Principal Investigator<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"Dr.](\"https:\/\/lab.research.sickkids.ca\/yuen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/101\/2018\/08\/Yuen-Ryan_Photo_8Aug2018-e1535050021403.jpg\" "\\"Yuen,")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Dr. Ryan K.C. Yuen<\/b><\/h2>\n\n- Senior Scientist, Genetics & Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)<\/li>\n
- Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Ryan received his PhD with Dr. Wendy Robinson at the University of British Columbia in 2011, investigating the epigenetics of human fetal and placental development. His postdoctoral research with Dr. Stephen Scherer (at SickKids Research Institute) primarily focused on exploiting whole genome-scanning methodologies to dissect the underlying genetic architecture in autism spectrum disorder and related neurodevelopmental conditions. His current major research focus is to develop novel disease gene discovery strategies, effective diagnostic approaches and better treatments for brain related disorders.<\/p>\n
\n- See Dr. Yuen’s SickKids profile<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n
- See Dr. Yuen’s U of T profile<\/u><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Research Staff<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"Ian](\"https:\/\/lab.research.sickkids.ca\/yuen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/101\/2021\/09\/Sasha_photo-183x300.jpeg\" "\\"Sasha_photo\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Dr. Sasha Mitina<\/b> – Research Fellow<\/h2>\n
Sasha obtained her Master\u2019s degree from the Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics at the Lomonosov Moscow State University and her PhD from the Center for Life Sciences at Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology in Moscow. In her thesis work under supervision of Prof. Philipp Khaitovich, she investigated the role of breast milk lipid composition in postnatal brain development as well as molecular changes underlying the evolution of the human brain. Sasha joined the Yuen Lab in September 2021 as a Research Fellow to study the role of tandem repeat expansions in human neurological disorders.<\/p>\n
sasha.mitina@sickkids.ca<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"Amira](\"https:\/\/lab.research.sickkids.ca\/yuen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/101\/2023\/09\/Amira-300x221.png\" "\\"Amira")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Dr. Amira Moustafa<\/b> – Research Fellow<\/h2>\n
Dr. Amira Moustafa obtained her undergraduate degree from Mansoura University (Egypt) in Pharmaceutical Sciences and M.Sc. in Biochemical\/Biomaterials from Western University (Canada). She finished PhD in Biology at York University under the supervision of Prof. McDermott where she investigated the role of MEF2 transcription factor networks is cardiac muscle.<\/p>\n
amira.moustafa@sickkids.ca<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"Yeonsong](\"https:\/\/lab.research.sickkids.ca\/yuen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/101\/2025\/04\/KakaoTalk_20250423_141839644-scaled-e1745433441467-189x300.jpg\" "\\"KakaoTalk_20250423_141839644\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Dr. Yeonsong Choi<\/b>\u00a0– Research Fellow<\/h2>\n
Yeonsong completed her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea, where her doctoral research focused on multi-omics analysis of pediatric cancer and rare disease patients. Yeonsong joined the Yuen Lab as a Research Fellow, where she is currently investigating de novo mutations and repeat expansions in ADHD patients. Outside the lab, she enjoys travelling and photography.<\/p>\n
yeonsong.choi@sickkids.ca<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/lab.research.sickkids.ca\/yuen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/101\/2026\/02\/IMG-20250923-WA0007-200x260.jpg\" "\\"IMG-20250923-WA0007\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Dr. Marinie<\/span> Joseph<\/b>\u00a0– Research Fellow<\/h2>\nMarinie earned her B.Sc. in Neuroscience and Genome Biology from the University of Toronto and her Ph.D. in Psychological Science from the University of Louisville. She investigates how polygenic variation shapes complex phenotypes, with a focus on neurodevelopmental disorders, primarily Williams syndrome. By bridging genetics with neurodevelopment, her work seeks to deepen our base understanding of genotype\u2013phenotype relationships, with the broader goal of informing evidence-based, inclusive, and compassionate approaches to support and intervention. Outside the lab, she can usually be found escaping into a sci-fi novel with her cat curled up nearby.<\/span><\/p>\nmarinie.joseph@sickkids.ca<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"Anita](\"https:\/\/lab.research.sickkids.ca\/yuen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/101\/2026\/02\/DSCF5227-2-200x300.jpg\" "\\"DSCF5227")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Yue (Anita) Yin<\/b> – Senior Data Analyst<\/h2>\n
