Dejana Mitrovic - PhD Candidate

dmitrovic@wlu.ca

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Dejana is investigating the physiological effects and mechanisms of TFM on sea lamprey and non-target fishes like sturgeon, trout and bluegill. Using toxicology, analytical chemistry, molecular biology and biochemical analysis to learn about how the addition of niclosamide or water temperature affect TFM toxicity. Dejana completed her MSc in Dr. Perry's lab (University of Ottawa), focusing on hypoxia and temperature effects on goldfish gills. Dejana completed her Honours BSc at Wilfrid Laurier University with Drs. Wilkie and Smith on NMDA receptors in goldfish brain, and the effects of anoxia. Dejana has many interests and expertise that encompass everything from cell lines to whole animal physiology. She is also eager to grow her field-based and applied environmental research skills. Teaching and mentoring students are also important aspects of Dejana's doctoral journey.​

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Sarah Kowalczyk - PhD Student

kowa1039@mylaurier.ca​​

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Sarah is interested in understanding how aquatic contaminants affect fish physiology, with the goal of improving environmental risk assessments and species conservation. She completed her MSc (Biology - Water) at the University of Waterloo, focusing on the role of enantioselectivity on the bioaccumulation of chiral antidepressants in fish.

Sarah’s current PhD research focuses on the effects of lampricides on lamprey species native to the Great Lakes region. She is assessing the sensitivity of native lampreys to lampricides in comparison to sea lamprey, in addition to investigating the sublethal physiological effects of lampricide exposure and each species’ recovery potential. This research aims to better understand the mechanisms of lampricide toxicity in non-target fish species, and inform invasive sea lamprey management strategies to minimize impacts on non-target native lampreys.​

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Gabriella Curkovic - MSc Student

curk1820@mylaurier.ca

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Gabriella completed her H. B. Sc. in Biology with a Specialization in Animal Physiology at the University of Ottawa. As a current Master’s student in the Wilkie Lab, she is looking at how temperature affects the toxicity of TFM and Niclosamide in both the TFM-tolerant bluegill and TFM-sensitive brown bullhead. Her research interests include animal physiology, toxicology, and wildlife conservation. Gabriella hopes to pursue a career in the field of wildlife research and conservation.

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Tim Zhao - MSc Student

zhao5090@mylaurier.ca​​

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Tim completed his BSc (Honours) in Zoology at the University of Calgary, where his honours thesis focused on host-parasite interactions and molecular genomics. He is currently an MSc student working on how temperature modulates physiological and transcriptional responses to the lampricides 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) and niclosamide in the invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) and endangered lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)​

Karolina Czuba - BSc Thesis Student

​czub6462@mylaurier.ca​

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Sebastian Klepacki - Research Assistant

sklepacki@wlu.ca​​

Sebastian completed his Honours BSc in Zoology at the University of Guelph. During his undergrad, he developed a strong interest in adaptational physiology and fish biology. Currently, he works in the Wilkie lab as a research assistant where he is helping with processing sea lamprey and lake sturgeon tissue samples, data archiving and updating the lab website. Sebastian hopes to join the lab as a MSc student in the spring semester as part of an upcoming respirometry study.

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