Dr. Ryan Russell

Principal Investigator

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Bio

 

Dr. Russell obtained his PhD from the University of Toronto in the field of molecular oncology, focusing on oxygen sensing and renal clear cell carcinoma.  He performed his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California San Diego in the laboratory of Kun-Liang Guan.  There he focused on uncovering the relationship between stress and nutrient sensitive kinases and the autophagy pathway.  Dr. Russell joined the University of Ottawa in May 2015 as an assistant professor with the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. Recent work from Dr. Russell has shown novel regulatory mechanisms between nutrient sensitive kinases mTORC1, ULK1, and AMPK and the autophagy machinery.  Future endeavours include expanding our knowledge of the regulatory mechanisms of mammalian autophagy and determining the clinical significance of recently identified pathways.

 

View Dr. Russell's CV here

 

Education and Past Experience

2010-2015: Postdoctoral fellow, Dept. of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego.

2004-2009: Ph.D Molecular Oncology, University of Toronto

2000-2004: B.Sc Biochemistry, University of British Columbia

Dr. Damian Gatica Mizala (former Postdoctoral Fellow)

Current: Assistant Professor at the University of Chile

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Bio

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Dr. Gatica obtained his PhD from the University of Michigan in the field of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, focusing on the post-transcriptional and structural regulation of autophagy in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Dr. Gatica joined the Russell Lab at University of Ottawa in February 2021 as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine.  

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- Salmonella Typhimurium exploits the reticulophagy/ERphagy receptor RETREG1 to promote infection

  Gatica D, Alsaadi R, Russell RC

  Autophagy. 2025 Aug; 27:1-3; PMID: 40872994

 

- The ER-phagy receptor FAM134B is targeted by Salmonella Typhimurium to promote infection

  Gatica D, Alsaadi RM, et al.

  Nat Commun. 2025 Mar; 16(1):2923; PMID: 40133256

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Education and Past Experience 

2013-2019: PhD. Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, USA
2010-2012: M.Sc Biochemistry, University of Chile, Chile
2006-2010: B.Sc Biochemistry, University of Chile, Chile 

Dr. Mercy Akuma (former PhD Candidate)

Current: Postdoctoral Fellow at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto

- Loss of VHL-mediated pRb regulation promotes clear cell renal cell carcinoma

  Akuma M, et al.

  Cell Death Disease (2025);16(1):307; PMID: 40240354

Dr. Reham Alsaadi (former PhD Candidate)

Current: Postdoctoral Fellow at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston

- Salmonella Typhimurium exploits the reticulophagy/ERphagy receptor RETREG1 to promote infection

  Gatica D, Alsaadi R, Russell RC

  Autophagy. 2025 Aug; 27:1-3; PMID: 40872994

 

- The ER-phagy receptor FAM134B is targeted by Salmonella Typhimurium to promote infection

  Gatica D, Alsaadi RM, et al.

  Nat Commun. 2025 Mar; 16(1):2923; PMID: 40133256

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- Iron overload inhibits late stage autophagic flux leading to insulin resistance

  Jahng JWS, Alsaadi RM, et al.

  EMBO Rep. 2019 Oct 4; 20(10):e47911; PMID: 31441223

Dr. Cloe To / Truc T Losier (former PhD Candidate)

Current: Scientist at Lunella Biotech Inc.

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- Identification of organelle-specific autophagy regulators from tandem CRISPR screens

  Losier TT, King KE, Rousseaux MWC, Russell RC

  J Cell Biol. 2025 Oct; 224(10):e202405138; PMID: 40838896

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Education and Past Experience
2012-2016: B.Sc. Medicinal Chemistry, University of New Brunswick

Chenxuan Zhu / Charlotte (former Master's student)

- Loss of VHL-mediated pRb regulation promotes clear cell renal cell carcinoma

  Akuma M, Kim MJ, Zhu CX, et al.

  Cell Death Disease (2025);16(1):307; PMID: 40240354

- Defended Master's thesis in Aug. 2025

Wensheng Tian

PhD Candidate

- An antibody for analysis of autophagy induction

  Tian WS, et al. 

  Nature Methods (2019); 2020 Feb; 17(2):232-239; PMID: 31768061

- CMM (2020) Best Masters Student Thesis

- OHRI (2019) Best Masters Student Poster

Karyn King

PhD Candidate

- Regulation of Autophagy Enzymes by Nutrient Signaling

  King KE, Losier TT, Russell RC. 

  Trends in Biochemical Sciences (2021); 46(8):687-700; PMID: 33593593

- Identification of organelle-specific autophagy regulators from tandem CRISPR screens

  Losier TT, King KE, Rousseaux MWC, Russell RC

  J Cell Biol. 2025 Oct; 224(10):e202405138; PMID: 40838896

Zhihao Guo

Research Technician

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Bio

 

A recent graduate from the Master's program at the University of Windsor, Zhihao's joined the Russell lab as a full time research technician.  He is currently working on disease related autophagy signalling pathways and development of new live-cell imaging techniques.  Zhihao is interested in the areas of cellular/molecular biology and biotechnology.

 

Education and Past Experience

2012-2014: Graduate Assistant, University of Windsor

2010-2011: Research Assistant, University of Windsor

2012-2014: M.Sc. Molecular Biology, University of Windsor

2006-2010: B.Sc. Biology and Biotechnology, University of Windsor