Robin J. Parks, PhD

rparks@ohri.ca
Telephone: (613) 737-8123
Fax: (613) 737-8803

Senior Scientist, Regenerative Medicine, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Current Members of the Parks Laboratory

Robin J. Parks
Originally from North Gower, Ontario, Robin completed his B.Sc. in 1988 at the University of Guelph (Guelph, Ontario). His fourth year honors project involved the characterization of Drosophila superoxide dismutase in the laboratory of Dr. John Phillips. While pursuing his undergraduate degree, several summers were spent working at the Health Protection Branch of Health Canada (Ottawa, Ontario) as a laboratory animal technician and a research technician, under the guidance of Dr. Larry Whitehouse. Robin completed his M.Sc. degree in 1991 with Dr. David H. Evans (University of Guelph) with a thesis entitled "Genetic Studies of Poxvirus Recombination." From 1991 to 1993, he worked as a technician in the laboratories of Dr. Eva Nagy (Ontario Veterinary College) and Dr. David H. Evans. From 1993 to 1996, Robin pursued a Ph.D. degree with Dr. Evans, authoring a thesis entitled, "Biochemical and Genetic Studies of Poxvirus Recombination." Robin completed a three year postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Frank Graham (McMaster University), working on the development and characterization of helper-dependent Ad vectors. He established his laboratory at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute in 1999. Robin spends most of his time "at the bench".

Kathy L. Poulin (Sargent)
Kathy was born and raised in Prescott, Ontario. She completed her degree in Biotechnology and General Arts and Science at St. Lawrence College in 1999. Kathy next spent two years as a Research Associate Scientist with Ecopia BioSciences Inc. (Montreal, Quebec), focusing on high-throughput sequencing for identification of genes and pathways directing the synthesis of known and unknown natural products. Kathy joined the Parks laboratory in 2001 as a Research technician, and has been involved in most projects in the laboratory.

Andrea Giberson
Andrea is a Franco-Ontarian born in Ottawa. She recently completed her undergraduate degree in Microbiology at the University of Guelph. While in Guelph, she worked as an NSERC-funded summer student in Dr. Chris Whitfield's lab researching the transport of bacterial LPS to the outer membrane. She worked on a fourth year thesis project in Dr. Sarah Wootton's laboratory studying proteins that interact with the Enzootic Nasal Tumor Virus envelope protein. Andrea joined the Parks lab in May 2010 to pursue a Masters degree in Microbiology and Immunology. Andrea's research is funded in part through an Ontario Graduate Scholarships in Science and Technology (OGSST).

Benoit Goulet
An Edmonton native, Ben completed his B.Sc. in the Biopharmaceutical Science Program (with Genomics option) at the University of Ottawa. During his undergraduate training, he spent an 8-month co-op term at Environmental Microbiology and Agri-Food Canada (Ottawa, ON) studying the bacteria Arcobacter. Ben also spent just over a year as a co-op student and Honors Project student studying dietary carbohydrates and its influence on obesity in rats at Health Canada (Ottawa, ON). Ben joined the Parks lab in June 2010 as a Masters student in the Microbiology and Immunology Program.

Olga Vorobyova
Born in Kharkov, Ukraine, Olga is an undergraduate student in the Biochemistry Program at the University of Ottawa. Olga spent the Winter 2010 semester studying as an international exchange student at the Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1 in Lyon, France. She joined the Parks lab in July 2010 as a summer student, and also stayed on to complete her fourth year honor's thesis. Prior to joining the Parks lab, Olga gained research experience as a summer student at La Ministere d'Agriculture, Pecheries et Alimentation (Quebec City, QC) and the National Research Council (Ottawa, ON).

Adam R. Davidson
Growing up in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Adam completed his HBSc in Applied Bio-Molecular Science at Lakehead University in May 2010. During his undergraduate education, Adam completed a research internship in ethnobotany under Dr. Lada Malek, and an Honors Project attempting to use a Lambda Red recombinase system to fluorescently label E. coli cells for studies on E. coli survival and persistence in the environment. In September 2010, Adam joined the Parks lab as an MSc candidate in Microbiology and Immunology. Adam's research is funded in part through an Ontario Graduate Scholarships in Science and Technology (OGSST).

Joe Burns
Originally from Sarnia, Ontario, Joe is in the last year of his B.Sc. studies in Biochemistry (Co-op) at the University of Ottawa. Joe completed a one year co-op term in 2009 at the Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre/OHRI under the guidance of Dr. John Bell, primarily developing methods for quantitative PCR and immunohistochemical analysis of tissue samples to evaluate oncolytic virus efficacy. Joe also did a four month co-op term in the summer of 2010 at Spartan Biosciences (Ottawa, ON). Joe is currently completing his undergraduate thesis project in the Parks lab, evaluating methods to enhance protein secretion from mammalian cells.

