Who we are

Yale Michaels

Yale Michaels is a principal investigator at the Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute CancerCare Manitoba and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba.

Yale obtained a bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology from Harvard University where he conducted origins-of-life research in Professor Jack Szostak’s lab. He completed a PhD (DPhil) in Medical Science at Oxford University’s Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine under the supervision of Professor Tudor Fulga and Professor Tom Milne. The subject of his doctoral thesis was developing a new tool for precisely controlling gene expression levels in mammalian cells.

From 2019 to 2022, Yale was a Banting and Michael Smith Health Research BC postdoctoral fellow in Professor Peter Zandstra’s lab at the University of British Columbia’s School of Biomedical Engineering. While in the Zandstra lab, he developed a clinically translatable method for differentiating pluripotent stem cells into T cells.

Paul Layug

Paul is a PhD candidate in the Michaels lab. He obtained a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Genetics from the University of Manitoba, where he investigated alternative splicing in medulloblastoma under the supervision of Dr. Tamra Werbowetski-Ogilvie. Throughout undergrad, he was awarded with various summer research studentships which allowed him to conduct studies in immunology, internal medicine, and nanomedicine. In the Michaels lab, he is advancing safe and accessible cancer immunotherapies. Outside of the lab, he enjoys reading, doing calligraphy, and is a space enthusiast.

Kailyn O'Keefe

Kailyn is currently an MSc student in the Michaels lab as a member of the Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics. Kailyn first joined the Michaels Lab in 2025 as an Honours project student. She completed a Bachelor of Science Honours Co-op degree in Genetics, with minors in Chemistry and Statistics at the University of Manitoba in 2025. Over the past few years, she’s gained hands-on experience through co-op placements at the National Microbiology Laboratory, diving into projects in immunology, serology, and virology. In summer 2025, Kailyn took her research international with a scholarship to the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, where she explored precision oncology. She’s especially passionate about genetic research in areas like oncology, virology, and phage therapy, and is excited to be part of the Michaels Lab team. When she’s not in the lab, Kailyn enjoys making art, playing the violin, and getting lost in a good book.

Sadhana Rithi Narayanan Sudhakar

Sadhana joined the lab as a Research Technician in 2025 after completing her Master’s in Biochemistry and Medical Genetics at the University of Manitoba. Her graduate research focused on cancer epigenetics and gene expression, investigating the role of histone modification, H4R3me2a in cancer. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences with honors in Human Genetics from Sri Ramachandra University, India. Passionate about cancer research, Sadhana is dedicated to unraveling the complexities of cancer biology. Her curiosity and commitment drive her to continuously expand her knowledge and contribute meaningfully to the field. Outside the lab, she enjoys cooking, dancing, and singing, finding creativity and joy both in and beyond science.

Serena Dembowski

Serena began her MSc in the Michaels lab in May 2026. She first joined the lab as a co-op student in Sept 2025 while completing her Microbiology undergraduate program at the University of Victoria. Prior to joining Michael’s Lab, she gained experience working in industry, where she focused on differentiating pluripotent stem cells into lung progenitors. Serena has a strong interest in immunology and cancer research. She is enthusiastic about contributing to the lab’s work on cancer immunotherapies. Outside the lab, Serena enjoys volleyball, hiking, and paddleboarding.

Dana Segal

Dana joined the lab as a technician in 2023. Dana is recent graduate from the University of Manitoba with a major in microbiology and a minor in chemistry. She has always been interested in research and is excited to investigate novel and affordable cancer immunotherapies in the Michaels Lab. In her free time, Dana enjoys dancing and reading and is part of a dance group and a book club.

Matthew Major

Matthew joined the lab as a Medical Student Researcher in 2023 and is currently a medical student at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Prior to medicine, Matthew studied pharmacology as an undergraduate at UBC. During this time, he was part of Professor Peter Zandstra’s lab at UBC’s School of Biomedical Engineering. With the Zandstra lab, he used computational tools to study blood development and translated these findings to aid in differentiating T cells from pluripotent stem cells. He is excited to build upon this work with the Michaels lab. Outside of the lab, Matthew enjoys skiing and exploring the oceans through scuba diving.

Pinky Sharma

Pinky joined the lab in 2024 as a graduate student, co-supervised by Yale Michaels and Joel Pearson. Prior to this, she earned her master’s degree in molecular biology through a collaborative program involving Vrije Universiteit Brussel, KU Leuven, and the University of Antwerp. While in Belgium, she focused on developing radiolabeled anti-idiotypic Nanobodies targeting paraprotein in a preclinical multiple myeloma model. After completing her master’s, she gained experience in the pharmaceutical industry, where she created 3D tumor spheroid models to evaluate the efficacy of a bispecific anti-cancer drug. In the Michaels lab, Pinky is eager to work on CAR-T cell therapy for small cell lung cancer and hopes to contribute to the expanding field of T-cell therapy for solid tumors.
Outside of work, she enjoys reading both fiction and non-fiction and is an active volunteer with the Manitoba Writers’ Guild, fueled by her passion for creative writing.

Past lab members

  • Liat Stitz, research assistant, 2023. Current role: Policy analyst, Government of Manitoba
  • Lukas Lam, summer student, 2024. Current role: undergraduate student, University of Manitoba
  • Cassidy Vu, summer student, 2024. Current role: undergraduate student, University of Manitoba
  • Huda Alfarekh, co-op student, 2023-2025. Current role: undergraduate student, University of Manitoba
  • Hubert Sidarta, co-op student, 2024-2025. Current role: undergraduate student, University of Manitoba
  • Olivia Lee, Research Assoicate, 2024-2026. Current role: Research Co-ordinator, University of Manitoba
  • Genevieve Bistodeau-Gagnon, MSc student, 2023-2025. Current role: PhD student, Dartmouth University
  • Mailly Pham, summer student, 2025. Current role: Emergent Biosolutions