Anita completed her M.Sc. in Biostatistics from University of Toronto in 2017, and joined Yuen Lab the same year as Data Analyst. She mainly focuses on upstream statistical analyses for WGS sequencing data, both short-read adn long-read, and in charge of general data management for the lab.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>In her spare time, Anita enjoys exploring the city with her Border Collie Pumpkin, and chilling at home with their 3 cats.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nanita.yin@sickkids.ca
\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Graduate Students<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"Mahreen](\"https:\/\/lab.research.sickkids.ca\/yuen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/101\/2020\/12\/MK_LabWebsitePhoto-1-e1770754900528-245x300.png\")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Mahreen Khan<\/strong> – PhD Graduate<\/h2>\nMahreen completed her B.Sc. in the Human Biology Genetics program at the University of Toronto, and is currently pursuing her PhD in the Department of Molecular Genetics at UofT under the supervision of Dr. Ryan Yuen and Dr. Christopher Pearson. She is interested in identifying genetic modifiers of tandem repeat expansions through next-generation and long-read sequencing in addition to in vitro experiments. In her free time, Mahreen enjoys binging Netflix shows, trying new amateur home-cook recipes, and showing off pictures of her dogs.<\/p>\n
mahreen.khan@sickkids.ca<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"Muyang](\"https:\/\/lab.research.sickkids.ca\/yuen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/101\/2022\/01\/IMG_20210905_194047-scaled-e1770756055127-300x281.jpg\" "\\"Muyang")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Muyang (Farren) Cheng<\/b> – PhD Candidate
\n<\/span><\/h2>\nMuyang completed his B.Sc. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and is currently in pursuing his PhD in the Department of Molecular Genetics. He is currently working on identifying the genetic modifiers of the 22q11.2 deletion and 7q11.23 duplication syndrome that lead to schizophrenia among other diverse disease phenotypes. Muyang enjoys solving jigsaw puzzles during his free time, particularly those of natural scenery.<\/p>\n
farren.cheng@sickkids.ca<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
![\"Jimmy](\"https:\/\/lab.research.sickkids.ca\/yuen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/101\/2026\/02\/headshot2-300x300.jpeg\" "\\"headshot2\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Jimmy Nguyen<\/b> – PhD Candidate<\/span><\/h2>\n\nJimmy is a graduate student in the Molecular Genetics program under the supervision of Dr. Ryan Yuen and Dr. Gregory Costain. His research interests include using genomic technologies to investigate the etiology of rare diseases. Prior to graduate school, Jimmy worked as a Medical Laboratory Technologist at BC Children\u2019s Hospital specializing in diagnostic molecular and cytogenetic testing. In his free time, he enjoys climbing, pottery, and cooking new recipes.<\/p>\n
jimmy.nguyen@sickkids.ca<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/lab.research.sickkids.ca\/yuen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/101\/2026\/02\/sophia_v-e1770756090472-260x300.png\" "\\"sophia_v\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Sophia Vetrici<\/strong> – PhD Candidate<\/span><\/h2>\nSophia completed her B.Sc. in Biochemistry with a minor in Computer Science at McGill University and is currently pursuing her PhD in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Computational Biology at UofT. She is interested in applying bioinformatics tools to understand the role of tandem repeat expansions in cancer development. Outside of the lab, Sophia enjoys drawing, reading, and biking around Toronto.<\/span><\/p>\nsophia.vetrici@sickkids.ca<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/lab.research.sickkids.ca\/yuen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/101\/2026\/02\/isha_photo-200x221.jpeg\" "\\"isha_photo\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Isha Singh<\/strong> – Master Student<\/span><\/h2>\nIsha completed her B.Sc. in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, and Biochemistry at the University of Toronto and is currently pursuing her M.Sc. in the Department of Molecular Genetics at UofT. She is interested in the role of DNA damage and tandem repeat expansions in neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases. Outside of the lab, Isha enjoys dragon boating, reading, and going for walks.