Principal Investigators
Jason Plemel, Ph.D.
Dr. Jason Plemel began his training in the laboratory of Dr. Wolfram Tetzlaff at the University of British Columbia where he completed his Doctorate. There he investigated two separate strategies to improve white matter regeneration: transplantation of precursor cells to replace lost oligodendrocytes and cell culture to find novel targets to improve remyelination. During Dr. Plemel’s postdoctoral work he studied the contribution of microglia following myelin injury in the laboratories of Dr. Peter Stys and Dr. Wee Yong at the University of Calgary. His interdisciplinary project investigated mechanisms of how immune cells respond to primary degeneration and developed a new tool to image cell death and injury using spectral microscopy. In his new faculty appointment at the University of Alberta, Dr. Plemel and his laboratory will investigate how microglia play an important role in the regeneration of injured white matter, but also how microglia can induce injury to white matter during different disease conditions.
Bradley Kerr, Ph.D.
Dr. Bradley Kerr received his BSc in Psychology from McGill University. He then went on to obtain a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of London-King’s College in the UK. His Ph.D. research was aimed at understanding the role of novel modulatory peptides, growth factors and pro-inflammatory cytokines in persistent pain. Dr. Kerr went on to do postdoctoral work at the California Institute of Technology and at McGill University where his work focused on studying inflammatory responses after nervous system injury. Dr. Kerr joined the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Alberta in 2007 and is also an adjunct associate professor in the Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry. The focus of research in his lab is aimed at addressing the mechanisms of chronic pain after injury or disease with a major focus on chronic pain associated with Multiple Sclerosis.
Graduate Students and Postdocs
Charbel Baaklini, Ph.D. Candidate
All the way from Lebanon, Charbel came to Edmonton for his Ph.D. in neuroscience. He graduated with a BSc in Biology. As Plemel’s first graduate student, he’s so excited to be in the process of discovering new ways to treat one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases, multiple sclerosis. His project will focus on the roles of microglia in the process of remyelination and he hopes to find molecular targets to induce this regenerative process in MS patients.
Madelene Ho, PhD Candidate
Madelene initially started in the Plemel lab in 2018-2019 academic year to intern as a Research Assistant to gain more laboratory experience and techniques and be part of the front lines in Multiple Sclerosis research. Since then, she began an M.Sc. in Neuroscience on a collaborative project between the Kerr and Plemel Lab. Her project focuses on immune cells and how they contribute to neuropathic pain. Apart from her love of the daring environment of research labs, she is passionate about curative research and care in the clinical sciences. Recently, she has been fascinated by auto/immune and degenerative diseases and disorders; she likes being involved in working with MS, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and HIV/AIDS.
Rebecca John, M.Sc. Student
Rebecca received her Mind Sciences in Kinesiology BSc from the University of Calgary in 2022. She started as an MSc student in the fall of 2022 under the co-supervision of Drs. Jason Plemel and Karim Fouad. Her project explores the neuro-immune mechanics of spinal cord injury, as well as looks at how inflammation can contribute to plasticity after injury.
Katie Souter, M.Sc. Student
Katie received her BSc in Neuroscience from the University of Alberta in 2023 and is now working on an MSc in Neuroscience under the supervision of Dr. Jason Plemel. She is investigating the role of microglia in neurotoxicity in multiple sclerosis.
Lanah Mohammed, M.Sc. Student
Lanah received her B.Sc. degree in Cell Biology from the University of Alberta. She began her M.Sc. degree in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology and will focus on immune cells and their contribution to neuropathic pain. Lanah is supervised by both Dr. Kerr and Dr. Plemel. Apart from her love of neuroscience and immunology research, she is passionate about medicine and education. When not in the lab, she enjoys playing board games, watching movies, and taking long naps.
Arina Pang, M.Sc. Student
Arina is a MSc student at the University of Alberta. Under the supervision of Dr. Brad Kerr, her project will focus on the role of inflammation in a model of pain resolution. Outside of her studies, Arina enjoys reading and climbing.
Andrea Klassen, M.Sc. Student
Andrea is a MSc student investigating peripheral mechanisms of pain and inflammation in multiple sclerosis under the supervision of Dr. Bradley Kerr. Outside of the lab, she enjoys reading and baking.
Undergraduate Students
Xavier Penetrante
Xavier is a 4th year BSc Honors Neuroscience student at the University of Alberta studying microglia and their role in the demyelination of the brain and spinal cord using FIRE mice. Outside of the lab, Xavier enjoys hiking, karaoke, keeping up with pro and college sports, going to concerts, and walking his dog Percy!
Lab Support
Kelly Lee
Kelly completed her MSc at the University of Toronto in the Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics. The main focus of her research will be using Cuprizone model of progressive Multiple Sclerosis in mice to investigate how microglial cells respond to demyelination and the factors that are released into the extracellular matrix as a result of the toxin.
Gustavo Tenorio
After completing an MSc from the University of Alberta, Gustavo started working with Dr. Kerr and has worked with him for the past 9 years. Gustavo is an important lab resource. He trains new staff and students on various tasks ranging from bench work to data processing. Recently, his work has shifted more towards lab administration, as well as identifying hazards and implementing controls to make sure the lab follows EHS standards.
Alumni and Past Members
Postdoctoral Fellows:
UAlberta Neuroimmunology and Pain Laboratory 