Dr. Elyse Digby wins the NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship award and joins the DaCosta Lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow

541 684 DaCosta Lab

Welcome, Dr. Elyse Digby, who joins the DaCosta Lab as a Postdoctoral Fellow!

Elyse obtained her PhD in Biological Chemistry from Dr. Andrew Beharry’s lab at the University of Toronto, Mississauga campus, where she designed, synthesized, and applied novel small molecule photosensitizers to enhance the efficacy and selectivity of photodynamic therapy against cancer.  Elyse will apply her expertise in chemical biology research and in vivo fluorescence microscopy to her new role and lead the leukemia program in the DaCosta Lab. She will be responsible for investigating the complex biology between leukemia cells and the bone marrow microenvironment in real-time using the intravital imaging platform and live mice models developed by the lab, which will inform the identification of novel leukemia therapeutics.

Elyse recently won the NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship award (2023-2025), a highly competitive and sought-after award, which supports “the most promising researchers at a pivotal time in their careers.” NSERC ultimately aims to “secure a supply of highly qualified Canadians with leading-edge scientific and research skills for Canadian industry, government and academic institutions.” It is clear that Elyse was considered more than qualified based on her impressive academic achievements, her contributions to research, and her role as a leader and mentor in the community.

We are excited to have Elyse join us and take the leukemia program to new heights!