Dr. Jan Mennigen - Principal Investigator
Our research group is principally interested in the mechanistic basis underlying metabolic phenotypes in the diverse infraclass of teleost fishes. A current focus lies on the role of epigenetic determinants, particularly microRNAs. It is our goal to use basic research findings towards three relevant areas for translation. These are firstly to understand the molecular constraints of nutrient utilization in fish aquaculture species, secondly the investigation of ecotoxicological consequences of aquatic contaminant induced metabolic disruption in teleost fish, and thirdly the utilization of relevant fish models to study human metabolic disease. Curriculum vitae |
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Graduate students
Mais Jubouri - B.Sc. + M.Sc. student 2017-present
In my M.Sc. project co-supervised by Dr. Mennigen and Dr. Weber, I investigate the hypothesis that nutrient interactions play a role in the glucose intolerant phenotype in rainbow trout. Specifically I combine organismal level approaches investigating the role of specific infused AA on glucose fluxes in rainbow trout with cellular signalling and molecular gene expression endpoints in order to integratively determine the role of specific AA on rainbow trout glucose metabolism. 
Giancarlo Talarico - B.Sc. + M.Sc. student 2018-present
I investigate the role of amino acids, specifically arginine and alanine, described modulators of insulin secretion and signaling on glucose flux in rainbow trout in vivo. Using a double cannulation technique, these approaches will complement molecular level (cell singling, gene expression and enzymatic activity) approaches to test the hypothesis that the 'glucose intolerant' phenotype in rainbow trout may be linked to specific amino acid utilization in this model. Current position: M.Sc. student in the Mennigen/Weber labs. |
Bailey Bedard - M.Sc. student 2019-present
Working closely with Dr. Brian Hickey at the River Institute, I am interested in investigating a potential role of bat dietary habits (terrestrial vs. aquatic) in bat mercury biomagnification. Additionally, I strive to investigate the potential use of (epigenetic) molecular markers from minimally invasive hair follicle samples to develop potential novel markers of bat mercury exposure. 
Divya Ramachandran - M.Sc. student 2020-present
I work on the comparative physiology of teleost nonapeptides isotocin and vasotocin (homologous to mammalian oxytocin and vasopressin, respectively) using CRISPR/Cas9 based zebrafish mutant lines. Particular emphasis lies on metabolic, reproductive and social roles as well as investigating the role of teleost nonapeptide systems as mediators of sublethal effects of of aquatic contaminants. |
Undergraduate students
Mélissa Grégoire
My project aims to validate a novel insulin receptor antagonist in rainbow trout to support future mechanistic investigation of amino acid effects on glucose homeostasis at the whole organism (metabolic glucose flux analysis) and molecular (cell signalling, gene expression and enzymatic activity) level in rainbow trout. |
Raphaël Chakal
I will explore metabolic effects of emerging (nano plastics) and legacy (persistent organic pollutants) alone and in combination using zebrafish larval exposures as a model. By combining organismal level and molecular (epigenetic) endpoint analysis, my work will contribute to the characterization of effects of these contaminants and their mixture on energy metabolism in a relevant model for ecotoxicology and metabolism. |
Jacey Chou
I will explore reproductive effects of nanoplastics using adult zebrafish. By using a combination of behavioural, histological and biochemical assays, I will assess the effect of nanoplastics on indicators of reproductive success in sexually mature zebrafish and will also assess potential intergenerational effects in offspring at larval and juvenile stages. |
Shahd Haddad
My project will explore the bioconcentration potential and sublethal effect thresholds of a group of pharmaceuticals called SSRI (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) on multiple levels of biological organization in organisms using a detailed meta-analytical approach. This timely work will integrate data from lab- and field based studies to identify particularly sensitive endpoints and vulnerable species in ecosystems affected by trace SSRI release from waste-water treatment plants. |
Mennigen lab alumni
Dr. Wenqin Tu - Visiting Scholar 2018-2019
I am an ecotoxicologist based at the Jiangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanchang with an interest in fluorinated compound toxicity, which I investigate in the zebrafish model using wet-lab and predictive approaches. In the Mennigen lab, I investigate sublethal metabolic effects of the fluorinated compounds F-53, PFOS and OBS, which have been detected in Chinese aquatic environments. Current position: Group leader at the Jiangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanchang 
Rubén Martínez López - visit. Ph.D. student 2017-2019
I am a visiting PhD student from Dr. Benjami Piña’s lab at the Spanish National Research Council Environmental Assessment and Water Research Centre in Barcelona, Spain. Co-hosted by the Mennigen and Trudeau labs, I utilize zebrafish, Danio rerio as model system to study endocrine disrupting chemicals using transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches. Current position: PhD student at CSIC-IDAEA, Barcelona, Spain. 
