The passion and dedication of the Watt lab members make our lab an exciting place to do science! Meet the team below!
Alanna Watt
Professor and PI
Email me: alanna.watt@mcgill.ca
Alanna completed her PhD at Brandeis University, MA, USA in the Turrigiano lab studying homeostatic synaptic plasticity. She then moved to UCL in London, UK where she studied cerebellar development in the Häusser lab. Alanna started her own lab at McGill in 2011, focusing on cerebellar development and plasticity in both healthy brains and in animal models of disease. She is former interim Chair of the Biology Department at McGill, and will be Chair of the Gordon Research Conference on the Cerebellum in 2025. After being Associate Dean (Research), Alanna has taken on the role of Interim Dean, Faculty of Science in July 2025. In her free time, Alanna likes to cook, read, and spend time in nature.
Postdoctoral Fellows
Amy Smith-Dijak
Postdoctoral Fellow
Email: amy.smith-dijak@mail.mcgill.ca
After completing a BSc in Neuroscience at McGill in 2013, Amy moved to Vancouver to do a PhD at the University of British Columbia. There she studied impairment of cortical homeostatic plasticity in Huntington disease. She handed in her thesis in 2019 and returned to Montreal to continue studying homeostatic plasticity in neurodegenerative diseases, now focusing on Purkinje cells. She hopes that studying these processes will give us a better understanding of how neural circuits can be resilient in the face of degeneration.
Brenda Toscano-Márquez
Postdoctoral Fellow/Research Associate
Email: brenda.toscanomarquez@mail.mcgill.ca
Brenda completed her PhD in Biology from McGill University, studying the action of neuromodulators in the electrosensory system in weakly electric fish. For her postdoctoral research, she joined the Watt lab, where she is using her training in electrophysiology and molecular techniques to study the pathophysiology that underlies the onset of ARSACS in the hope of gaining better insights into developing treatments for this disease.
Graduate Students
Rana Abdelhalim
PhD Student
Email: rana.abdelhalim@mail.mcgill.ca
Rana is passionate about studying motor function, control, coordination, and learning (all things to do with motor movement!). She is interested in exploring how these motor aspects are affected in disease, such as in SCA6, and investigating the mechanisms underlying their dysfunction. Rana’s passion for motor function arose from her work on assessing forelimb motor impairment and recovery post-stroke during her MSc in Neuroscience at the University of Ottawa. In 2023, Rana excitedly joined the Watt lab to study potential therapeutic strategies to rescue motor deficits and reduce cerebellar pathology in SCA6.
Atchaya Kanagasabai
co-supervised MSc Student
Email: atchaya.kanagasabai@mail.mcgill.ca
Atchaya graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology and Therapeutics from McGill. She is now a graduate student co-supervised by Dr. Alanna Watt and Dr. Anne McKinney. Atchaya was first exposed to neuroscience when she joined a neuropharmacology lab in May 2022 during her undergraduate studies. Her current research interest is investigating mitochondrial dysfunctions in the rare disorder Christianson Syndrome in hopes of better understanding the molecular mechanism causing ataxia. Outside the lab, Atchaya enjoys trying food from different cultures, watching crime movies and travelling.
Dalia Kozak
MSc Student
Email: dalia.kozak@mail.mcgill.ca
Dalia obtained her B.A. in Psychology in McGill University in 2022 before she decided to switch paths and go into neuroscience, inspired by the classes she has taken as an undergraduate student. She has always been fascinated by the brain, especially neurodegenerative diseases such as ataxia, and knew from a younger age that she wanted to pursue a career in the field. She joined the Watt Lab in 2024 as a M.Sc. student in Neuroscience (IPN), and is currently working on understanding the role of the Rhomboid 3 protein in the aging cerebellum. Outside of the lab, Dalia enjoys drawing, reading or spending time with her friends in her free time.
Yujia Li
PhD Student
Email: yujia.li@mail.mcgill.ca
Yujia is a first-year PhD student in the Watt Lab. She is interested in the Rhomboid protein, especially its role in motor coordination and aging, as well as its upstream and downstream signaling pathways. Yujia obtained her undergraduate degree at the University of California, Davis with a major in Genetics and Genomics. After graduation, she worked as a research assistant at the Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences to study the spontaneous regression of Neuroblastoma. Yujia enjoys reading, writing, and traveling in my free time.
