The Team
Meet our members who are currently or have contributed to working on our projects
*as of October 2025
Stephanie Zandee, PhD
Primary Investigator & Assistant Professor at McGill
Dr. Stephanie Zandee began her scientific training at Radboud University in Nijmegen (The Netherlands), where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Molecular Life Sciences and a Master’s degree in Molecular Mechanisms of Disease. During her Master's research internships, she developed a strong interest in Multiple Sclerosis (MS), which led her to pursue a PhD at the University of Edinburgh (Scotland) in the laboratories of Dr. Stephen Anderton and Dr. Anna Williams. Her doctoral research focused on the role of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in MS pathology and was among the first to describe the presence of Tregs in MS brain lesions.
Following her PhD, Dr. Zandee joined the laboratory of Dr. Alexandre Prat at the Centre de recherche du CHUM (CrCHUM) in Montreal, where she continued her research on Tregs, investigating the mechanisms by which these cells traverse the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to enter the central nervous system. She developed an interest in the role of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-37 in regulating the BBB and its implications in MS. She also began applying machine learning techniques to integrate clinical data with flow cytometry data of peripheral blood derived cells from people living with MS, aiming to identify novel biomarkers for disease progression and immune regulation in MS. Over the course of eight years, she also coordinated the Prat lab’s brain bank and autopsy program and received extensive training in MS neuropathology.
As of July 2024, Dr. Zandee has established her independent research group at the Montreal Neurological Institute (The Neuro), McGill University. Read more about the lab’s mission here
Research Assistant
Skander Ben Ahmed
September 2025 -
Skander obtained his Master’s degree in Bioinformatics from Université de Montréal. At the Prat Lab (Dr. Alexandre Prat) at the CHUM Research Centre, he focused on transcriptomic profiling of multiple sclerosis lesions using bulk, single-cell, and spatial RNA sequencing. He also worked on the transcriptional response of human brain endothelial cells stimulated with pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, as well as on immunological predictors of disease progression. In September 2025, he joined the Zandee/Thebault Lab at The Neuro – McGill University, where he applies bioinformatics and machine learning to study neuroinflammation and the evolution of MS brain lesions. Outside the lab, Skander enjoys playing soccer, working out, and traveling.
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Postdoc fellow
Daryan Chitsaz
August 2025 -
Daryan obtained his PhD in Neuroscience from McGill in 2024 and then worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Neuro's Neuroimmunology Unit studying the cellular mechanisms of myelin formation and maintenance. In his research, Daryan strives to bridge his love of technology and cell biology by applying microfabrication techniques, advanced microscopy, and computer vision to develop cell culture methods to study oligodendrocytes. As a postdoc in the Zandee lab, he is employing spatial proteomics and transcriptomics to improve our understanding of how brain degeneration occurs in MS, specifically why some lesions regenerate better than others. In his precious spare time, Daryan enjoys cooking, games, and all things sci-fi.
PhD student
Renata Ghenno Manrique
August 2025 -
Renata completed her bachelor’s degree in biotechnology engineering at the Tecnológico de Monterrey, in Mexico. She studied cellular models and biomarkers of myotonic dystrophy type 1 and spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 during her internship at a national health institute in Mexico City. She then pursued a master’s in neuroscience at the Université de Montréal, where she specialized in a glaucoma treatment targeting mitochondrial dysfunction. In the Zandee lab, Renata is performing the characterization of deep grey and white matter lesions and the investigation of molecular mechanisms involved in their evolution during multiple sclerosis. In her free time, she enjoys discovering new places to eat, watching TV shows, singing, and spending time with her cat Trufa.
MSc Student
Alexander Baumgaertner
August 2025 -
Alex joined Dr. Zandee's lab in 2025 pursuing an MSc in McGill's Integrate Program in Neuroscience. His work focuses on linking the spatial organization of immune cells in MS lesions with immune cell profiles in cerebrospinal fluid to uncover biomarkers to improve disease monitoring and guide treatment for people with MS. Alex earned his BSc in Systems and Information Biology from Concordia University and has experience in both enzymology and pharmaceutical research. Outside of the lab, Alex enjoys attending local concerts, reading sci-fi, and hanging out with his cat.
MSc Student
Youssef Salama
September 2025 -
Youssef completed his undergraduate degree in Systems and Biomedical Engineering at Cairo University in 2025 and joined the Zandee Lab the same year as a Master’s student in McGill’s Integrated Program in Neuroscience (IPN). His research focuses on data analysis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) lesions, combining single-cell data with spatial imaging from PhenoCycler to study lesion heterogeneity and cell interactions using computational and statistical methods. Outside the lab, he enjoys staying connected with his family, listening to podcasts, cooking, and learning foreign languages.
MSc Student
Sara Chafik
September 2024 -
Sara earned her Bachelors in Neuroscience at McGill and is currently a Master’s student in the IPN studying the complement system in multiple sclerosis (MS), with a focus on the role of complement factor C6 in microglia. C6 is a key component of the membrane attack complex (MAC), a pore-forming structure that targets cells and pathogens for lysis. her project builds on findings from Dr. Zandee’s previous work, which identified C6 deposits in periventricular white matter lesions—areas commonly affected in MS. She is excited to explore how microglia contribute to this process and what it might reveal about neuroinflammation and disease progression.
Undergrad
Emily Zhong
January 2025 -
Emily is a U3 undergrad from Microbiology and Immunology. She is now working on her honours project in the Zandee lab, investigating the expression of IL-37 and its receptors by monocyte-derived macrophages from MS patients vs healthy donors.
Fun facts: She is a Chinese calligrapher and an electric guitar player.
Cats are the best!!
Undergrad
Alex Myles
September 2025 -
​Alex is an U3 undergraduate student majoring in Neuroscience. He joined the Zandee lab in January of 2026 and works on spatial proteomics in MS lesioned human brains, specifically working on developing an antibody panel for immunohistochemistry of MS brain tissue. In his free time, Alex enjoys playing sports, hanging out with friends, and cooking.
Undergrad
Londynn Ostroff
January 2026 -
Londynn is a U2 Pharmacology student currently completing an independent research project in the Zandee lab. She is investigating IL-37 signaling in human brain endothelial cells to better understand its mechanisms and expression in neuroinflammation. She is fascinated by uncovering the mechanisms underlying disease. In her free time, Londynn loves to cook, read, listen to podcasts, and go to concerts with friends and family.
Intern
Jan Luu
June 2025 -
Jan obtained her BSc in Biochemistry with a minor in Neuroscience from McGill in 2025. In the Zandee lab, she is currently working on the histology for MS lesion classification, using oil red O and Luxol fast blue. She has many hobbies to fill her time outside of the lab, such as crocheting, sewing and cooking.
Undergrad
Thomas Trofimov
May 2026 -
Thomas is currently entering U3 as an Honors Immunology major. He is working on an immunohistochemistry project on FCD type IIb. The project explores the relationship between balloon cells and astrocytes and how their interaction relates to the disease. In his free time, he enjoys playing the piano and learning new instruments, cooking, and going to the movies with friends.
Intern
Kate Towers
January 2026 -