Scientists
Email: landon.edgar (at) utoronto (dot) ca
Principal Investigator
Landon J. Edgar, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
The University of Toronto
Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology | Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Department of Chemistry | Faculty of Arts & Science
Graduate Students
Dzhangar earned his Pharm.D. degree at the University of Debrecen, Hungary. As an undergraduate, Dzhangar gained research experience in the Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Physiology under the co-supervision of Dr. Attila Olah and Dr. Toth Fanni. The goal of this project was to study the influence of endocannabinoids on epidermal differentiation in the context of skin pathologies. This work identified the mtCB1 receptor as a key regulator of the mitochondrial ROS generation and highlighted its possible impact on epidermal cell differentiation. This project eventually shifted to the study of mitochondrial disorders as precursors to skin disease. Currently, Dzhangar is a Ph.D. student in The Edgar Lab and will focus on using synthetic carbohydrate chemistry to develop next-generation tools for editing specific glycans on the surface of immune cells.
Dzhangar Badmaev, Pharm.D.
Ph.D. Student (2021–Present)
Focus: Synthetic Chemistry
Fauzia Nurul Izzati, M.Sc.
Ph.D. Student (2022–Present)
Focus: Glycoimmunology
Fauzia graduated from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Indonesia, with her bachelor's in Pharmacy and the University of Glasgow, UK, with her Master's in Forensic Toxicology. Her bachelor's research work was on the in vivo appetite-stimulating effect of essential oil from C. xanthorrhiza under the supervision of Prof. Suwijiyo Pramono and Dr. Ika Puspitasari. Her master's research was focused on mass spectrometry analysis of synthetic cathinones under the supervision of Dr. Calum Morrison. Fauzia gained research experience in immunopharmacology under the supervision of Prof. Zullies Ikawati (UGM) with her project on the immunomodulatory activity of herbal medicine. Prior to her tenure in the Edgar Lab, she was a junior researcher at the National Research and Innovation Agency in Indonesia (BRIN). Here, she was involved in a clinical trial on the immunomodulatory activity of herbal formulation for COVID-19 patients in Indonesia.
Paolo is a M.Sc. student in the Edgar lab interested in studying the role of glycans in regulating normal immune responses and how altered glycan expression can promote human disease. As an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, he gained experience in the fields of molecular genetics and pharmacology in the labs of Dr. Frederick (Fritz) Roth and Dr. Basil Hubbard. Paolo’s work in the Edgar lab will focus on identifying glycan binding proteins that function as immune checkpoints, which may serve as novel targets for therapeutics.
Paolo Giuliana, HB.Sc.
M.Sc. Student (2022–Present)
Focus: Glycomaterials and target discovery
Hani graduated from McMaster University with her bachelor’s degree in Chemical Biology. As an undergraduate student in Dr. Philip Britz-McKibbin’s laboratory, she developed a strong passion for the field of bio-analytical chemistry and gained experience in mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and biomarker discovery research. In one of her major projects, she worked towards identifying alternative metabolomic biomarkers for newborn screening of galactosemia using multiplexed capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (MSI-CE-MS) methodology. As a Master’s student in the Edgar lab, Hani is excited to bridge her analytical chemistry background with glycoimmunology research and work towards mapping and elucidating the role of glycans in autoimmune disorders using high dimensionality spectral flow cytometry, with the aim of identifying potential disease biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Hani Choksi, HB.Sc.
M.Sc. Student (2022–Present)
Focus: Glycans in autoimmunity
Olivia is an M.Sc. student in the Edgar lab interested in developing methods to access new classes of glycopolymers. These reagents will ultimately be deployed to interrogate the carbohydrate axis of immunology. During her undergraduate studies, Olivia gained experience in the non-viral delivery of genetic medicines as a product development intern at Precision NanoSystems in Vancouver, BC and in the fields of allergy and immunology at the McMaster Immunology Research Centre in the lab of Dr. Manel Jordana. In developing chemical tools to engineer the glycocalyx, Olivia’s work aims to uncover functional relationships between cell surface glycans and biological processes.
Olivia Mann-Delany, HB.Sc.
M.Sc. Student (2023–Present)
Focus: Glycopolymer chemistry
Vanessa Affe, HB.Sc.
M.Sc. Student (2023–Present)
Focus: Glycoimmunology and molecular biology
Vanessa graduated from Ontario Tech University with a bachelor’s degree in health sciences, specializing in human health science. During her undergraduate studies, she won an NSERC USRA during which she worked in Dr. Jean-Paul Desaulniers’ lab to investigate novel chemical short interfering siRNA modifications for gene silencing in cancer cell lines. Her undergraduate thesis focused on heat shock protein gene expression and epigenetic modifications in PBMCs exposed to heat stress under the supervision of Dr. Holly Jones Taggart. Her interests in chemical and molecular biology led her to pursue research in the Edgar Lab where she will be developing new technologies to modify glycans on the surface of T cells. Vanessa is excited to advance her knowledge in immunopharmacology and glycobiology while uncovering the therapeutic potential that modified glycans may have in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
Eli is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a pharmacology specialist and minor in immunology at the University of Toronto. His interests lie in learning about the role that glycans play in human disease, and how they can be harnessed for future therapeutics. Eli's research experience project in the Edgar Lab will focus on developing bioconjugated liposomes which will be used to study the role that glycocalyx interactions play in immunity.
Eli Landau
HBSc. Student (2021–Present)
Summer PCL297H student
Focus: Nanochemistry and immunology
Caresse is a second-year undergraduate student pursuing a pharmacology and toxicology specialist at the University of Toronto. She is interested in the molecular mechanisms of glycan:protein interactions, including potential therapeutic opportunities. Caresse will be completing a studentship in the Edgar lab on synthetic carbohydrate chemistry.
Caresse Nian
HBSc. Student (2021–Present)
Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunity Award Student
Focus: Synthetic chemistry
David is a second-year undergraduate student pursuing a pharmacology and toxicology specialist at the University of Toronto. He is keen on exploring glycan composition and structure within tissues and discovering how their dynamics can serve as a foundation for disease-related therapies. David’s research experience project in the Edgar Lab will involve high-parameter flow cytometry to describe glycan presentation in settings of autoimmunity.
David Badillo Avila
HBSc. Student (2022–Present)
PCL297H student
Focus: Immunology
Yuliia is a second-year undergraduate student specializing in pharmaceutical chemistry. She is interested in the role of the glycocalyx in cell function. Yuliia is excited to work alongside chemists in The Edgar Lab to synthesize glycans that will be used for cell detection, manipulation of cell-cell interactions, and other applications.
Yuliia Hrytskiv
HBSc. Student (2022–Present)
PCL297H student
Focus: Synthetic Chemistry