<\/span><\/p>\nisha.singh@sickkids.ca<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Undergraduate Students<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"Roby](\"https:\/\/lab.research.sickkids.ca\/yuen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/101\/2025\/05\/roby-1-e1771007819569-200x249.png\" "\\"roby")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Roberto Aldave-Garza<\/strong> – Undergraduate <\/span>Summer <\/span>Student<\/span><\/h2>\nRoby\u00a0is a third-year Mechatronics Engineering student at the University of Waterloo specializing in Artificial Intelligence. He has previously contributed to machine learning and medical imaging technologies at Northern Digital Inc., Vena Medical, and Huawei Canada. At the Yuen Lab, Roby is exploring the applications of software and machine learning in genetic variant detection, with a particular interest in tandem repeat expansions and their role in disease. Outside of work, he enjoys playing tennis, soccer, and guitar.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"Kyla](\"https:\/\/lab.research.sickkids.ca\/yuen\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/101\/2025\/07\/kyla-1-200x257.jpg\" "\\"kyla")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Iryeong (Kyla<\/span>) Ko<\/strong> \u2013 Undergraduate Summer Student<\/span><\/h3>\nKyla<\/span>\u00a0is a fourth-year undergraduate at the University of Toronto, majoring in Cell & Molecular Biology and Health & Disease, with a minor in Immunology. Her research interests focus on elucidating disease mechanisms that remain poorly understood, with the goal of informing more effective therapeutic approaches. In the Yuen Lab, she is involved in wet lab research using zebrafish models to identify and characterize tandem repeat expansions implicated in human disease.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Lab Alumni<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Research Staff<\/h3>\n
Dr. Bahareh Adhami-Mojarad – Research Fellow (2018-2021)<\/p>\n
Induja Chandrakumar – Senior Bioinformatician (2023 – 2025)<\/p>\n
Hoi Lam (Phoenix) Doong – Research Technologist I (2023 – 2025)<\/p>\n
Ian Backstrom – Lab Manager (2018 – 2024)<\/p>\n
Elisa Guo – Assistant Research Technologist (2021 – 2023)<\/p>\n
Linda Pallotto – Assistant Research Technologist (2022)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Graduate Students<\/h3>\n
Dr. Mahreen Khan – 2026 PhD<\/p>\n
Celine Salhab – 2025 M.Sc.<\/p>\n
Yankai (Kevin) Wu – 2024 M.Sc.<\/p>\n
Farah Qaiser – 2020 M.Sc.<\/p>\n
Charlotte Nguyen – 2019 M.Sc.<\/p>\n
Alona Dov – M.Sc.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Undergraduate Students<\/h3>\n
Year 2025<\/em><\/p>\nEmily Wong – Co-op Student<\/p>\n
Serena He<\/p>\n
Nour Hassan<\/p>\n
\nYear 2024<\/em><\/p>\nIris (Ziyu) Wang<\/p>\n
Juliana Concini<\/p>\n
Joey Ng<\/p>\n
\nYear 2023<\/em><\/p>\nGwyneth Bolter – Co-op Student<\/p>\n
Sofia Gentile<\/p>\n
Chelsea Wong<\/p>\n
Angela Ng<\/p>\n
Robin Yuen<\/p>\n
\nYear 2022<\/em><\/p>\nEric Kim<\/p>\n
Layla Ahmed<\/p>\n
\nYear 2021<\/em><\/p>\nBushra Haque<\/p>\n
Jenny Du<\/p>\n
Charmaine Lau<\/p>\n
Induja Chandrakumar<\/p>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Dr. Ryan K.C. Yuen<\/b><\/h2>\n\n- Senior Scientist, Genetics & Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)<\/li>\n
- Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Ryan received his PhD with Dr. Wendy Robinson at the University of British Columbia in 2011, investigating the epigenetics of human fetal and placental development. His postdoctoral research with Dr. Stephen Scherer (at SickKids Research Institute) primarily focused on exploiting whole genome-scanning methodologies to dissect the underlying genetic architecture in autism spectrum disorder and related neurodevelopmental conditions. His current major research focus is to develop novel disease gene discovery strategies, effective diagnostic approaches and better treatments for brain related disorders.<\/p>\n
\n- See Dr. Yuen’s SickKids profile<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n
- See Dr. Yuen’s U of T profile<\/u><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Research Staff<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Dr. Sasha Mitina<\/b> – Research Fellow<\/h2>\n
