Lochmüller Lab

Our research team is growing! We are excited to introduce three new members who have recently joined the Lochmüller lab and several students who will be working with us this summer.

Eva Anderson

Research Associate
Eva is joining the team as a Research Associate at CHEO RI. She will be responsible for coordinating and managing multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT) for Dr. Lochmüller’s clinical trials.

Eva holds a Master’s degree in Medical Physics and a BSc in Theoretical physics (minor Mathematics and Neuroscience and Mental Health). Her research background lies in imaging modalities and emergency department migraine care.

Prior to joining the team, Eva has gained 3 years of experience as a psychometrist administering neuropsychological tests to children, adolescents, and young adults.

Aoife Reilly

Research Coordinator

Aoife recently completed her PhD in Dr. Rashmi Kothary’s lab at the OHRI, where her research explored the contributions of the peripheral organs to Spinal Muscular Atrophy pathogenesis. She now joins the Lochmüller lab as a Research Coordinator, assisting with lab management and coordinating the administrative operations of the University of Ottawa’s Centre for Neuromuscular Disease (CNMD), co-led by Dr. Lochmüller and Dr. Mireille Khacho.

Pierrot Lundimu Tugirimana

MSc Student

Pierrot recently joined the Lochmüller Lab as a Master of Science candidate in Clinical Science and Translational Medicine at the University of Ottawa. He is currently focusing on assessing the utility of Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography (MSOT) in the quantitative analysis of muscle biomarkers in neuromuscular disorders.

With over two decades of experience in clinical, research, and public health sectors, he holds an MD from the University of Kinshasa and specialized in Internal Medicine. He furthered his education with a PhD in Clinical Chemistry from Ghent University in Belgium and a Master of Public Health from the University of Newcastle in Australia.

Pierrot’s research efforts have been directed towards developing cost-effective diagnostic techniques for C-reactive protein and microalbuminuria testing in resource-limited settings. His past roles include serving as a Public Health Laboratory Advisor for the CDC in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a physician for the International Committee of the Red Cross in various global missions. He has also held a lecturer position at the University of Rwanda, contributing to significant public health projects and scholarly publications.

Katelyn Maclellan

Summer Student

Katelyn will be working as a summer student with Dr. Lochmüller’s clinical trials team at the OHRI. She graduated from Western University in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science, Honours Specialization in Nutrition and Dietetics. Katelyn is currently pursuing a Post-Degree Diploma in Clinical Trials Management through Western University, completing her practicum with the Lochmüller Lab at the Civic Hospital this summer.

Katerina Palacek

Summer Student

Katerina is a second-year medical student at the University of Ottawa. She is returning to the lab this summer as part of the Faculty of Medicine’s Medical Student Summer Research Program (MSSRP). Katerina will be continuing her work using optogenetic zebrafish models to identify novel genes associated with congenital myasthenic syndromes.

Before starting medical school, Katerina completed her first three years at McGill University in Neuroscience. During her undergraduate studies, she worked at the Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, the National Research Council of Canada, and CHEO.

Prachi Inamdar

Prachi will be working as a summer student with Dr. Lochmüller’s clinical trials team at CHEO. She holds a master’s degree in Biomedical Genetics with a Specialization in Genetic Counseling from the Vellore Institute of Technology, India.From 2017 – 2022, she has worked as a genetic counselor, supporting patients and families through the complex process of genetic testing and diagnosis. She is currently pursuing a post-degree diploma in Clinical Trials Management, building on her foundation in genetics to transition into clinical research.

Josh Zeldin

Josh is currently finishing his final semester of his undergraduate degree in Translational and Molecular Medicine (TMM) and transitioning into a summer studentship with the Lochmüller lab. He is interested in rare disease research, with an emphasis on neuromuscular and neurological diseases. Josh has prior experience with the Lochmüller lab studying MuSK agonist therapy for Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome and developing an in-silico workflow to predict the protein impact of splice-altering variants. His current project involves improving and standardizing the in-silico workflow that he and Dr. Polavarapu developed in the summer of 2023.