Genomics of Plants, Pests, and Populations
GP3 Lab - July 2025
Back Row: Melanie Beaudin
Middle Row: Lauren Miner, Shelby Atkinson, Isabella Mayol Giannotti, Jessica Duffy,
Donovin Bosnich, Roqeeb Akinbile, Rayan St-Amant, Sophia Fraser, Bianca Tassi, Mehra Balsara, Caroline Grela, Mina Sadeghiniaraki
Front Row: Grace Gardner, Marc Avramov, Catherine Cullingham
Catherine Cullingham, PhD
I am an Associate Professor in the Biology Department at Carleton University. I grew up on a small dairy farm on the edge of the bustling metropolis of Burks Falls (Pop: 1000!). There I spent a lot of time outdoors and interacting with animals. I always had a passion for math and biology and decided to do my undergraduate studies in molecular biology and genetics at the University of Guelph. Finishing my undergrad, I had decided I hated lab work, and research was not for me. A year after not finding any meaningful employment, and after some great interactions with researchers at a plant research station, I jumped into a Master’s at Trent University. From there I was hooked, and transferred to the PhD program where I used population and landscape genetics to examine the risk of raccoon rabies spread into Ontario. From there I did my postdoctoral work at the University of Alberta, where I initially worked on understanding spread-risk of chronic wasting disease in deer, and then switched from mammals to plants to investigate the genetics of pine trees to understand spread-risk of mountain pine beetle. This research has formed the foundation of my current research lab. But, because animals and plants are bags of DNA to me, I am happy to explore any interesting question that we can apply a population genetics approach to.
Meet the Team
PhD Candidate
Marc Avramov
Marc started his grad studies in 2021 under Dr. Cullingham, with co-supervision from Dr. Ludwig (PHAC) and Dr. Lapen (AAFC). His work revolves around understanding the factors associated with mosquito-borne disease presence in urban, rural, and natural environments. He employs a multidisciplinary approach, utilizing landscape genomics, vector ecology, and GIS tools to unveil habitat and climatic conditions linked to the rate and direction of viral transmission. By studying the relationships between vector/host interactions and virus activity, Marc aims to create tools to help better track and predict disease hotspots. Outside of research, he enjoys fishing, hiking, travelling, DJing, and hanging out with friends and family.
PhD Candidate
Melanie Beaudin
Melanie joined the GP3 lab when completing her BSc: a biodiversity assessment of Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in the Ottawa area. As of 2023, she began her graduate studies, which involve taking a population genetics approach to investigate insect decline due to climate change and anthropogenic activity. Melanie has also taken an interest in a disjunct population of cacti near Kaladar, Ontario. She is performing a population genetics study to hopefully gain a sense of the population’s origins and time of establishment. Melanie’s topics of interest include parasitology, polyploidy, sex determination systems, and sex allocation. You may contact her at melaniebeaudin@cmail.carleton.ca.
PhD Candidate
Caroline Grela
Caroline is a graduate student who joined the GP3 lab in 2022, to begin her master’s program at Carleton University. This comes after completing her honours bachelor’s degree in biopharmaceuticals with a specialization in genomics at uOttawa. Her academic interests include population genetics, bioinformatics, and ecology. Her research focuses on a genomic analysis of the Mountain Pine Beetle in its range expansion, as a part of the TriA-FoR project. In her free time, Caroline loves doing arts and crafts or being outdoors in nature.
PhD Candidate
Mina Sadeghiniaraki
Mina, is a PhD student in Dr. Catherine Cullingham's lab. Her work centers on unraveling the genetic mechanisms that empower jack pine (Pinus banksiana), to withstand pests, and pathogens, specially Mountain Pine Beetle and Western gall rust. By focusing on deciphering the genetic code of jack pine, she aims to pinpoint the genes responsible for resistance and harness this knowledge for the benefit of our forests. In addition, Mina delves into identifying shared genetic factors within conifers that confer resistance to both climate change and pests or pathogens, aiming to uncover common genes responsible for these dual adaptations. This research not only deepens our understanding of conifer resilience but also provides crucial insights for the conservation and sustainable management of our forests in a changing world.
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PhD Student
Mehra Balsara
Mehra completed her undergraduate degree in wildlife biology and conservation at the University of Guelph. She recently finished her Master’s degree in biology at Western University, where she studied the evolutionary effect of trophy hunting on horn characteristics in Yukon thinhorn sheep. Currently, she has joined the GP3 lab in 2024 as a lab technician and has started as a PhD student in 2025, where she will be studying the landscape genetics of West Nile disease spread in Canada.
PhD Student
Grace Gardner
Grace is a PhD student who recently completed her M.Sc. in the lab in 2025. Before joining GP3, she earned her bachelor’s in forensic science at Trent University. Grace’s research is in landscape genetics. During her master’s, her project focused on identifying local adaptation to the environment in jack pine. As a PhD student, she is now studying resistance to pathogens and climate change in several conifer species. Outside of academics, she enjoys getting involved with the BGSA, helping organize events and hosting trivia, as well as drawing and being outdoors.
