TEAMendo Members
Principal Investigator
Dr. Vance Trudeau
Vance L. Trudeau was born and raised in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Kjipuktuk, Mi’kma’ki, the unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.
Trudeau received his BSc and MSc from McGill University and PhD at the University of Alberta under the supervision of Richard E. Peter. After post-doctoral training in Canada with Leo Renaud and in France with Dominique Poulain and Dionysia Theodosis, he took up his first academic position at the University of Aberdeen (Scotland). He later joined the Department of Biology, University of Ottawa in 1998.
Trudeau holds the University of Ottawa Research Chair in Neuroendocrinology (2011-2026) and leads a team of dynamic trainees with wide interests and talents. Worldwide collaborations are also fundamental to the advancement of our research and are deeply appreciated. His group's research is directed towards understanding how the vertebrate brain regulates anterior pituitary hormones that control sexual development and reproduction using fish and frog models. Applications of this basic research include spawning induction methods for endangered amphibians, among others. The team also studies the effects of sex steroids and pollutants (pharmaceuticals, pesticides, petroleum products) on development and reproduction in fish and frogs. This concept is called endocrine disruption. Research conducted by TEAMENDO.CA has implications for environmental and human health because many of these hormonal systems are conserved across species. This means that what is discovered in one species, has major implications in other vertebrate, including humans.
Trudeau was founding Vice-President of the North American Society for Comparative Endocrinology (http://nasce-snaec.com/) and is the current President of the International Society for Fish Endocrinology (https://www.isfendo.com/)
Teaching philosophy: to share the wonders of animal physiology and endocrinology and to help students at all levels to critically assess and conduct research on these topics.
Hobbies: composing and playing music, hiking, fermentation biology, cooking
Check out Dr. Trudeau's band, The Wayward Sound, here:
The Wayward Sound album
The Wayward Sound Single "Clarence" on Spotify and Apple Music
Graduate Students
Udeesha Erandani | PhD Candidate
2019-present
Udeesha is a PhD student who studies the role secretogranin 2 and secretoneurin peptides in zebrafish reproduction. She uses a range of approaches including gene editing, behavioural analysis and neuronatomy. Other than research, she likes to bake, crochet, travel and music as her hobbies.
Jeffrey Ethier | PhD Candidate
2020-present
Jeffrey is a behavioural ecologist with a focus on acoustics and animal vocalizations. His current PhD research project focuses on the vocal behaviour of boreal chorus frogs (Pseudacris maculata). When he isn’t recording frog calls, Jeffrey can be found going for hikes, reading science fiction and fantasy novels, or fostering animals in need. He has a cat, Penelope, whom he adores.
Maddie Empey | PhD Candidate
2020-present
Madelaine is a Ph.D. Candidate studying the effects of pesticides on amphibians. Her research aims to provide critically missing data on the impacts of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and deltamethrin insecticides on Canadian frogs. Madelaine’s passions include herpetology, natural history museums, and spending time in nature. After her Ph.D., she hopes to continue a career in conserving Canada’s natural heritage and protecting species at risk through research.
Brianna Raven | PhD Candidate
2020-present
Brianna is a PhD candidate that joined the lab in 2020. Her research is focussed on the reproductive neuroendocrine functions of kisspeptin and secretoneurin in the Western clawed frog, Silurana tropicalis. This research will be accomplished using methods including droplet digital PCR, immunohistochemistry, and RNA-Seq. Her hobbies include playing music, cooking, and exploring the outdoors.
Google Scholar | ResearchGate | brave030@uottawa.ca
Emmanuelle Monniez | PhD Candidate
2021-present
Under the co-supervision of Drs. Vance Trudeau and Carole Yauk (GReAT lab), my research aims to determine the effects of developmental exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) on the regulation of the stress axis in zebrafish. I am investigating both long-life and transgenerational effects and will compare transcriptomic, physiological, and behavioural endpoints.
Dinusha Rajapaksha | PhD Student
2022-present
My name is Dinusha Rajapaksha. I am Ph.D. student working under Drs. Jan Mennigen and Vance Trudeau. I investigate the role of oxytocin in zebrafish reproduction. I will explore the activation of oxytocinergic neuronal circuits and potential co-localization with other neuropeptides.
Chunyu Lu | Post Doctoral Fellow
2023-present
Chunyu Lu is a skilled postdoctoral fellow with a diverse background in engineering, analytical chemistry, and solid phase peptide synthesis. For this PhD, he investigated the role of the emerging reproductive peptide secretoneurin. As a member of the TEAMendo group, he also provides critical analytical support for fellow lab members. Currently, research is focussed on an exciting conservation project in collaboration with Environment and Climate Change Canada. He wants to develop steroid analysis methods for large mammals such as caribou and bison.
Paola Figueroa | MSc Student
2024-present
Paola is a MSc student investigating how secretoneurin peptides regulate ovarian function in zebrafish. Her project methods mainly consist of ovarian immunocytochemical localization and untargeted proteomics. Outside of the lab, she enjoys playing the ukulele, trying new recipes, and going trampolining. After her graduate studies, Paola aspires to enhance women's health care, potentially through the innovative application of functional medicine.