William Mattana dos Santos
PhD Student
Email: william.mattanadossantos@mail.mcgill.ca
William first entered the world of neuroscience during his undergraduate degree by studying the effects of psychedelics on memory and learning. Then, he became fascinated with the cerebellum during a summer project in the Watt Lab as a MITACS intern. Determined to deepen his knowledge, he has returned to the lab as a PhD student, focusing on cerebellar development and axonal plasticity, and exploring how these plastic events may influence axonal function. Outside the lab, William can be found reading, running, watching TV shows, traveling, or simply discovering new activities and learning new stuff!
Ben Rogers
PhD Student
Email: benjamin.rogers2@mail.mcgill.ca
After completing his BSc. in Nutritional Biochemistry at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, Ben moved to Montreal in 2021 to complete his MSc. in Neuroscience at the Université de Montréal studying hippocampal synaptic plasticity and stress. Ben joined the Watt lab as a PhD student in 2023 and will be investigating the role of circadian clock genes in cerebellar health and disease. Outside of the lab, Ben enjoys playing tennis, volleyball and enjoying the extremely warm summers and extremely cold winters in Montreal.
Amna Saleem
PhD Student
Email: amna.saleem@mail.mcgill.ca
Amna completed her Bachelor’s degree in neuroscience in June 2022 from McMaster University, after which she pursued a Lab Technician position at the University of Toronto in a zebrafish lab studying developmental neurobiology. Through her undergraduate degree she became interested in studying information processing in the brain. All brain function depends on a diverse set of neurons coming together to form functional circuits. Together with electrophysiology and tracing techniques, we can parse out the unique morphological and physiological properties of the neurons that make up a circuit to understand how information is processed. For her PhD project, Amna will be studying cerebellar connectivity in mice, specifically at the Purkinje cell—cerebellar nuclei synapse, which has previously been overlooked in literature. Outside the lab she enjoys landscape painting, reading, cooking, binging TV shows, and watching the sky change colours.
Bruna Soares de Souza
PhD Student
Email: brunasoares.souza@mail.mcgill.ca
Bruna had her first contact with neuroscience during her undergraduate in Biology when she joined a research lab. There she learned about and became fascinated about neurodevelopment. Bruna then pursued her MSc. in Neuroscience in the same lab working with an animal model of ADHD. In 2021, Bruna joined the Watt lab to continue studying neurodevelopment. Bruna is interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying axonal modifications in cerebellar development.
Julia Tourbina-Kolomiets
co-supervised MSc Student
Email: julia.tourbina-kolomiets@mail.mcgill.ca
Julia obtained her B.Sc., Hons. in Pharmacology and Therapeutics at McGill in 2023. She became fascinated by neuroscience following undergraduate courses and started studying the cerebellum during her undergraduate Honours project. Currently, she is a MSc student in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, co-supervised by Dr. Alanna Watt and Dr. Anne McKinney. Her project focuses on investigating the molecular mechanisms behind selective Purkinje cell death in Christianson Syndrome and ARSACS to hopefully find therapeutic targets for these disorders. Besides research, Julia enjoys reading (especially detective novels), spending time outdoors and travelling.
Élyse Zadigue-Dubé
MSc student
Email: elyse.zadigue-dube@mail.mcgill.ca
Salut! I’m Élyse (she/her/elle). I first joined Dr. Alanna Watt’s lab in 2022 as an undergraduate neuroscience major, and I enjoyed it so much that two years later, I’m starting my master’s degree in the same lab. My research interests focus on the cellular mechanisms that drive both neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration. Previously, I had the opportunity to investigate the endosomal pathway of nerve cells affected by spinocerebellar ataxia 6 (SCA6), an inherited neurodegenerative disease characterized by cerebellar dysfunction and motor coordination deficits. Later, I was able to explore potential therapeutic strategies for the disease. Now, I’m especially excited to dive deeper into early-life cerebellar development in SCA6, with a focus on the role of the neurotrophin BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor) in this process. Outside the lab, you’ll likely find me running, biking, climbing, sketching outdoors, or discovering new music artists
Research Assistants
Chanelle Lawson-Lartego
Research Assistant
Email: chanelle.lawson-lartego@mail.mcgill.ca
Chanelle is a graduate student in Public Health at McGill University. She joined the Watt lab in May 2023 and since then she has been doing research on Autosomal Recessive Spastic Ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS). She analyses images of mice cerebellum slices to observe the abundance of Calcium channel 3.1 on torpedoes present on Purkinje cells’ axons. When not in the lab, she can be found enjoying Montreal’s free festivals, spending time with friends or family, or learning new braiding styles and techniques.
