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
Jenna McKay, 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.
Rachael Mebs, BSc
Lab Technician
Rachael first joined our lab in Jan 2025 as a full-time undergraduate co-op student. She has since completed her BSc, and has re-joined our team as a Lab Technician!
Rachael is involved in most of the ongoing research projects in our lab, as well as helping to keep us organized 🙂
Inbal Harim
Undergraduate Student
Inbal joined our lab in Summer 2026, and and was part of the 2026 TRIANGLE CONNECT summer student program. She is now completing an Honours Thesis project with us!
Inbal is working on how both parasitic and free-living nematodes interact with metabolites produced by mammals.
Tristan Brulot-Sawchyn
Undergraduate Student
Tristan joined our team in Fall 2025 to complete a 4-month Directed Studies project, and then completed a semester as a Research Experience student in our lab. Now Tristan is completing a Honours Thesis project with us!
Tristan is exploring how metabolites produced by the gut microbiota and parasites might impact the production of intestinal and systemic antibodies.
Courtney Rihela
Undergraduate Student
Courtney joined our lab in Fall 2026 to complete an Honours Thesis project with us.
Her project aims to understand the functional roles of eosinophil populations that reside in the mammalian thymus.