Team
Get to Know Us
Dr. Christina Guzzo
Principal Investigator
Dr. Guzzo completed her BScH (Life Sciences) at Queen’s University where she first cultivated a passion for HIV/AIDS outreach and education, sparked by her repeated travels to Kenya with a student-led charitable organization. She continued her studies at Queen’s University under the mentorship of Dr. Katrina Gee to receive her PhD in Microbiology and Immunology, with research focused on identifying novel functions of interleukin-27 (IL-27) in monocyte biology and HIV infection. She trained as a post-doctoral fellow at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD, under the mentorship of Drs. Anthony Fauci and Paolo Lusso where her research had two main branches (1) the characterization of a unique anti-HIV chemokine (lymphotactin/XCL1) and (2) the discovery of human integrin alpha4 beta7 being incorporated into the external envelope of the HIV-1 virus. She will be continuing this research in new directions at the University of Toronto Scarborough. When she is not in the lab you’ll likely find her running along Lake Ontario, playing in a park with her family, or baking some delicious treats!
Current Lab Members
Jonathan Burnie
PhD Candidate
Jonathan completed his HBSc at UTSC in 2018 specializing in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. Jonathan developed a strong interest in HIV pathogenesis and infection during his second year evolutionary biology course and is excited to pursue his PhD in the Guzzo Lab. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and spending time with friends and family.
Laxsha Thaya
MSc Candidate
Laxsha finished her undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology and developed a strong interest in viral immunology. Her current MSc thesis is focused on exploring the association of HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins with host incorporated proteins. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the piano.
Arvin Persaud
Research Assistant
With an interest in virology/immunology, Arvin joined the Lab in 2018 hoping to expand his breadth of knowledge under the supervision of Dr. Guzzo. He has successfully completed an undergraduate research study course, two senior undergraduate theses, and has been awarded two NSERC USRA in Winter 2019 and Summer 2020. Arvin continues in the lab as a research assistant in the current academic year. He plans on pursuing graduate studies, likely in the area of viral immunology, and ultimately remaining in academia. Outside of the lab, Arvin enjoys running, hiking, and catching up on crime TV!
Vanessa Norouzi
Thesis Student
Vanessa is a 4th year Neuroscience specialist. She found herself drawn to HIV research after visiting Johns Hopkins University, seeing the community impact of HIV, and learning about outreach programs that offer counselling and mobile testing. She came back with a passion for HIV research and raising awareness. Vanessa is interested in cytokine secretion and implications for HIV pathogenesis, and hopes to expand her knowledge under mentorship by Dr. Guzzo. She aspires to one day attend medical school where she can combine her love for science and her desire to give back to the community. In her spare time Vanessa likes playing her guitar, hiking, & traveling as much as she can.
Alumni
Stephen Bennett
Having made some significant contributions to the lab, Steve left to continue his advanced training in paramedicine, and is now pursuing his MD. We wish him nothing but the absolute best!
Homaira Hamidzada
Homaira has spent her time in the lab screening and investigating biologically significant host proteins incorporated into the HIV virion surface. We wish her all the success as she moves on to pursue her career!
Luis Enrique Davila Juarez
Luis spent the summer 2019 in the lab as a Mitacs Globalink intern. He has since returned to complete his 4th year as a Biotechnology student at UAQ in Querétaro, México.
Serene Moussaoui
Serene left to pursue her interests in a nearby lab at UTSC. We wish her the best in her graduate studies!
Natisha Ho
Natisha played an essential role in lab operations and maintenance during her time with us. We thank her and wish her the best!
Pritika Thevasingha
Pritika served as a laboratory assistant and co-op student in the 2020-2021 academic year where she was an essential part of lab maintenance and operations. We wish her the best with the remainder of her studies!
Stephen Grabinksy
Stephen completed his undergraduate thesis during the 2020-2021 academic year. We wish him the best as he pursues his career in Nursing!