Frederic Pio | Associate Professor

Dr Pio, obtained his Ph.D degree from the Pasteur Institute, France in 1990 in Structural Bioinformatics. After a postdoctoral degree in Molecular Biology and Cell Biology in the Laboratory of Rosenfeld and Steinberg at the University of California San Diego in atherosclerosis he joined in 1992 the Burnham Institute to work on the ETS family of transcription factor with Richard Maki. In 1998 he further joined John Reed laboratory to conduct bioinformatics studies aimed at discovering new genes and families in Cell death. Since 2000, he has been a Professor in Bioinformatics and Proteomics at Simon Fraser University and discovered new protein families and pathways in Cell death inflammation and immunity. He is currently developing new bioinformatics tools and workflows using OMICS data generated from single cell to gain more insight into immunity in different model organisms including C. elegans. Dr Pio is a program faculty member of the NSERC/Canadian Institute for Health Research-Graduate joint training program in bioinformatics. He has advised and supervised numerous students in the field of Bioinformatics Proteomics and Functional Genomics.

Web presence: LinkedIn, ResearchGate, Google Scholar, Twitter

Contact: frederic_pio@sfu.ca

Priyanka Mishra, PhD | Postdoctoral Fellow

Priyanka's research spans a diverse range of projects studying virus tactics to adapt to their hosts, host immune response to infection, and capturing the dynamics of both host and pathogen transcriptomics changes in infected tissue. Using multi-omics integration approach, their work has identified new genes of unknown function that are dysregulated during viral infection and has further provided evidence on a candidate transcription factor role in the viral innate immunity. Her other major project focuses on understanding virus role in brain function, behavior, and disease via microbiota remodeling and shifting that might alter the production of key metabolites and eventually leads to ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) in humans. She loves communicating science and promotes diversity, as well as support an equitable and inclusive working environment. Stealing time away from her professional commitments, Priyanka enjoys socializing, hiking, binge-watching, reading novels, and cooking delicious foods.

Web presence: LinkedIn, ResearchGate, Google Scholar, Publons, ORCiD, Twitter

Contact: priyanka_mishra@sfu.ca

Mohammad Asthanak | Volunteer Graduate Researcher

I joined the Pio lab in 2017 in the 4th year of my undergraduate studies in MBB at SFU to do a directed research study. During this period we aimed to identify the target genes of efl-1 (E2F-like (mammalian transcription factor) in response to Orsay virus infection in Caenorhabditis elegans using a bioinformatics approach. I have predicted some candidates' target genes and will further verify this prediction experimentally.

Contact: patashnak@gmail.com

Ishmum Ataur | Volunteer Undergraduate Researcher

Since age 15, Ishmum has pursued projects in bioinformatics in order to identify new tools for disease treatment. His project, the Cancer Specific TCR-pMHC Database, has won multiple awards in the regional and national science fairs including Gold Medal at the Greater Vancouver Regional Science Fair, a Bronze Medal in the Canada-Wide Science Fair and the Genome BC Award at the Sanofi Biogenius Competition. Ishmum is continuing his exploration into bioinformatics at the Pio Lab, where he is expanding beyond cancer TCR interactions into the relationships of viral diseases with neurological deficiencies and the role and usage of C. elegans as a model. As a 19 year old student who is coming off of two gap years, Ishmum has volunteered and travelled across the world. This includes organizations such as the Progeria Research Foundation in Massachusetts, the Habiganj School for Children with Disabilities in Habiganj, Bangladesh and Wildlife Rescue Association in Burnaby, BC. Currently, Ishmum is working with children from vulnerable and sensitive backgrounds in East Vancouver as an after school care leader.

CWSF: TCR-pMHC Database

Contact: ishmuma@gmail.com