Sasha obtained her Master\u2019s degree from the Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics at the Lomonosov Moscow State University and her PhD from the Center for Life Sciences at Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology in Moscow. In her thesis work under supervision of Prof. Philipp Khaitovich, she investigated the role of breast milk lipid composition in postnatal brain development as well as molecular changes underlying the evolution of the human brain. Sasha joined the Yuen Lab in September 2021 as a Research Fellow to study the role of tandem repeat expansions in human neurological disorders.<\/p>\n
sasha.mitina@sickkids.ca<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Dr. Amira Moustafa<\/b> – Research Fellow<\/h2>\n
Dr. Amira Moustafa obtained her undergraduate degree from Mansoura University (Egypt) in Pharmaceutical Sciences and M.Sc. in Biochemical\/Biomaterials from Western University (Canada). She finished PhD in Biology at York University under the supervision of Prof. McDermott where she investigated the role of MEF2 transcription factor networks is cardiac muscle.<\/p>\n
amira.moustafa@sickkids.ca<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Dr. Yeonsong Choi<\/b>\u00a0– Research Fellow<\/h2>\n
Yeonsong completed her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea, where her doctoral research focused on multi-omics analysis of pediatric cancer and rare disease patients. Yeonsong joined the Yuen Lab as a Research Fellow, where she is currently investigating de novo mutations and repeat expansions in ADHD patients. Outside the lab, she enjoys travelling and photography.<\/p>\n
yeonsong.choi@sickkids.ca<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Dr. Marinie<\/span> Joseph<\/b>\u00a0– Research Fellow<\/h2>\nMarinie earned her B.Sc. in Neuroscience and Genome Biology from the University of Toronto and her Ph.D. in Psychological Science from the University of Louisville. She investigates how polygenic variation shapes complex phenotypes, with a focus on neurodevelopmental disorders, primarily Williams syndrome. By bridging genetics with neurodevelopment, her work seeks to deepen our base understanding of genotype\u2013phenotype relationships, with the broader goal of informing evidence-based, inclusive, and compassionate approaches to support and intervention. Outside the lab, she can usually be found escaping into a sci-fi novel with her cat curled up nearby.<\/span><\/p>\nmarinie.joseph@sickkids.ca<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Yue (Anita) Yin<\/b> – Senior Data Analyst<\/h2>\n
Anita completed her M.Sc. in Biostatistics from University of Toronto in 2017, and joined Yuen Lab the same year as Data Analyst. She mainly focuses on upstream statistical analyses for WGS sequencing data, both short-read adn long-read, and in charge of general data management for the lab.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>In her spare time, Anita enjoys exploring the city with her Border Collie Pumpkin, and chilling at home with their 3 cats.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nanita.yin@sickkids.ca
\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Graduate Students<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Mahreen Khan<\/strong> – PhD Graduate<\/h2>\nMahreen completed her B.Sc. in the Human Biology Genetics program at the University of Toronto, and is currently pursuing her PhD in the Department of Molecular Genetics at UofT under the supervision of Dr. Ryan Yuen and Dr. Christopher Pearson. She is interested in identifying genetic modifiers of tandem repeat expansions through next-generation and long-read sequencing in addition to in vitro experiments. In her free time, Mahreen enjoys binging Netflix shows, trying new amateur home-cook recipes, and showing off pictures of her dogs.<\/p>\n
mahreen.khan@sickkids.ca<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Muyang (Farren) Cheng<\/b> – PhD Candidate
\n<\/span><\/h2>\nMuyang completed his B.Sc. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and is currently in pursuing his PhD in the Department of Molecular Genetics. He is currently working on identifying the genetic modifiers of the 22q11.2 deletion and 7q11.23 duplication syndrome that lead to schizophrenia among other diverse disease phenotypes. Muyang enjoys solving jigsaw puzzles during his free time, particularly those of natural scenery.<\/p>\n
farren.cheng@sickkids.ca<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Jimmy Nguyen<\/b> – PhD Candidate<\/span><\/h2>\n\nJimmy is a graduate student in the Molecular Genetics program under the supervision of Dr. Ryan Yuen and Dr. Gregory Costain. His research interests include using genomic technologies to investigate the etiology of rare diseases. Prior to graduate school, Jimmy worked as a Medical Laboratory Technologist at BC Children\u2019s Hospital specializing in diagnostic molecular and cytogenetic testing. In his free time, he enjoys climbing, pottery, and cooking new recipes.<\/p>\n