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M.Sc Student
Roqeeb Akinbile
As a Masters student under Professor Catherine mentorship, Roqeeb started with a 4th year research proposal centered on Copy Number Variation (CNV), probing its significance in genetic diversity and disease susceptibility in mountain pine beetles. He also worked as an I-CUREUS intern focused on genome alignment tools and mapping. Now, he is working on his MSc thesis with PhD student Marc which focuses on understanding the factors associated with mosquito-borne disease using bioinformatic tools. Through these experiences, he has honed his expertise in bioinformatics pipelines, data analysis, and genomic research.
M.Sc Student
Shelby Atkinson
Shelby is an undergraduate student in Honours Biology working alongside Melanie Beaudin in Dr. Cullingham’s Lab to investigate a disjunct population of the cactus Opuntia fragilis near Kaladar, Ontario. Her work focuses on using a population genetics approach to examine the genetic diversity and potential origins of the population. Her academic interests include ecology and population genetics, specifically in plants and insects. Outside of academia she enjoys puzzles, reading, baking, and spending time outdoors.
M.Sc Student
Donovin Bosnich
Donovan is a graduate student in the labs of both Dr. Catherine Cullingham at Carleton University and Dr. Bryan Brunet at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. An aspiring resident “bug guy,” Donovan is researching several species of aphids that are pests of blueberry crops. He hopes to uncover why one species is a vector of Blueberry Scorch Virus, while other closely related species do not spread the disease. When he’s not marveling over anything with six legs, Donovan enjoys board games, windsurfing, and…marveling over anything with six legs.
M.Sc Student
Saanchi Singh
Saanchi joined the labs of Dr. Cullingham and Dr. Galindo-Gonzalez (CFIA) in 2024 after completing her BSc in biochemistry at the University of Waterloo. Her current research goal is to develop a protocol to detect noxious weed seeds from the seed soil bank and bulk seed using DNA metabarcoding in order to improve detection efficiency of pests. Her academic interests include plant molecular biology, genetics, and bioinformatics. Outside of research, she enjoys hiking, dancing, travelling, and baking.
M.Sc Student
Bianca Tassi
Bianca is a graduate student in the Cullingham Lab examining population structure methods and their robustness across different life histories. She completed an undergrad degree in molecular and cellular biology at Carleton in June 2024. Her undergraduate thesis project centered on using genomics to estimate jack pine resiliency to mountain pine beetle in the boreal forest. Outside of academia, she enjoys travelling, reading, bingeing TV, and snuggling with her dog.
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Undergraduate Student
Celine Larose
Celine is an undergraduate student pursuing an Honours Biology degree with a concentration in Molecular and Cellular Biology. This term, she is working on an I-Cureus project in the lab, focusing on species discrimination in mice. Celine will be returning to the lab next school year to complete an Honours thesis under Dr. Cullingham’s mentorship. In her free time, Celine enjoys spending time with her dog, running and having brunch with friends!
Undergraduate Student
Isabella Mayol Giannotti
Isabella is an undergraduate student in Honours Biology with a concentration in Molecular and Cellular Biology. This summer, she is investigating the distribution of the trehalase gene in mountain pine beetles to assess its potential role in cold resistance, as well as examining relatedness within tricoloured bat maternity colonies and swarming sites. She will continue these projects during the next academic year through an Honour thesis. Outside the lab, Isabella enjoys reading, writing fiction, and long-distance running.
Undergraduate Student
Rayan St-Amant
Rayan is an undergraduate student in molecular and cellular biology working with Marc Avramov in the GP3 lab under the guidance of Dr. Cullingham. He is currently studying the role of white-tailed deer in the transmission of mosquito-borne arboviruses, specifically Jamestown Canyon Virus. He hopes to continue working on this transmission framework to further characterize vector-reservoir interactions. Outside of academia, he enjoys playing jazz on his trombone.
Project Manager
Lauren Miner
Lauren is a project manager for the TRIA-FoR project working in Dr. Cullingham's lab. She holds a bachelor's degree in communications from Carleton University, but during the COVID-19 lockdowns, decided to pursue a career change and began her undergraduate degree in biology, in this time she also earned a Forestry SAO from Algonquin. She joined the lab is 2021 working on a variety of projects. Outside of work, you can find Lauren camping, hiking, and crafting with her partner Matt, her baby Audrey, and dog Murphy.
Previous Students
Julia Clarke
MSc Graduate
Jessica Duffy
MSc Graduate
Danya Yaremchuk
MSc Graduate
Noah Armstrong
BSc Graduate
Nooran Sultan
BSc Graduate