgie
Honour’s Thesis Student
In the lab, I am working to understand the relationship between cognitive impairment and pathology in mice with EAE. Outside the lab, I enjoy watching sports, learning pottery and teaching myself new languages.
Edwin Trinh
Honour’s Thesis Student
My project is focused on amplifying spatial transcriptomics data to characterize B cells in meningeal clusters in a model of anti-myelin autoimmunity. Outside the lab, I enjoy working and going shopping.
Lab Alumni
Graduate and Post-Doctoral Trainees
Eden Kemal, MSC’24
Awarded: NSERC Undergraduate Summer Research Award 2022
KerfootLab: Summer Student, Honours Thesis Student, MSC student
Currently: Medical Student at Western
Lika Chowdhury, MSC’22
KerfootLab: MSC student
Next: Core Facility Lab Technician
Awarded: MSSOC PDF Fellowship 2017-20
Before Us: PHD’14 University of South Australia
KerfootLab: Post Doctoral Fellow (2016-20)
Next: Post Doc with Dr. Troyer UWO
Currently: Medical Science Liaison, Lundbeck Canada
Kate Parham, PHD
Awarded: MSSOC PhD Studentship 2018-21
KerfootLab: Honours Thesis Student, PHD Student
Currently: Associate at McKinsey & Company
Yodit Tesfagiorgis, PHD’21
Awarded: MSSOC PhD Studentship 2015-18
KerfootLab: Honours Thesis Student, Accelerated MSC Student, PHD Student
Currently: Post Doctoral Fellow, University of Calgary.
Rajiv Jain, PHD‘18
Undergraduate Trainees
KerfootLab: Honours Thesis Student
Next: Medical Student at Western
Jephanie Chow, BMSC Honours ‘24
KerfootLab: Honours Thesis Student
Next: Medical Student at University of Manitoba
Sahand Marzban, BMSC Honours ‘24
KerfootLab: Honours Thesis Student
Next: Medical Student at Western
Ahmed Mohamed, BMSC Honours ‘23
KerfootLab: Honours Thesis Student
Next: Medical Student and the University of Toronto
Kevin Zhang, BMSC Honours ‘22
Awarded: NSERC USRA 2020
KerfootLab: Project Student, Summer Student, Honours Thesis Student
Next: Medical Student at the University of Ottawa
Sherry Tan, BMSC Honours ‘21
KerfootLab: Honours Thesis Student
Next: PHD Student at the University of Toronto
Robbie Jin, BMSC Honours ‘20
KerfootLab: Honours Thesis Student
Next: MSC Student with Dr. Dekaban UWO
Currently: Medical Student at Western
Eoin Blythe, BMSC Honours ‘20
KerfootLab: Honours Thesis Student
Next: Clinical Trials Management Diploma Program, Western University.
Currently: Research Coordinator at LHSC
Yomna El-Sakka, BMSC Honors '18
KerfootLab: Honours Thesis Student
Next: Internship at Apotex Pharmaceutical
Currently: Saba University Medical School
Maitri Makwana, BMSC Honors '18
KerfootLab: Honours Thesis Student
Next: Pharmacy at the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy.
Currently: Pharmacist
Alicia Dakins, BMSC Honors '17
KerfootLab: Honours Thesis Student
Next: Medical student at McMaster University.
Sarah Zhu, BMSC Honors '16
KerfootLab: Honours Thesis Student
Currently: Technologist at Sanofi Pasteur, making vaccines.
Emiliano Romanchik, BMSC Honors '14
GENOTYPING SUPPORT CREW
We have a great team of Work Study students who help us with genotyping our mouse colonies, data analysis, and keeping the lab running.
Current Team:
Temitayo Babalola
Edward Nguyen
Resha Hashisho
Zahraa Al-Attwani
Zainab Al-Rammahi
Previous members:
Jennifer Jang
Saad Khan
Naba Zia
Amir Parvaresh
Jasdeep Sandhu
Rachelle Cann
Dipen Soni
Irene (Irit) Bondar
Manvir Kahlon
Philip Radojcic
Irene (Irit) Bondar
Tammy Ng
Calwing Liao
Daniel Hermiz
Justin Lin
Dongkyu Kim
Rachelle Cann
Benjamin Fuhrmann
Aboudie Abouzid
David Seo
Peter Shih
Salim Hassan
Dasom Yoo
Allan Younes
John Berger