Past Laboratory Members

Milagros Risco Quiroz
Originally from Peru, Milagros completed three years of Medical School before moving to Canada with her family in August 2000. She entered the University of Ottawa Biopharmaceutical Science with Medicinal Chemistry program in September 2002. As a fourth year student, Milagros studied the effect of SARS on GW bodies in Dr. Ken Dimock's laboratory. Milagros joined the Parks laboratory in May 2007 as a Master Student in the Microbiology and Immunology program at the University of Ottawa. Milagros' research focuses on the development of novel therapies for spinal muscular atrophy. Milagros completed her degree in January 2010, but remained in the Parks lab as a research technician until November 2010.

Carin Christou
Carin completed her B.Sc. in the Biopharmaceutical Science Program at the University of Ottawa. Working with Dr. John Bell, Carin completed her M.Sc. in 2009, having studied the influence of the humoral immune response on efficacy of oncolytic vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). Carin joined the Parks lab in April 2009 as a Research Technician and was involved in many projects in the lab. Carin left in August 2010 to further her academic career.

Grace Tong
Originally from Mississauga, ON, Grace completed her third year in the Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences Program at McMaster University (Hamilton, ON) and served an 8-month co-op term in the Parks lab (January-August 2010). While in the Parks lab, Grace worked on improving adenovirus efficacy as an oncolytic vector, and characterizing the role of adenovirus capsid protein IX (pIX) in the virus lifecycle.

Michael Kennedy
Mike grew up in Ladysmith, British Columbia, and completed his B.Sc in Kinesiology at Simon Fraser University (Burnaby, BC) in 1999. Michael completed his PhD in 2006 with Dr. C.B. Verchere at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC), where he studied dysfunction of pancreatic beta cells. Michael's PhD studies were supported by a studentship from the Canadian Diabetes Association and CIHR. Michael did a brief postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Michel Leroux at Simon Fraser University (Burnaby, BC), and was supported by a fellowship from the Canadian Alstrom Society. Michael joined the Parks laboratory in August 2007 as a Postdoctoral Fellow, and his research focuses on the innate immune response to adenovirus and development of novel therapies for cystic fibrosis. Mike left the Parks lab in January 2010.

P. Joel Ross
Originally from Quispamsis, New Brunswick, Joel completed his B.Sc. in Biology at the University of New Brunswick in 2002. As a fourth year student, Joel studied the molecular systematics of red algae in Dr. Gary Saunders laboratory and his thesis was entitled "Molecular investigation of Mazzaella morphologically intermediate to M. splendens and M. linearis". While pursuing his undergraduate degree, Joel spent two summers working with Dr. Saunders. Joel joined the Parks laboratory in September 2002 and was a Ph.D. student in the Microbiology and Immunology program at the University of Ottawa. Joel was supported by studentships from the National Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and a Canada Graduate Scholarship from NSERC. Joel's research focused on transcriptional targeting of helper-dependent Ad vectors.  Joel completed his degree in December 2008.

Adam Smith
Adam spent his early years in Bright's Grove, Ontario, and completed a B.Sc in Biochemistry at the University of Waterloo. As a Co-op student, he gained practical research experience in the laboratory of Dr. Steve Scherer while studying the imprinting status of the human Neurabin gene. Adam completed a M.Sc. degree in 2006 at the University of Toronto in the Medical and Molecular Genetics Program. As a member of Dr. John Brumell's research team at the Hospital for Sick Children, he studied the intracellular interactions between Salmonella Typhimurium and host cellular Rab GTPases. Adam joined the Parks laboratory in August 2006 as a research technician and left the lab in July 2008 to pursue a career in industry.

Kristin Willemsen
Originally from Stittsville, Ontario, Kristin recently completed a B.Sc. at the University of Toronto. As a fourth year student, Kristin studied the anabolic actions of androgens on myogenic stem cells in neonatal rats in Dr. Ashley Monks' laboratory. Kristin is working towards an M.Sc. degree in Microbiology and Immunology. Kristin's research was focused on using adenovirus as a gene therapy vector for treating muscle-related disorders.  Kristin completed her degree in December 2008.

