Principle Investigator
Dr. Dustin Little
Dustin received his BSc in Biochemistry in 2008 from the University of Waterloo. He then worked for one year in the food science industry before completing his PhD in Biochemistry in 2015 at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Dr. Lynne Howell. From 2015 to 2019, Dustin was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University in the lab of Dr. Brian Coombes. In 2020 he joined Ryerson University establishing his lab in the Department of Chemistry and Biology.
Graduate Students
Thomas Esmond
Thomas joined the Little Lab in the summer of 2020 as a Career Boost graduate summer student, and will start his graduate studies in the Molecular Sciences program at Ryerson this fall. His project focuses on the post-translational regulation of O-antigen biosynthesis and how these modifications affect bacterial virulence and physiology. Outside the lab, Thomas is involved with Ryerson Tabletop Gamers in Science, enjoys video games, and plays the guitar.
Undergraduate Students
Sarick Chapagain
Sarick joined the Little Lab in the summer of 2020 as a URO summer research assistant. She is currently a third-year Biology Co-op program student at Ryerson. Her project focuses on the post-translational regulation of O-antigen biosynthesis and how these modifications affect bacterial virulence and physiology. Sarick is also an international student, having finished her high-school from Thailand. Her interests include cooking and exploring different food from around the world.
Sindi Mukaj
Sindi joined the Little Lab in the summer of 2020 as an NSERC undergraduate student research assistant (USRA). She is currently a fourth-year Biomedical Sciences student at Ryerson. Her work focuses on molecular mechanisms of bacterial tyrosine phosphorylation. Sindi's interests outside of the lab include indoor cycling and watching Grey's Anatomy.
Maciej Politynski
Maciej joined the Little Lab in the summer of 2020 as a Career Boost summer student. He is currently a fourth-year Biomedical Sciences student at Ryerson. His project focuses on developing a functional immunoassay for measuring SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies. Outside the lab, Maciej's interests include aviation, playing soccer, and road cycling.
Abdullah Rahimi
Abdullah joined the Little Lab in the winter of 2020 as a SCI999 student. He is currently a 3rd year Biomedical Sciences student at Ryerson. His work focuses on characterizing post-translational mechanisms of bacterial virulence.