jimmy.nguyen@sickkids.ca<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Sophia Vetrici<\/strong> – PhD Candidate<\/span><\/h2>\nSophia completed her B.Sc. in Biochemistry with a minor in Computer Science at McGill University and is currently pursuing her PhD in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Computational Biology at UofT. She is interested in applying bioinformatics tools to understand the role of tandem repeat expansions in cancer development. Outside of the lab, Sophia enjoys drawing, reading, and biking around Toronto.<\/span><\/p>\nsophia.vetrici@sickkids.ca<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Isha Singh<\/strong> – Master Student<\/span><\/h2>\nIsha completed her B.Sc. in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, and Biochemistry at the University of Toronto and is currently pursuing her M.Sc. in the Department of Molecular Genetics at UofT. She is interested in the role of DNA damage and tandem repeat expansions in neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases. Outside of the lab, Isha enjoys dragon boating, reading, and going for walks.<\/span><\/p>\nisha.singh@sickkids.ca<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Undergraduate Students<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Roberto Aldave-Garza<\/strong> – Undergraduate <\/span>Summer <\/span>Student<\/span><\/h2>\nRoby\u00a0is a third-year Mechatronics Engineering student at the University of Waterloo specializing in Artificial Intelligence. He has previously contributed to machine learning and medical imaging technologies at Northern Digital Inc., Vena Medical, and Huawei Canada. At the Yuen Lab, Roby is exploring the applications of software and machine learning in genetic variant detection, with a particular interest in tandem repeat expansions and their role in disease. Outside of work, he enjoys playing tennis, soccer, and guitar.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Iryeong (Kyla<\/span>) Ko<\/strong> \u2013 Undergraduate Summer Student<\/span><\/h3>\nKyla<\/span>\u00a0is a fourth-year undergraduate at the University of Toronto, majoring in Cell & Molecular Biology and Health & Disease, with a minor in Immunology. Her research interests focus on elucidating disease mechanisms that remain poorly understood, with the goal of informing more effective therapeutic approaches. In the Yuen Lab, she is involved in wet lab research using zebrafish models to identify and characterize tandem repeat expansions implicated in human disease.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Lab Alumni<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Research Staff<\/h3>\n
Dr. Bahareh Adhami-Mojarad – Research Fellow (2018-2021)<\/p>\n
Induja Chandrakumar – Senior Bioinformatician (2023 – 2025)<\/p>\n
Hoi Lam (Phoenix) Doong – Research Technologist I (2023 – 2025)<\/p>\n
Ian Backstrom – Lab Manager (2018 – 2024)<\/p>\n
Elisa Guo – Assistant Research Technologist (2021 – 2023)<\/p>\n
Linda Pallotto – Assistant Research Technologist (2022)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Graduate Students<\/h3>\n
Dr. Mahreen Khan – 2026 PhD<\/p>\n
Celine Salhab – 2025 M.Sc.<\/p>\n
Yankai (Kevin) Wu – 2024 M.Sc.<\/p>\n
Farah Qaiser – 2020 M.Sc.<\/p>\n
Charlotte Nguyen – 2019 M.Sc.<\/p>\n
Alona Dov – M.Sc.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Undergraduate Students<\/h3>\n
Year 2025<\/em><\/p>\nEmily Wong – Co-op Student<\/p>\n
Serena He<\/p>\n
Nour Hassan<\/p>\n
\nYear 2024<\/em><\/p>\nIris (Ziyu) Wang<\/p>\n
Juliana Concini<\/p>\n
Joey Ng<\/p>\n
\nYear 2023<\/em><\/p>\nGwyneth Bolter – Co-op Student<\/p>\n
Sofia Gentile<\/p>\n
Chelsea Wong<\/p>\n
Angela Ng<\/p>\n
Robin Yuen<\/p>\n
\nYear 2022<\/em><\/p>\nEric Kim<\/p>\n
Layla Ahmed<\/p>\n
\nYear 2021<\/em><\/p>\nBushra Haque<\/p>\n
Jenny Du<\/p>\n
Charmaine Lau<\/p>\n
Induja Chandrakumar<\/p>\n
\n
Ryan received his PhD with Dr. Wendy Robinson at the University of British Columbia in 2011, investigating the epigenetics of human fetal and placental development. His postdoctoral research with Dr. Stephen Scherer (at SickKids Research Institute) primarily focused on exploiting whole genome-scanning methodologies to dissect the underlying genetic architecture in autism spectrum disorder and related neurodevelopmental conditions. His current major research focus is to develop novel disease gene discovery strategies, effective diagnostic approaches and better treatments for brain related disorders.<\/p>\n