Lab Manager
Heika Silveira
Lab Manager
Email: heika.silveiravillarroel@mcgill.ca
Heika is originally from Venezuela where she accomplished a Pharmacy BSc, a Pharmacology PhD and worked as a Pharmacology Professor at the Central University of Venezuela. She started her scientific career at the age of 16, working as a pharmacology research assistant; since then, her interest in neuropharmacology has taken her to work in very well know Canadian institutions as McGill University, the Montreal Neurological Institute and the University of Alberta. Enthusiastic for neuroscience and knowledge transfer, she also has valuable experience performing drug screening and preclinical studies in pharmaceutical companies from the USA, Canada and the UK. Heika joined the Watt Lab as a laboratory manager to oversees the day-to-day operations, coordinate the execution of experiments, uphold health and safety standards and improve lab operation processes. Outside of the lab, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, hiking, baking and karaoke.
Undergraduate Students
Alyssa Abou-Chakra
Undergraduate student
Email: alyssa.abouchakra@mail.mcgill.ca
Alyssa is an undergraduate student currently studying Biology, with a minor in Neuroscience. She’s been enamored by the brain and its many nuances for years, and joined the lab in the fall of 2023 to study the expression pattern of the ApoE4 protein in ataxic (ARSACS) mice. Outside of the lab, she can be found bouldering, crocheting, and exploring Montréal.
Juliana Gelber
Undergraduate student
Email: juliana.gelber@mail.mcgill.ca
Juliana is a Neuroscience major at McGill with a minor in Computer Science. She joined the Watt Lab in the winter of 2025 and has contributed to investigating neurodegeneration and motor behavior in SCA6 mouse models. Outside the lab, she enjoys sleeping, books about history, music, and open-world RPGs.
Jacqueline Le
Undergraduate student
Email: jacqueline.le@mail.mcgill.ca
Jacqueline is an undergraduate student majoring in Psychology, with an interest in Neuroscience. She is currently assisting other members of the team in analyzing ARSACS in mice models. Outside of the lab, she enjoys cooking, drawing, learning new languages, and volunteering in local hospitals and clinics.
Sahra Omar
Undergraduate student
Email: sashraomarahmed@mail.mcgill.ca
My name is Sahra Omar, and I’m an undergraduate student majoring in Pharmacology and minoring in East Asian language at McGill University. I’m interested in how drugs interact with the body and have become passionate about the intersection of pharmacology and neuroscience, especially in understanding brain function and neurodegenerative diseases.
Outside of the lab, I enjoy volunteering, hiking, spending time in nature, and being with friends.
Eve Shafqat
Undergraduate student
Email: ifterasham.shafqat@mail.mcgill.ca
Eve is a Biology undergraduate with a keen interest in exploring the functional role of Purkinje cells in neurodegenerative diseases. She is currently supporting team members in investigating the early progression of SCA6. Beyond the lab, she enjoys baking, running, and tending to her plants.
Nell Tov
Undergraduate student
Email: nell.tov@mail.mcgill.ca
Nell is an undergraduate student majoring in Biology and minoring in Neuroscience and Hispanic Studies. She is passionate about understanding the cellular pathways involved in neurodegenerative diseases. In the summer of 2024, she joined the Watt Lab as a work-study student, where she genotypes ARSACS and SCA6 mice. In her free time, she enjoys sewing, drawing, photography, and watching her favorite TV shows.
Watt Lab 