Becky Clark - Ph.D. student 2019-2020
In my PhD, I investigate developmental, intra-, inter- and transgenerational effects of legacy and emerging contaminants on immune- and metabolic endpoints, and explore possible crosstalk between both systems using rainbow trout and zebrafish models. In addition to using in vivo approaches, I am developing fish cell culture in vitro approaches to complement in vivo studies on the one hand, and to dissociate the role of molecular mechanisms (and microRNAs in particular) in immunotoxic and/or metabolic effects. 
Adina Gotzmann - 4th Year Honours student 2017-2018
I investigate the nutritional (fasting/refeeding and glucose injection) and endocrine (insulin injection) transcriptional regulation of key metabolic genes as well as insulin cell signalling pathways in liver and muscle of the North Pacific spiny dogfish, Squalus suckleyi. 
Jessica Zon - 4th Year Honours student 2017-2018
My project co-supervised by Dr. Mennigen and Dr. Trudeau is focused on investigating paternal and maternal mechanisms associated with the intergenerational of altered stress responses in zebrafish offspring derived from parents previously exposed to the pharmaceutical fluoxetine, an aquatic contaminant in urban watersheds. In this project, I am particularly interested in quantifying maternally deposited transcripts involved stress axis programming, as well as transcripts involved in molecular epigenetic pathways. Current position: Lab technician, Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, Sick Kids Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada. 
Melissa Allaire-Leung - 4th Year Hon. student 2018-2019
My research projects focuses on the determination of metabolic consequences of developmental exposure of Bisphenol-A (BPA), an endocrine disrupting chemical, at environmentally relevant concentrations in the zebrafish model. I am looking to determine whether short-term exposure during a key developmental period elicits acute or long-term effects on the metabolic phenotype in larvae and adult fish. We have deemed it important to use EE2 as a positive control throughout this study, in order to investigate whether metabolic effects of BPA are mediated by estrogenic compounds. Current position: GECA Environment, Quebec City, QC, Canada. 
Alexandria Trahan - 4th Year Hon. student 2018-2019
I am investigating the acute and long-term metabolic effects of embryonic exposure to the plasticizer DEHP, a known endocrine disrupting chemical, in zebrafish. My thesis focuses on determining whether DEHP acts as a metabolic disruptor acutely in larvae and/or programs developmental trajectories towards an altered metabolic phenotype in adult zebrafish. A secondary aspect of my project is to identify whether possible metabolic effects can be linked to an anti-androgenic mode of action, which I test by using flutamide as a positive anti-androgenic control. Current position: M.Sc. student in Dr. Steve Cooke's lab at Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada. 
Tyler Eng - 4th year Honours student 2019-present
I am involved in a collaborative project led by Environment and Climate Change Canada exploring metabolic consequences of BDE-47 and nano- plastic exposure in the zebrafish model. In addition to using acute adult zebrafish gene expression approaches to determine whether nano plastics modify uptake an biological activity of BDE-47 in different tissues, I will investigate potential metabolic effects in offspring whose parents have been exposed to BDE-47 developmentally, across their life-cycle or prior to reproduction. Current position: M.Sc. student in Dr. Chan's lab at uOttawa. 
Jordan Corcoran - 4th year Hon. student 2019-present
In my project I investigate the role of genetic background in different zebrafish strains (TU, AB, WIK) on metabolic phenotype in zebrafish and their response to a suspected metabolic disrupting chemical BDE-47. To this end, I use several organism and tissue level approaches to metabolically phenotype zebrafish in early development. Current position: MSc. student in Dr. Akimenko's lab at uOttawa. |
Dr. Lucie Marandel - Visiting Scholar 2018
I am a group leader at INRA NuMeA, where my research group investigates the role of teleost and salmonid gene paralogues in glucose metabolism in rainbow trout. I additionally use targeted epigenetic profiling to investigate potential contributions of DNA methylation and Histone modifications in rainbow trout glucose metabolism and as tool to probe the feasibility of nutritional programming approaches in rainbow trout. A recent development in my research is the determination of sex specific nutritional programming effects in offspring. Current position: group leader at INRA NuMeA, St. Pee-sur-Nivelle, France. 
