Principal Investigator
Vineet Rathod, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
BSc. Biochemistry | University of Alberta
Ph.D. Biochemistry | Centre for Prions & Protein Folding Diseases, Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta
Dr. Rathod joined the University of Lethbridge in 2023 as an instructor and shortly after transitioned to an Assistant Professor in 2024. He is now an independent researcher in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
Dr. Rathod was trained under the supervision of Prof. Holger Wille from the University of Alberta at the Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases.
The main focus of his research interests involves protein engineering and structural biology, specifically aimed at understanding the structures of misfolded proteins that cause neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Lou Gehrig's (ALS) diseases. He investigates the structure-function relationships that underlie the pathogenic effects of these proteins using a wide range of immunological and biophysical techniques, including electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography.
Research Associates and Postdoctoral Fellows
Lyudmyla (Luda) Dorosh, Ph.D.
Research Associate in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Alberta.
She holds a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics and specializes in computational modeling of biomolecular systems, with a focus on protein folding, misfolding, and aggregation. She employs multiscale approaches that couple molecular dynamics simulations with 3D molecular theory of solvation and Essential Collective Dynamics Analysis, with applications in drug discovery and protein engineering.
Colyn Cleland, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
He holds a Ph.D in Biochemistry specializing in structural biology under the supervision of Dr. Mosimann. Colyn’s primary research interests lie in resolving the atomic structures of engineered antigens and antibody fragments. By integrating biochemical and biophysical methods, with a focus on X-ray crystallography, he generates high-resolution insights into protein architecture. His work bridges fundamental structural biology with therapeutic innovation.
Graduate Students
Ryley Chalack, BSc
MSc. Student in Biochemistry
Ryley joined the Rathod Lab in the Fall of 2024 as an Honours Thesis student for the 2024/25 term.
Ryley’s research focuses on engineering β-solenoid amyloids to investigate the molecular cross-talk between misfolded proteins in both in vitro and in vivo systems. These studies provide key insights into protein misfolding and aggregation pathways.
Outside of the lab, Ryley enjoys playing sports, hiking, and being outdoors.
Joshua Craig, BSc
Ph.D. Candidate in Neuroscience
Co-supervisor: Dr. Chelsea Ekstrand.
Josh joined the Rathod Lab in the Winter of 2025 as PhD Student.
Josh's research delves into the complex effects of stress on the brain, particularly focusing on how stress alters perception and processing in the brain through the use of naturalistic stimuli to better understand real-world implications.
Outside of the lab, Josh enjoys playing hockey, golf, and watching a good movie.
Research Assistants
MSc. Candidate in Neuroscience
Aum joined the Rathod lab in the Summer of 2024.
Aum's research focuses on using computational biology and machine learning to create an atlas of amyloids, aiming to understand the folds and orientation of amino acid residues that could be significant in protein-protein interactions.
MD |MBA Student at University of Alberta
Isa joined the Rathod lab in September 2024 as a volunteer and is now a visiting student
Isa's primary research focuses on engineering recombinant antibody fragments that offer one-step detection of misfolded proteins associated with AD, PD, and Prion diseases.
Jordyn Musial, BSc
MSc. Student in Neuroscience
Jordyn joined the Rathod Lab in the Winter of 2025 as an Independent Study student and continued as a Research Assistant.
Jordyn's research focuses on developing biochemical assays using ELISAs to detect stress biomarkers and investigate their correlation with neuronal plasticity
Outside of the lab, Jordyn enjoys hiking, baking, camping and being outdoors with her dog.
Jackson joined the Rathod lab in the Fall of 2025 as a Research Assistant.
Jackson uses phage display technology to engineer recombinant antibody fragments that recognize distinct amyloid conformations.
Undergraduate Students
Nolan Fomradas
BSc. Student in Biological Sciences
Nolan joined the Rathod lab in the Summer of 2024 as a volunteer, continuing his work as an Independent Study student in the Winter 2025 semester.
Nolan's research focuses on the computational aspects of the Rathod lab, working on designing conformation-specific antibodies.
Outside of the lab, Nolan enjoys playing hockey, golfing and watching a good movie.
Raiden Cuellar
BSc. Student in Biochemistry
Raiden joined the Rathod Lab in the Summer of 2025. He is currently an Honours Thesis student in the lab.
Raiden's research focuses on the expression and purification of the engineered GSS-A117V prion peptide to understand its structural fold.
Outside of the lab, Raiden enjoys spending time with his wife, volunteering, and watching a good movie.
Mackenzie Palmarchuk
BSc. Student in Biochemistry
Mackenzie joined the Rathod lab in the Fall of 2025 as an independent studies student
Mackenzie's research evaluates the seeding activity of engineered and functional amyloids in vitro
Emmanuella Yakubu
BSc. Student in Biochemistry
Emmanuella joined the Rathod Lab in September 2025.
Emmanuella's research focuses on the expression and purification of clubroot-associated proteins for higher-level structural analyses.
High School Students
Hiraj Patel
Hiraj joined the Rathod lab in the Summer of 2025 as a high-school volunteer.
Rathod Lab Alumni
Matteo Kaluza, BSc - Independent Study Student, 4990 (Fall 2024, Winter 2025)
Co-supervised by Dr. Igor Kovalchuk
Jaden Weiss, BSc - Independent Study Student, 4990 (Fall 2024, Winter 2025)
Nic Galatonov, BSc - Independent Study Student, 3990 (Fall 2024)
Co-supervised by Dr. Igor Kovalchuk
Temi Angunlejika, BSc - Independent Study Student, 3990 (Winter 2024)
Morgan Jeffries, BSc - Independent Study Student, 4990 (Winter 2024)