- \n
- See Dr. Yuen’s SickKids profile<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n
- See Dr. Yuen’s U of T profile<\/u><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Research Staff<\/h2>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Dr. Sasha Mitina<\/b> – Research Fellow<\/h2>\n
Sasha obtained her Master\u2019s degree from the Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics at the Lomonosov Moscow State University and her PhD from the Center for Life Sciences at Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology in Moscow. In her thesis work under supervision of Prof. Philipp Khaitovich, she investigated the role of breast milk lipid composition in postnatal brain development as well as molecular changes underlying the evolution of the human brain. Sasha joined the Yuen Lab in September 2021 as a Research Fellow to study the role of tandem repeat expansions in human neurological disorders.<\/p>\n
sasha.mitina@sickkids.ca<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Dr. Amira Moustafa<\/b> – Research Fellow<\/h2>\n
Dr. Amira Moustafa obtained her undergraduate degree from Mansoura University (Egypt) in Pharmaceutical Sciences and M.Sc. in Biochemical\/Biomaterials from Western University (Canada). She finished PhD in Biology at York University under the supervision of Prof. McDermott where she investigated the role of MEF2 transcription factor networks is cardiac muscle.<\/p>\n
amira.moustafa@sickkids.ca<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Dr. Yeonsong Choi<\/b>\u00a0– Research Fellow<\/h2>\n
Yeonsong completed her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea, where her doctoral research focused on multi-omics analysis of pediatric cancer and rare disease patients. Yeonsong joined the Yuen Lab as a Research Fellow, where she is currently investigating de novo mutations and repeat expansions in ADHD patients. Outside the lab, she enjoys travelling and photography.<\/p>\n
yeonsong.choi@sickkids.ca<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Dr. Marinie<\/span> Joseph<\/b>\u00a0– Research Fellow<\/h2>\n
Marinie earned her B.Sc. in Neuroscience and Genome Biology from the University of Toronto and her Ph.D. in Psychological Science from the University of Louisville. She investigates how polygenic variation shapes complex phenotypes, with a focus on neurodevelopmental disorders, primarily Williams syndrome. By bridging genetics with neurodevelopment, her work seeks to deepen our base understanding of genotype\u2013phenotype relationships, with the broader goal of informing evidence-based, inclusive, and compassionate approaches to support and intervention. Outside the lab, she can usually be found escaping into a sci-fi novel with her cat curled up nearby.<\/span><\/p>\n
marinie.joseph@sickkids.ca<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Yue (Anita) Yin<\/b> – Senior Data Analyst<\/h2>\n
Anita completed her M.Sc. in Biostatistics from University of Toronto in 2017, and joined Yuen Lab the same year as Data Analyst. She mainly focuses on upstream statistical analyses for WGS sequencing data, both short-read adn long-read, and in charge of general data management for the lab.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>In her spare time, Anita enjoys exploring the city with her Border Collie Pumpkin, and chilling at home with their 3 cats.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
anita.yin@sickkids.ca
\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Graduate Students<\/h2>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Mahreen Khan<\/strong> – PhD Graduate<\/h2>\n
Mahreen completed her B.Sc. in the Human Biology Genetics program at the University of Toronto, and is currently pursuing her PhD in the Department of Molecular Genetics at UofT under the supervision of Dr. Ryan Yuen and Dr. Christopher Pearson. She is interested in identifying genetic modifiers of tandem repeat expansions through next-generation and long-read sequencing in addition to in vitro experiments. In her free time, Mahreen enjoys binging Netflix shows, trying new amateur home-cook recipes, and showing off pictures of her dogs.<\/p>\n
mahreen.khan@sickkids.ca<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Muyang (Farren) Cheng<\/b> – PhD Candidate
\n<\/span><\/h2>\nMuyang completed his B.Sc. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and is currently in pursuing his PhD in the Department of Molecular Genetics. He is currently working on identifying the genetic modifiers of the 22q11.2 deletion and 7q11.23 duplication syndrome that lead to schizophrenia among other diverse disease phenotypes. Muyang enjoys solving jigsaw puzzles during his free time, particularly those of natural scenery.<\/p>\n
