Current Lab Members
Dr. Lisa A. Reynolds
Principal Investigator
Associate Professor: Dept. of Biochemistry & Microbiology, University of Victoria, Canada. 2023- present
Assistant Professor: Dept. of Biochemistry & Microbiology, University of Victoria, Canada. 2017- 2023
Postdoctoral Research: Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Canada. 2013-2017
MSc and PhD: Institute of Infection & Immunity, University of Edinburgh, UK. 2008-2012
BSc (Hons): University of Manchester, UK, including a 1-year research placement at the Mayo Clinic, Fl, USA. 2004-2008
Rachael FitzPatrick, BSc (Hons)
Graduate Student
Rachael joined the lab in May 2018 as a co-op undergraduate student, and completed her Honour’s thesis project in our lab (for which she won the top Honour’s thesis in the department award!). She began graduate studies in the lab in May 2018, supported by a CIHR Canada Graduate Scholarship-Master’s Program, and is now a PhD candidate, supported by the TRIANGLE program and through a CIHR Canada Graduate Scholarship-Doctoral Award.
Rachael is studying how eosinophils contribute to homeostasis at mucosal surfaces; particularly how they contribute to the control of mucosal surface-associated bacteria. She is also working to understand the mechanisms of oral tolerance development in early life.
Dominique Gatti, BSc (Hons)
Graduate Student
Dominique completed her BSc (Hons) at the University of Windsor, and began graduate studies in our lab in September 2020, supported by a CIHR Canada Graduate Scholarship-Master’s Program. She is now a PhD candidate in our lab, supported by a NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship-Doctoral Award.
Dominique’s project investigates the function of thymic-resident eosinophils during the neonatal developmental period. She is also investigating how the bacterial microbiota regulate this mysterious cell population!
Jenna Lane, BSc (Hons)
Graduate Student
Jenna joined the lab in January 2021 to complete an 8 month co-op undergraduate position with us, then stayed on to complete an Honour’s thesis project in our lab. Jenna worked with us as a research assistant over the summer 2022, before beginning graduate studies in our lab in Sept 2022, supported by a CIHR Canada Graduate Scholarship-Master’s Program. Jenna is now a PhD candidate!
Jenna’s work in the lab is investigating the mechanisms that lead to alterations in intestinal metabolite availability during helminth infection. She is also working to understand the impact of the helminth-altered metabolome on intestinal immunity!
Natasha Norton, BSc, MSc
Graduate Student
Natasha completed her BSc in Microbiology at UVic and then moved across the country to complete a Master’s degree in Immunology at Memorial University, where she studied the immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 in human cohorts.
Natasha moved back to the West Coast to join our lab as a PhD candidate in Sept 2023, and she is working to identify molecules and immune mechanisms that impact the chronicity or expulsion of intestinal helminths.
Ola Przydatek
Undergraduate Student
Ola began a Research Experience course in our lab in Fall 2023, and started work as a full-time co-op student in Jan 2024.
Ola’s work aims to investigate the mechanisms driving oral tolerance in early life.
Rachael Mebs
Undergraduate Student
Rachael began as a full-time co-op student in our lab in Jan 2025.
Rachael is investigating the functional roles of eosinophils that are resident in the thymus of mammals.
Jackson Welder
Undergraduate Student
Jackson joined our lab in Jan 2025 as a Directed Studies student.
His project is investigating the role of metabolites in modulating antibody responses in the mammalian intestinal tract.
Kathleen Clark
Undergraduate Student
Kathleen joined our lab in Jan 2025 as a Directed Studies student.
Kathleen is working to understand mechanisms contributing to how helminth infection impacts bile acid concentrations in mammals.