Sergey V. Plotnikov, PhD
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Associate Professor
University of Toronto
Department of Cell & Systems Biology
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Postdoc, Cell Biology
National Institutes of Health (NHLBI), Waterman Lab
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Postdoc, Quantitative Imaging
University of Connecticut Health Center
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PhD, Cell and Developmental Biology
Institute of Marine Biology (Vladivostok, Russia)
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Sergey Plotnikov Profile | University of Toronto (utoronto.ca)

Ernest
Iu
PhD Student
BSc Biochemistry UofT 2018
BSc Cell & Molecular Biology UofT 2018
Hong Kong
Joined April 2017
Ernest is investigating calcium signalling in lamellipodia of migrating cells. He is a superb microscoptician and active on sci-twitter -- follow him @ernest_iu!
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Outside of the lab, Ernest plays the guitar and is a big fan of french bulldogs, corgis, and pugs!
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Karan
Ishii
PhD Student
BSc Biology UCLA 2020
Jericho, New York
Joined September 2022
Karan is starting her project on calcium signalling at focal adhesions. She spent two years at Kyoto University as a research assistant in the Kageyama and Matsuda labs.
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Karan is a former camp counsellor who enjoys skiing, podcasts, and baking better banana bread than Sergey does!
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Alexander Bogatch
Post Bac Research Assistant
BSc Biochemistry 2023
BSc Molecular Genetics & Microbiology 2023
Mississauga, ON
Joined April 2019
Alex is a longtime undergrad and now research assistant in the lab working with Ernest on the lamellipodia project. Our cloning expert!
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Alex is very creative -- he plays piano and electric guitar, crochets, embroiders, paints, builds lego, and is learning to sew!
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Rico
Dong
Undergraduate Student
Molecular Genetics & Microbiology Major
Neuroscience Major
Math Minor
Markham, ON
Joined April 2022
Rico was a Research Opportunities Program student for the summer of 2022 studying cell spreading with Alex.
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He is a math wiz and looks forward to do biological modelling in the future!
Fernando Valencia
PhD Student
Hon. BSc Chemistry UTM 2018
Hon. BSc Biology UTM 2018
Toronto
Joined July 2017
Fernando is studying mechanosensitive actin polymerization by the formin Dia1. He is an expert in laser experiments and a great mentor and teacher!
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Fernando's desk is decorated with lots of animals and he is a member of the Toronto zoo!
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Arthur
Siu
Undergraduate Student
Immunology Major
Cell & Systems Biology Major
Hong Kong
Joined March 2022
Arthur is a CSB498 independent research student trying to understand how calcium regulates responses to viscous fluid.
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Arthur is a gym-bro but one of the nice ones and brings to the lab apple that he himself cuts and peels!
Daphne
Jiang
Undergraduate Student
Health & Disease Major
Molecular Genetics & Microbiology Major
Immunology Minor
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Joined April 2022
Published Author!
Daphne is a Research Opportunities Program student for the summer and fall of 2022 examining nuclear compression with Fernando.
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She is Halifaxian and wrote a book on her great grandaunt titled Chinese Wallflower!
Meet Our Microscopes
Yokogawa CSU-X-1 Spinning Disk Unit on Nikon Eclipse Ti2 Inverted Microscope

Our trusty workhorse! Great for laser ablation!
Nikon H-TIRF Module (Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence) on Eclipse Ti2 Inverted Microscope

Super resolution at the imaging interface!
CREST Optics Spinning Disk Unit on Nikon Eclipse Ti2 Inverted Microscope

Great for FRET!
Nikon A1R MP Upright Multiphoton Microscope

Image deep into tissue! Great for micropattering!
Lab Alumni
Rosiey Yang Masters Student 2018-2022, Medical Writer
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Joy Du Undergraduate Student 2020-2022, Medicine at McMaster University
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Chen Tuo Undergraduate Student 2020-2022, Biochemistry PhD Student at UofT
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Ajay Singh Undergraduate Student 2021, Molecular Biophysics PhD Student at UofT.
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Linda Li Undergraduate Student 2019, Cell and Systems Biology PhD Student at UofT, Saltzman Lab
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