Zeinab Altmieme - M.Sc. student 2017-2019
I am interested in the role of nonapeptides in reproductive behaviour in male cyprinid fish. I use the zebrafish model, Danio rerio, to investigate the involvement of the neuropeptides isotocin and vasotocin reproductive behaviour, the reproductive endocrine axis and spawning success. To this end I use immunohistochemistry approaches and pharmacological approaches to investigate behavioural, molecular and endocrine reproductive endpoints. This work also has implications for ecotoxicology work investigating nonapeptide targets of endocrine disrupting chemicals in teleost fish. Current position: Research technician in the Department of Regenerative Medicine at the OHRI, Ottawa, ON, Canada. 
Dan Kostyniuk - B.Sc and M.Sc. student 2016-2020
I investigate the nutritional regulation and metabolic function of hepatic microRNAs in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Specifically, I use molecular, biochemical and bioinformatic methods in vivo and in vitro to identify glucose-regulated microRNAs and to determine whether these miRNAs play a role in ‘glucose intolerance’ in this species. Current position: Technical Support Specialist / Technologist at DNA Genotek, Ottawa, ON, Canada. 
Rida Haider - 4th Year Honours student 2017-2018
I investigate the possible role of the nonapeptide isotocin as mediator of reproductive endpoints in response to pheromone signalling in male goldfish, Carassius auratus. I am furthermore interested in investigating the role of social context on the stimulation of the male reproductive axis in the same species. Current position: Patient attendant at there Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada. 
Majd Haddad - 4th Year Honours student 2017-2018
My project co-supervised by Dr. Mennigen and Dr. Trudeau is focused on investigating paternal and maternal inheritance of stress response in zebrafish exposed to the pharmaceutical fluoxetine, an aquatic contaminant in urban watersheds. In this project, I am developing assays for microRNA quantification in zebrafish egg and sperm cells to investigate their possible involvement in maternal or paternal inheritance of contaminant induced alterations in the stress response. Current position: M.Sc. student, Department of Pathology, McGill, Montreal, QC, Canada. 
Kenan Touma - 4th Year Honours student 2018-2019
My project, supervised by Dr. Mennigen and Dr. Gilmour, is focused on testing how the somatotropic axis affects metabolic phenotypes in dominant and subordinate rainbow trout (Onchorynchus mykiss). I will use juvenile rainbow trout as a model to determine whether the GH-IGF axis is differentially regulated at the gene expression and protein level between subordinate and dominant rainbow trout. This will allow improve our understanding of the contribution of this important endocrine axis to the metabolic phenotypes observed in rainbow trout. Current position: M.Sc. student in Dr. Cory Harris' lab, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada. 
Christine Hum - 4th Year Honours student 2018-2019
My project investigates the metabolic consequences of the fluorinated compound F-53B, a recently discovered aquatic contaminant in Chinese aquatic systems in developing zebrafish. I use a suite of zebrafish larvae metabolic phenotyping assays in conjunction with gene expression approaches to identify potential effects F-53B as well as the fluorinated compounds PFOS and OBS at concentrations corresponding to 10%, 1% and 0.1% of the identified LC50 concentrations of each compound. Current position: CO-OP position at Spartan Bioscience, Ottawa, ON, Canada. 
Julianne Magnan - 4th year Hon. student 2019-2020
In my project, I aim to provide the first description of DNA methylation dynamics in early rainbow trout development. Given the recent description of large differences in DNA methylation dynamics between teleost models, exemplified by the zebrafish and medaka, this will provide important baseline information for future epigenetic studies in saloionids. Additionally, I am involved in a project profiling social status-dependent effects on the endocrine somatotropic axis in juvenile rainbow trout. 
Manuela Fonseca - 2nd Year UROP student 2017-2018
I am involved in the analysis of male zebrafish courtship behaviour in response to pharmacological inhibition of the nonapeptides isotocin and vasotocin in zebrafish, which forms part of Zeinab's M.Sc. project. Current position: Electrical engineering student, uOttawa, ON, Canada. |
Volunteers
Nha-Thi Luu
Tess Julian
Georges Coté
Jon Tea
Nha-Thi Luu
Tess Julian
Georges Coté
Jon Tea