farren.cheng@sickkids.ca<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Jimmy Nguyen<\/b> – PhD Candidate<\/span><\/h2>\n
\nJimmy is a graduate student in the Molecular Genetics program under the supervision of Dr. Ryan Yuen and Dr. Gregory Costain. His research interests include using genomic technologies to investigate the etiology of rare diseases. Prior to graduate school, Jimmy worked as a Medical Laboratory Technologist at BC Children\u2019s Hospital specializing in diagnostic molecular and cytogenetic testing. In his free time, he enjoys climbing, pottery, and cooking new recipes.<\/p>\n
jimmy.nguyen@sickkids.ca<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Sophia Vetrici<\/strong> – PhD Candidate<\/span><\/h2>\n
Sophia completed her B.Sc. in Biochemistry with a minor in Computer Science at McGill University and is currently pursuing her PhD in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Computational Biology at UofT. She is interested in applying bioinformatics tools to understand the role of tandem repeat expansions in cancer development. Outside of the lab, Sophia enjoys drawing, reading, and biking around Toronto.<\/span><\/p>\n
sophia.vetrici@sickkids.ca<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Isha Singh<\/strong> – Master Student<\/span><\/h2>\n
Isha completed her B.Sc. in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, and Biochemistry at the University of Toronto and is currently pursuing her M.Sc. in the Department of Molecular Genetics at UofT. She is interested in the role of DNA damage and tandem repeat expansions in neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases. Outside of the lab, Isha enjoys dragon boating, reading, and going for walks.<\/span><\/p>\n
isha.singh@sickkids.ca<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Undergraduate Students<\/h2>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Roberto Aldave-Garza<\/strong> – Undergraduate <\/span>Summer <\/span>Student<\/span><\/h2>\n
Roby\u00a0is a third-year Mechatronics Engineering student at the University of Waterloo specializing in Artificial Intelligence. He has previously contributed to machine learning and medical imaging technologies at Northern Digital Inc., Vena Medical, and Huawei Canada. At the Yuen Lab, Roby is exploring the applications of software and machine learning in genetic variant detection, with a particular interest in tandem repeat expansions and their role in disease. Outside of work, he enjoys playing tennis, soccer, and guitar.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Iryeong (Kyla<\/span>) Ko<\/strong> \u2013 Undergraduate Summer Student<\/span><\/h3>\n
Kyla<\/span>\u00a0is a fourth-year undergraduate at the University of Toronto, majoring in Cell & Molecular Biology and Health & Disease, with a minor in Immunology. Her research interests focus on elucidating disease mechanisms that remain poorly understood, with the goal of informing more effective therapeutic approaches. In the Yuen Lab, she is involved in wet lab research using zebrafish models to identify and characterize tandem repeat expansions implicated in human disease.<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Lab Alumni<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Research Staff<\/h3>\n
Dr. Bahareh Adhami-Mojarad – Research Fellow (2018-2021)<\/p>\n
Induja Chandrakumar – Senior Bioinformatician (2023 – 2025)<\/p>\n
Hoi Lam (Phoenix) Doong – Research Technologist I (2023 – 2025)<\/p>\n
Ian Backstrom – Lab Manager (2018 – 2024)<\/p>\n
Elisa Guo – Assistant Research Technologist (2021 – 2023)<\/p>\n
Linda Pallotto – Assistant Research Technologist (2022)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Graduate Students<\/h3>\n
Dr. Mahreen Khan – 2026 PhD<\/p>\n
Celine Salhab – 2025 M.Sc.<\/p>\n
Yankai (Kevin) Wu – 2024 M.Sc.<\/p>\n
Farah Qaiser – 2020 M.Sc.<\/p>\n
Charlotte Nguyen – 2019 M.Sc.<\/p>\n
Alona Dov – M.Sc.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Undergraduate Students<\/h3>\n
Year 2025<\/em><\/p>\n
Emily Wong – Co-op Student<\/p>\n
Serena He<\/p>\n
Nour Hassan<\/p>\n
\nYear 2024<\/em><\/p>\n
Iris (Ziyu) Wang<\/p>\n
Juliana Concini<\/p>\n
Joey Ng<\/p>\n
\nYear 2023<\/em><\/p>\n
Gwyneth Bolter – Co-op Student<\/p>\n
Sofia Gentile<\/p>\n
Chelsea Wong<\/p>\n
Angela Ng<\/p>\n
Robin Yuen<\/p>\n
\nYear 2022<\/em><\/p>\n
Eric Kim<\/p>\n
Layla Ahmed<\/p>\n
\nYear 2021<\/em><\/p>\n
Bushra Haque<\/p>\n
Jenny Du<\/p>\n
Charmaine Lau<\/p>\n
Induja Chandrakumar<\/p>\n
\n - See Dr. Yuen’s U of T profile<\/u><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>