Leila Mostaço-Guidolin, PI
PhD, Biomedical Engineering, University of Manitoba (2015)
M.Sc., Physics applied to Medicine and Biology, Universidade de São Paulo (2009)
B.Sc., Medical Physics, Universidade de São Paulo (2007)
Dr. Mostaço-Guidolin is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Systems and Computer Engineering at Carleton University. She obtained her doctorate from the Biomedical Engineering program at The University of Manitoba, working in close collaboration with the NRC-Winnipeg developing image analysis methods to characterize cardiovascular diseases. After completing her graduate work, she moved to Vancouver to undertake a postdoctoral position at the University of British Columbia, at the Heart Lung Innovation Centre, focusing on the application of imaging modalities for respiratory research and the development of 3D in-vitro models.
Life outside of work:
Leila is a sports lover, from swimming to cross country skiing, basketball and anything in between. She was part of the Brazilian Cross Country Ski and Biathlon team for a few years, attempting to qualify for the Winter Olympic Games (nope, it did not work despite all the effort!). She enjoys the outdoors and being active as well as travelling (the biggest ‘cultural shock’, the better). When at home, she enjoys drawing and reading all kinds of interesting books. Recently she started learning Egyptian hieroglyphs – just because why not? :)
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Natasha Kunchur, Ph.D. Candidate in Biomedical Engineering (Data Science)
Honours B.Sc., Biomedical Sciences, University of Ottawa (2020)
Natasha Kunchur is a Master’s of Applied Sciences in Biomedical Engineering with a specialization in Data Science under the Department of Systems and Computer Engineering at Carleton University. She obtained her Bachelors of Science in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Ottawa in 2020. Despite her love for biology, Natasha has always had a passion for Math and Data analysis, making it an easy transition into the world of engineering at Carleton in 2020. Working closely Dr. Mostaço-Guidolin’s, Natasha’s research explores the applications of Machine Learning in the field of Raman spectroscopy, analyzing various methods which could be used to accurately classify tissue components and Raman spectra in an automated fashion. Alongside Machine Learning, Natasha also dips into the field of image processing, exploring various techniques which could be used to best enhance and analyze images obtained from various biomedical imaging instrumentations.
Life outside of work/studies:
Natasha is a huge fan of living an active lifestyle. Having played sports her entire life (from soccer to basketball to weights training), Natasha loves chasing the high of exercising. The pandemic has exaggerated Natasha’s love for the outdoors, allowing her to explore and appreciate the beautiful hiking trails hidden around Ottawa and Gatineau. Alongside exercising, Natasha is an avid fan of travelling and learning about the beautiful cultures the world has to offer. She is definitely counting down the days till she can get on an airplane again! Other passions of Natasha include teaching dance to kids, learning to make new recipes and volunteering for local sports teams.
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Guilherme Contesini, Ph.D. Candidate in Biomedical Engineering
B.Sc., Physics, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (2017)
M.Sc., Physics applied to Medicine and Biology, Universidade de São Paulo (2019)
Guilherme Contesini, or simply Contesini, Conte, or Gui, is a physicist currently doing his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at Carlton University. The theme of his research is Tissue Engineering, Data analysis and Imaging processing. Conte obtained his M.Sc. degree in Physics, specializing in Physics applied to Medicine and Biology at São Paulo University. During his M.Sc., he worked on developing a theory connecting Statistical Physics and Thermodynamics to Game Theory and Decision-Making. During his Master’s, he also studied dynamical and stochastic models for problems in Sociophysics, Econophysics and Biological systems. Conte graduated with a B.Sc. degree in Physics at Santa Catarina Federal University. During his undergraduate, he concentrated his studies on epidemiological models (BGW, Agent-Based, and Compartimetal Models), as well as on the statistical analysis of computer simulations and on mathematical physics (Fredholm Theory).
Life outside of work/studies:
During his free time, you will find him woodworking, designing projects, or studying metalwork (he is still a newbie and does not own a lathe or a milling machine, yet). He also loves to bake Portuguese and Italian recipes. On rare occasions, you will find him outside skywatching and doing astrophotography, two of his first, most beloved hobbies.
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Amulya Kaianathbhatta, Master’s Student in Biomedical Engineering
B.Eng., Biomedical Electrical Engineering, Carleton University (2022)
Amulya is working on understanding the effects of sample processing on the ECM structure. More specifically, she has been working hard to develop image analysis tools to characterize changes related to collagen fibres arrangements. She obtained her Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Biomedical Engineering at Carleton University and graduated in June 2022. She joined the group in January 2022, and has been our microscopy guru!
Life outside of work/studies:
Amulya is a big fan of music. In her free time, she plays a few different instruments; trumpet, piano, and acoustic guitar. During the summer months, she can be found hiking, biking and spending time out in nature whenever she gets a chance. In the winter, Amulya enjoys skating on the Rideau Canal. Recently, Amulya has taken up painting as a media to demonstrate her love for nature. In her downtime, she loves to watch movies from various countries to appreciate different cultures.
