OLIVIER VILLEMAIN, PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Olivier did his medical training and undertook specialist training in paediatrics and paediatric cardiology in Paris, France. He graduated from medical school at the Paris Descartes University in 2014. Afterwards, he became Assistant Professor in Pediatric Cardiology at Necker Hospital Enfants Malades (Paris) for two years.

In addition to his medical training, he studied cardiovascular physiology (M.Sc., Paris Descartes University, 2014) and acoustic physics. Between 2014 and 2017, he worked at the Langevin Institute (Paris), a laboratory specialized in acoustic physics.  This resulted in a PhD thesis on the new applications of ultrasound in cardiology in 2017. He worked full-time again in this laboratory, between November 2018 and July 2019, as a collaborator. In July 2019, he was appointed as a Clinician Investigator and Staff Cardiologist at SickKids.

JEROME BARANGER, RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, HEAD OF TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

Jérôme completed is engineering training in Paris, France. He graduated in 2015 from the Ecole Centrale Paris, with a specialty in applied physics. He also holds a master of science in Biophysics, oriented in Biological Systems & Physical Concepts from Sorbonne University, Paris.

He has been involved in the field of medical ultrasound since 2013. He conducted several internships at the Langevin Institute as a research trainee. He also worked as a research and development trainee for Supersonic Imagine, an ultrasound company. From 2016 to 2019, he undertook a PhD at the Physics for Medicine lab in Paris, focusing on the application of ultrafast ultrasound to the study of transient vascular and neuronal phenomena.

He is in charge of the technical development of the Villemain Lab.

SHAMAUL RICHARD’S, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Shamaul graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Human Resources & Global Management. After previously working with the City of Toronto as a Workforce Assistant, he joined SickKids’ Department of Paediatrics in August 2022, providing administrative support to the physicians of the Division of Cardiology.

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JULIEN AGUET, CLINICAL RESEARCH FELLOW

Julien graduated from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland in 2011 with a degree in medicine. He trained as a radiologist at the University hospitals of Lausanne and Bern upon which he obtained his title as a specialist in radiology in 2018. He completed his doctoral thesis on dose reduction in computed tomography of the shoulder joint at the University of Lausanne in 2019. Desiring to pursue his career in pediatrics, he subspecialized in pediatric radiology at the University Children’s Hospital of Zürich from 2017 to 2019 before joining SickKids to continue his training in general pediatric radiology and cardiac diagnostic imaging with interests in fetal cardiac MRI.

He will lead a project on brain perfusion imaging using ultrafast ultrasound and MRI.

MAELYS VENET, CLINICAL RESEARCH FELLOW

Maelys has completed her medical school at the University of Grenoble-Alpes, France and was then trained in adult and pediatric cardiology at University Hospital of Bordeaux, France. She obtained her cardiology specialty degree in 2021, her congenital and pediatric cardiology national diploma in 2019 and a master degree in cardiac physiology from Paris-East-Creteil University in 2020. She recently completed a subspecialty clinical fellowship in pediatric echocardiography at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, from 2021 to 2022.

She is interested in right ventricle remodeling and will lead a project on right ventricle myocardial stiffness assessment by ultrafast imaging in congenital heart disease.

NAIYUAN ZHANG, Ph.D STUDENT

Naiyuan is a PhD student who likes knowledge integration and innovation. He holds a master of applied science in Electrical & Computer Engineering. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Optoelectronic Information Science and Engineering.

He will continue his research in the field of ultrasound imaging and medical image processing in the Villemain Lab.

NIKAN FAKHARI, PhD STUDENT

Nikan is a PhD student who is interested in the field of Biomedical Imaging and signal processing. He holds a Master of Biomedical Engineering degree (MEng) from University of Toronto. He graduated from Dalhousie University in 2019, Halifax, Nova Scotia with a bachelor’s degree specialized in Electrical and Computer engineering.

His research in Villemain lab focuses on Ultrafast ultrasound imaging to study the dynamics of blood flow in neonatal brain.

AIMEN MALIK, UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT

Aimen Malik is a 4th year undergraduate student at University of Toronto Mississauga. Aimen is majoring in Biology of Health Sciences, with a specialization in Biomedical Physics. She has worked on G protein coupled receptors, in particular Muscarinic type 2 in the Gradinaru lab at UTM. As a transfer student from a medical school in Pakistan, Aimen has gained hands on experience working with patients with congenital cardiac anomalies. This leads to her interest in learning about using ultrasound imaging techniques to distinguish pathology in pediatric hearts.

RAHNA RASOULI, MD STUDENT

Rahna is currently a first-year MD student at the University of Toronto and is completing a Graduate Diploma in Health Research at the Villemain lab. She did her B.Sc. at the University of Ottawa where she studied Biomedical Science and a Minor in Music. During her undergraduate degree, she explored research in neuroscience, music, and biophysics. She is passionate about how the physical phenomenon of music and sound is related to the human body, and its use in medicine. Her research in the Villemain lab involves the discovery and application of the physical basis of body sounds using ultrafast ultrasound imaging.

JOSH GOPAUL, UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT

Josh graduated from the University of Waterloo in 2023 with a co-op degree in Kinesiology and Health Sciences. With a background in exercise and cardiovascular physiology, his senior thesis work focused on the effects of physical activity on arterial stiffness. This led him to the Villemain Lab where he was involved in projects on ultrafast ultrasound applications to measuring arterial and myocardial stiffness.

Josh currently is leading a collaborative project on shear wave imaging in zebrafish spines to quantify spinal stiffness as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Outside of the lab, Josh enjoys staying active, playing piano, and is a Star Wars fan.

MINH NGUYEN, CLINICAL RESEARCH FELLOW (Jul 2020 – Jul 2022)

Minh is now a Staff Cardiologist (Texas Children’s Hospital) and Assistant Professor (Baylor College of Medicine) in Houston, Texas, US. You rock Minh!