Karen Powell
Karen grew up in Ottawa and received her B.Sc. in Biochemistry and Biotechnology at Carleton University (Ottawa, Ontario) in 2003. While completing her undergraduate degree, she worked as a summer student in the Parathyroid Group at the National Research Council - Ottawa, developing a preventative treatment for osteoporosis. As a fourth year student, Karen studied genes involved in fungal non-self recognition in Dr. Myron Smith's laboratory at Carleton University. Following her undergraduate degree, Karen worked as a junior research technician for Carleton University in collaboration with Environment Canada, before enrolling in the M.Sc. program at the University of Ottawa. As a student in Dr. Fraser Scott's laboratory at OHRI, she studied the potential link between wheat consumption and type 1 diabetes, with a thesis entitled "Identification of type 1 diabetes-related proteins". Karen was a research technician in the Parks laboratory from July 2006 to August 2007, when she left to pursue a career in teaching.

Catherine Barrett
A native of Ottawa, Ontario, Catherine completed a B.MSc at the University of Western Ontario (London, Ontario) in 2006. As a fourth year honors student, she worked on a thesis project in Dr. Grant McFadden's laboratory studying the immunoregulatory properties of the Myxoma virus M141R protein. During her undergraduate years, Catherine spent two summers as a research assistant in the laboratory of Dr. McFadden at the Robarts Research Institute. Catherine was a junior research technician in the Parks laboratory from September 2006 to August 2007, and left to pursue a career in Medicine.

Robert M. Lanthier
Originally from Nepean, Ontario, Bobby completed his B.Sc. in Biochemistry (Co-op) at the University of Ottawa in 2004. While pursuing his undergraduate degree, Bobby spent his Co-op terms working at iSTAT Canada (Ottawa, Ontario) in the R&D department evaluating novel cartridges for measuring blood gas levels, the Cosmetics Division of Health Canada (Ottawa Ontario) developing a comprehensive database of hazardous chemicals, and the Vaccines Division of Health Canada in the Smallpox Laboratory, developing a real-time PCR method for the identification of mycoplasma contamination in smallpox vaccines. Bobby joined the Parks Lab in 2003 as an undergraduate student and entered the Master's program in 2004. Bobby completed his Master's degree in April 2007. Bobby is currently employed at Health Canada.

Koralee Chaisson
Originally from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Koralee completed her B.Sc. in Biochemistry at Mount Allison University in 2004. In her fourth year at Mount Allison, as a member of Dr. Suzie Currie's laboratory, Koralee studied the effects of temperature on the susceptibility of juvenile rainbow trout to endocrine disruption by the estrogen mimic 4-nonylphenol. During the summers of her undergraduate degree, Koralee gained research experience in the laboratory of Dr. Rick Peters at the Charlottetown Crops and Livestock Research Center of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, where she studied potato fungus Rhizoctonia solani and the effect of raw and composted seafood processing waste on nutrition and disease control of potatoes. Koralee joined the Parks laboratory in August 2004 and completed her degree in April 2007. Koralee was supported by an Ontario Graduate Scholarship. Koralee is currently a clinical coordinator at the Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre.

Robert M. Meulenbroek
Rob was raised in Mountain, Ontario, and completed a B.Sc. at the University of Guelph, and the Medical Laboratory Technician Program at St. Lawrence College. Prior to joining the Parks lab as a Research Technician in 2001, Rob worked as a Medical Laboratory Para-Technician for MDS Laboratories (Ottawa, Ontario). Rob's research in the Parks lab involved development and characterization of fluorescently tagged adenovirus capsids through use of a pIX-GFP fusion protein, as well as assisting in various other projects. Rob left the Parks lab in 2005 to start his own business.

Lauren E. Smith
Originally from Ottawa, Ontario, Lauren completed her B.Sc. in 2002 at the University of Ottawa. During her undergraduate studies, she spent two summers gaining laboratory experience at the University of Ottawa, in addition to completing a fourth year honors project in the laboratory of Dr. David Parry. Lauren joined the Parks lab as an M.Sc. student in 2003, jointly supervised by Drs. Parks and Bernard J. Jasmin, focusing on gene therapy for muscular dystrophy. Lauren left the lab in 2004 to pursue a career in Medicine.

Marta Pavliv
Marta completed her B.Sc. at the University of Ottawa in 1998. During her undergraduate studies, Marta gained lab experience through summer positions at Agriculture Canada and University of Ottawa, as well as completing a fourth year honors project in the laboratory of Dr. Cheng Ng (Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre). Marta joined the Parks lab as a Research Technician in 1999, and focused upon characterization of adenovirus E1A as a cancer therapeutic and development of murine secreted alkaline phosphatase as a reporter gene. Marta left the Parks lab in 2001 to pursue a career in Teaching.