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Aroosha Fareghdeli, Ph.D. Student in Biomedical Engineering
B.Sc., Biomedical Engineering specialization, Amirkabir Univerisity of Tehran (2018)
M.Sc., Biomedical Engineering, Amirkabir Univerisity of Tehran (2021)
Aroosha is a Ph.D. student in Biomedical Engineering in the Department of Systems and Computer Engineering. After obtaining her Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees, both in Biomedical Engineering at Amirkabir Univerisity of Tehran, she decided to follow her passion for tissue engineering and bioprinting. In September 2022, with a background in bioengineering, she joined our research group, and her Ph.D. project involves 3D- bioprinting, non-linear optical microscopy, image analysis methods, and biology.
Life outside of work/studies:
Besides studying and researching (!), Aroosha enjoys listening to music and dancing. She also spends a good amount of time cooking, especially traditional Persian recipes, yet, she can make delicious desserts too. Being a big fan of chocolate is another fact about her. Her favourite chocolate is dark chocolates with a bit of mint favour! Moreover, outdoor activities, particularly hiking, are Aroosha’s favourite hobbies during weekends and holidays while she gets herself ready for a perfect week :)
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Sondos Qaoud, Undergraduate Student in Biomedical Engineering
B.Eng., Biomedical Electrical Engineering, Carleton University (ongoing)
I-CUREUS Undergraduate Student Researcher
Sondos completed her first year in the Biomedical Electrical Engineering program in 2021 and has wasted no time immersing herself in the research world. Sondos is currently learning more about optical microscopy and image analysis. Her project is focused on applying super-resolution confocal imaging to understand structures of tumour tissues and the ECM.
Life outside of work/studies:
Sondos enjoys many activities outside of work and studying. She loves puzzles and can often be found playing chess, where she is competing to be an international master, playing cards, solving Rubik’s cubes, playing monopoly and any other board game she can get her hands on. She is quite adventurous and has plans to skydive and bungee jump in the near future. Sondos loves travelling and learning all about the different cultures out there and wishes to visit as many countries as she possibly can! Sondos once spent a whole summer watching cooking competitions, so when at home, she believes she is Gordon Ramsay and enjoys cooking all types of food and, most importantly, eating delicious creations. She also has a huge obsession with criminal TV shows and wanted to become the next Sherlock Holmes before she fell in love with biology and physics.
Current position: 3rd-year Biomedical Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Student
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Nadia Abzan, Ph.D. Student in Biomedical Engineering
B.Sc., Biomedical Engineering specialization, Isfahan University of Technology (2018)
M.Sc., Science in Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology (2021)
Nadia started her PhD in Biomedical Engineering with a specialization in Tissue Engineering at Carleton University in Fall 2022. She obtained her Bachelor and Master of Science in Materials Engineering at the Isfahan University of Technology (Iran). During her Master’s study, Nadia focused on Human Nervous System. She fabricated and characterized 3D nerve guidance conduits based on polymeric nanocomposites for peripheral nerve injuries. Considering her inter-discipline background and experiences in Engineering, Biomaterials, and Cell culture, Nadia joined our group to start a new journey and this time, she is going to focus on understanding the effects of oxygen on ECM remodelling.
Life outside of work/studies:
Nadia has a creative mind in designing: it can be a piece of furniture, jewellery, or even a biomaterial!! Pursuing her passion for art, she started her handmade jewellery business five years ago, and since then, she’s been making handmade gold and silver jewellery pieces. She also loves trying new and challenging adventures, which has increased her skills in different areas and has made her a multitasker! Nadia’s main motive is to have positive effects on kids’ lives. She’s fulfilled her aspiration by being an active volunteer in charity work during her past academic years, raising funds to help kids with disabilities and teaching English to them. She started her career in the Biomedical Engineering field to have her footprint in enhancing kids’ health conditions.
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Jesse Levine, Undergraduate Student in Biomedical Engineering
B.Eng., Biomedical Electrical Engineering, Carleton University (ongoing)
I-CUREUS Undergraduate Student Researcher
Jesse is currently working towards his Bachelor degree in Biomedical Electrical Engineering. He has been involved with different projects in different labs, until he joined us in 2022 working on integrating Raman microspectroscopy with machine learning. His project is focused on developing tools to identify different species of bacteria commonly found in chronic wounds.
Life outside of work/studies:
TBA
Current position: 3rd-year Biomedical Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Student
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Tünde Lapohos, Master’s Student in Biomedical Engineering
B.Eng., Biomedical Electrical Engineering, Carleton University (2023)
Tünde has recently joined our group to work on developing in ‘airway-on-a-chip’ models to help us understand some basic mechanisms associated to asthma and the ECM remodelling. She obtained her Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Biomedical Engineering at Carleton University and graduated in June 2023. She joined the group in September 2023 and is learning a lot about all the challenges and beauties of in vitro models.
Life outside of work/studies:
TBA