Zakk Makeiff
Project: MSc, 2026-Present
Research Focus: TBA
What I like to do outside of the Lab?: I enjoy listening to music, watching sports, and going to the gym.
Supervisor: Dr. Spencer proctor
Email: zmakeiff@ualberta.ca
Emily Reitsma
Project: MSc, 2025-Present
Research Focus: Gut microbiome health, particularly how nutrition and fermented foods can support improved health outcomes.
Supervisor: Dr. Caroline Richard
Email: ereitsma@ualberta.ca
Gabby Eaton
Project: MSc, 2025-Present
Research Focus: Investigating how fermented foods, specifically kefir, modulate immune response, the gut microbiome, and blood markers in patients with obesity.
Supervisor: Dr. Caroline Richard & Dr. Ben Willing (co-supervisor)
What I like to do outside of the lab?: You’ll find me running with my dog, making jewelry, bugging my loved ones or exploring other creative endeavors!!
Email: gleaton@ualberta.ca
Giorgia Rutigliani
Project: PhD, 2024-Present
Research Focus: Understanding the health effects of the ketogenic diet in individuals with obesity
Supervisor: Dr. Caroline Richard & Dr. Catherine Chan
What I like to do outside of the lab?: TBA
Email: TBA
Yasaman Mojibi Eslami
Project: MSc 2024-Present
Research Focus: A preliminary human study on bioavailability and efficacy of bioactive peptide IRW in egg white hydrolysate.
Supervisor: Dr. Caroline Richard and Dr. Jianping Wu
What I like to do outside of the lab?: I enjoy doing yoga, walking in nature and reading books!
Email: ymojibie@ualberta.ca
Reihane (Niusha) Taheri
Project: PhD, 2022-Present
Research Focus: My research focuses on nutritional intervention to reduce CVD risk in youth with obesity.
Supervisor: Dr. Spencer Proctor
What I like to do outside of the lab?: I enjoy being in nature, swimming, listening to music and playing board games.
Email: reihane@ualberta.ca
Nastaran Mojibi Eslami
Project: PhD, 2021-Present
Research Focus: To investigate the potential anti-diabetic effects of oat through in vitro and in vivo experiments.
Supervisor: Dr. Caroline Richard & Dr. Lingyun Chen
What I like to do outside of the lab?: I like getting out into nature, listening to some cool podcasts/audiobooks, and hanging out with friends.
Email: mojibies@ualberta.ca
Xiaoying (Eden) Wu
Project: MSc, 2021-Present
Research Focus: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Heart Health Study
Supervisor: Dr. Donna Vine
What I like to do outside of the lab? I like dancing with friends, going to the gym and taking my dog to the dog park.
Email: xewu@ualberta.ca