TEAMendo Alumni
Honour's Students
Megan Worth 2023
Mariko Brunet 2023
Kamryn Henderson 2022
Mylene Therrien 2022
Daeun Choi 2022
Sierra Dowling 2020
Daniella Muhanzi 2020
Selena Do 2020
Elizabeth Farmer 2019
Natalia Titkova 2019
Andrew Zhang 2018
Jeremy Larcher 2018
Iulia Cornila 2018
Jessica Zon 2018
Wo Su Zhang 2018
Majd Hadad 2018
Paige Benson 2018
Olivia McKee-Muir 2017
Brendan Kelly 2016
David Hoang 2017
Khadija Diallo 2016
Erin Blake 2016
Wei Seah 2015
Ailsa Gan 2015
Elizaveta Bulaeva 2012
Miriam Neufeld 2012
Agnes Crnic 2011
Jake Zmora 2011
Rita Hafizi 2011
Brendan Kelly 2010
Lauren Hall 2008
Chantal Lanctot 2010
Jacqui Wignall 2009
M DiPetti 2009
Kendra Hodgkinson 2009
Elvin Tan 2009
Malar Annal 2009
Emily Gerrie 2007
Sally Ing 2008
Francina Jackson 2008
Linda Jewell 2007
Amanda Carew 2007
Henrietta Parnas 2007
Catherine Millar 2007
Lindsay Burton 2006
J.P. Bouffard 2006
Valérie Langlois 2005
Paula Duarte 2005
Alison Crawford 2005
Joel Cahn 2005
Ariel Burns 2005
Barbara Perez 2003
Irene Fung 2003
D. Aimé 2003
Jane MacAulay 2002
Vassiliki Nikoletopolou 2002
Ben Hibbert 2002
M. Plouffe 2001
Mélanie Rochon 2000
Maxine Croteau 2001
Lisa MacEachern 2001
Geraldine Majchrzak 2000
Magda Jagla 2000
Valerie Greco 2000
Katherine Larivière 1999
Meeka MacMillan 199
Graduate Students
Master’s Thesis Students
Jeanne Dudemaine (uLaval, Co-Supervisor with M. Mazerolle) 2025
Victoria Spadacini 2024
Aurore Fayard (uLaval, Co-Supervisor with M. Mazerolle) 2022
Wo Su Zhang 2020
Monica Reyes 2020
Federico Sacchi 2018
Maria Vu 2017
Dillon Dafonte 2014
Brooke Cameron 2015
Claudine Lefevbre 2013 (J. Blais, principal supervisor)
Myy Mikwar 2014
Chantal Lanctot 2012
Courtney Robertson 2012
Kristin Lesaux-Farmer 2010
Jennifer C. Gibson 2006 (Co-Supervisor with D. Lean)
Jeanette Sassine 2009 (T. Moon, principal supervisor)
Marwan Samia 2002
Pierre Therriault 2002
E Zhao 2004
Katherine Larivière 2003
Doug Crump 2000 (Co-Supervisor with D. Lean)
PhD students
Katherine Shaw 2023
Di Peng 2022
Chunyu Lu 2022
Amin Nozari 2021
Leila Sutuyeva 2019 (T. Shalakhmetova, principal supervisor at Al-Farabi Kazahk National University)
Kim Mitchell 2018
Juan M Gutierrez Villagomez 2018
Marilyn Vera Chang 2016 (Co-Supervisor with T. Moon)
Carolina Salgado Costa 2016 (Co-Supervisor with G. Natale, Universidad National La Plata)
Lei Xing 2015
Maddie Venables 2015
Andrey Massarsky 2014 (Co-Supervisor with T. Moon)
Andrew Waye 2015 (Co-Supervisor with J.T. Arnason)
Ahmed Al-Ansari 2012 (Co-Supervisor with J. Blais)
Jan Mennigen 2011 (Co-Supervisor with T. Moon)
Susanna Wiens 2009
E Zhao 2010
Martha Mullaly 2011 (Co-Supervisor with J.T. Arnason)
Wudu Lado 2012 (Co-Supervisor with J. Lewis)
Paula Duarte Guterman 2011
Steve Melvin 2012 (visiting student from J. Houlahan’s lab, UNBSJ)
Valérie Langlois 2010
Colin Cameron 2010 (Co-Supervisor with T. Moon)
Dapeng Zhang 2009
Jason Popesku 2009
Maxine C. Croteau 2008 (Co-Supervisor with D. Lean)
Chris J. Martyniuk 2006
Caroline Mimeault 2008 (Co-Supervisor with T. Moon)
Jessica Head 2006 (S. Kennedy, principal supervisor)
Natasha Hogan 2006 (Co-Supervisor with D. Lean)
Christian Doyon 2003 (Co-Supervisor with T. Moon)
Elsbeth Jane Fraser 1999
Post Doc/Research Associates
Postdoctoral Researchers
Diane Orihel 2015 – 2017 (Co-Supervisor with J. Blais)
Michal Galus 2015 – 2017
Mukunda Goswami 2013 - 2014
Laia Navarro-Martin 2008 – 2014
Christy Snyder (nee Hamilton) 2011 – 2013
Hongxia Hu 2009 - 2010
Ravinder Sardana 2001 - 2003
Peter T Bosma 1996 - 1997
Mercedes Blazquez 1996 – 1997
Research Associates
Linhui Yao 2007 - 2009
Purva Wagh 2008 - 2010
Lea Fiechi-Meric 2016
Conner Edington 2015 - 2016
Crystal Esau 2014 - 2015
Minshou Lin 2013 - 2013
Suzanna Chiu 1996 - 2002