We are pleased to announce a new publication, “Glucagon-like-protein-2 stimulates lacteal contractility and enhances chylomicron transport in the presence of an intact enteric nervous system,” in Gastro Hep Advances (June 2024). Authors: Majid Mufaqam Syed-Abdul, Lili Tian, Timothy Samuel, Alex Wong, Young-Kwon Hong, Ralph S. Dacosta, Gary F. Lewis ABSTRACT Background and Aims: Secretion and…

We are excited to announce that Zuha, a former research student at the DaCosta Lab, has been accepted to the University of Calgary Medical School! Zuha joined the lab in 2019 while completing her undergraduate degree in Human Biology at the University of Toronto. Zuha demonstrated an ability to quickly learn and apply learned techniques…

We are very excited to welcome our students back to the lab this summer! Mayowa Akusebo initially joined the lab during the summer of 2022 and she returns this summer in order to gain additional learning experiences as well as continue to contribute to the team.  Mayowa completed her first year of undergrad in Health…

We are excited to welcome a new graduate student, Sadaf Mazhab Jafari, to our team! Sadaf completed a double major in Molecular Biology, Immunology and Disease, and Biochemistry at the University of Toronto and graduated with an impressive GPA.  Sadaf has extensive research experience and has logged over 1000 hours of laboratory benchtop work.  She has…

We are very excited to welcome a new member, Xi Lei, to the team as a Research Technician III! Xi earned a M.Sc in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Saskatchewan. She worked as a research assistant, then technician, and quickly moved up to senior technologist at St. Michael’s Hospital. Xi brings with…

We are pleased to announce a new publication, “A handheld device for intra-cavity and ex vivo fluorescence imaging of breast conserving surgery margins with 5-aminolevulinic acid,” in the Biomedical Engineering Journal (June 2024). Authors: Christopher Gibson, Shirley C. Wang, Arcturus Phoon, Nayana Thalanki Anantha, Kathryn Ottolino-Perry, Stephen Petropoulos, Zuha Qureshi, Vasanth Subramanian, Anam Shahid, Cristiana…

We are pleased to announce a recent publication, “Customizable optical tissue phantom platform for characterization of fluorescence imaging device sensitivity,” in the Journal of Biomedical Optics (August 2023). Link to publication: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/journals/journal-of-biomedical-optics/volume-28/issue-8/086004/Customizable-optical-tissue-phantom-platform-for-characterization-of-fluorescence-imaging/10.1117/1.JBO.28.8.086004.full Authors: Dr. Christopher Gibson, Arcturus Phoon, Dr. Ralph S. DaCosta Abstract: Optical tissue phantoms serve as inanimate and stable reference materials used to calibrate, characterize,…

Dr. Elyse Digby presented at the Canadian Cancer Research Conference 2023, hosted by the Canadian Cancer Research Alliance, in Halifax on November 12-14, 2023.  This conference aimed to showcase “the range and excellence of Canadian cancer research, featuring all areas of cancer research and highlighting emerging and relevant findings from top Canadian and international researchers.”…

The DaCosta Lab AML program was awarded the Princess Margaret Research Stimulus Grant (RSG) for the project titled, “Unlocking the Potential of AML-Targeted Treatments: Harnessing the Power of In Vivo Optical Imaging Technology.”   The RSG is designed to enable PM researchers to accelerate their programs and continue investing in bold and high-gain projects.  Its purpose…

The DaCosta Lab congratulates Dr. Christopher Gibson for successfully defending his PhD on October 27, 2023! His PhD thesis, entitled “Development and clinical translation of a new handheld imaging system for 5-ALA-induced fluorescence guided breast conserving surgery,” describes the work that was done to develop an intra-breast cavity imaging system to detect residual carcinoma at…