Our Team
Dr. Ayush Kumar, PhD
Dr. Ayush Kumar is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba. He completed is BSc (Microbiology and Biochemistry) and MSc (Microbiology) from Dr. R.M.L. Awadh University, Faizabad, India. His PhD work was carried out in the laboratory of Dr. Elizabeth Worobec, Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba. Dr. Kumar received his post-doctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Herbert Schweizer, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO. He joined the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (now Ontario Tech University) as an Assistant Professor in 2007. Dr. Kumar relocated his laboratory to the University of Manitoba in 2013.
Dr. Kumar is the current President of the Canadian Society of Microbiologists (2020-2021).
Present Lab Members
Dr. Rakesh Patidar, Post-doctoral fellow
PhD: Barkatullah University, India
MSc: Barkatullah University, India
Rakesh is studying molecular mechanisms of biocide-antibiotic cross-resistance in A. baumannii.
Dr. Soumya Deo, Post-doctoral fellow
PhD: University of Manitoba
MSc: University of Glasgow
Soumya is designing novel antimicrobials that can be used to reduce bacterial growth on hospital surfaces.
Yanqi (Colin) Li, Post-doctoral fellow
PhD: University of Manitoba
BSc: Northwest University (China)
Colin is studying the tri-partite efflux pumps in P. aeruginosa.
Vanessa Kornelsen, PhD Candidate
BSc: University of Manitoba
Vanessa is studying mechanisms of virulence in A. baumannii.
Ellen Sykes, PhD Student
BSc: University of Alberta
Ellen is studying physiological functions of RND efflux pumps in A. baumannii.
Aamer Kurdi, PhD Student (co-supervised with Dr. Georg Hausner)
BSc: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia
MSc: University of Manitoba
Aamer is characterizing novel antimicrobial compound producing fungi.
Debjyoti Thakur, MSc Student
BSc: Bangalore University (India)
MSc: University of Birmingham (UK)
Debjyoti is characterizing two-component regulatory systems of A. baumannii.
Anita Murdock, MSc Student (co-supervised with Dr. Annemieke Farenhorst, Soil Science)
BSc: University of Manitoba
Anita is studying the microbiological quality of water in Manitoba First Nation Communities.
Sabrin Bashar, MSc Student (co-supervised with Dr. Annemieke Farenhorst, Soil Science)
BSc: University of Dhaka
Sabrin is studying the presence of antimicrobial genes in the drinking water from Manitoba First Nation Communities.
Tajinder Kainth, MSc Student
BSc: University of Manitoba
Tajinder is studying environmental determinants of antibiotic resistance in A. baumannii.
Oscar Sze, Technician
BSc: University of Manitoba
Photo credit: Kira Koop (@kirakoop) and Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba
A parody video created by Yasser, Dinesh, and Alex (2014)
Past
Dr. Yanelis Acebo-Guerrero, PDF
Dr. Manu Singh, PhD (2019)
Dr. Malaka De Silva, PhD (2019)
Dr. Dinesh Fernando, PhD (2015)
Amal Ibrahim, MSc (co-supervised with Dr. Georg Hausner) (2020)
Aamer Kurdi, MSc (co-supervised with Dr. Georg Hausner) (2020)
Ruidong Mi, MSc (co-supervised with Dr. Annemieke Farenhorst) (2018)
Mark Unger, MSc (2017)
Yasser Alsaadi, MSc (2014)
Sarah Warren, MSc (2013)
Andrei Bazyleu, MSc (2013)
Sujani Ganeshanantham, MSc (2011)
Jenny Cortez-Cardova, MSc (2010)
Sydney McLaughlin, U Manitoba VPRI Summer Award
Raelene Engelberg, Honors Thesis Student
Owen Barber-Dueck, Honors Thesis Student
Matt Mayor, NSERC USRA
Nathan Glowach, Faculty of Science USRA
Rebecca Zimmer, U Manitoba VPRI Summer Award
Kristen Graham, Undergraduate Researcher
Umema Rafay, U Manitoba VPRI Summer Award (co-supervised with Dr. Georg Hausner)
Kaleigh Ducas-Mowchun, Honors Thesis Student
Shady Rizk, Faculty of Science USRA (co-supervised with Dr. Georg Hausner)
Madison Chapel, NSERC USRA (co-supervised with Dr. Georg Hausner)
Megan Guimond, NSERC USRA
Daniela Noriega, (Mitacs Globalink intern)
Oreofe Okunnu, NSERC Undergraduate Researcher
Sehar Nurpuri, Honors Thesis Student (co-supervised with Dr. Georg Hausner)
Shirley Wang, Honors Thesis Student
Shaheer Shahat, U Manitoba VPRI Summer Award (co-supervised with Dr. Georg Hausner)
Alexa McAdam, Honors Thesis Student
Taylor Morriseau, Undergraduate Researcher (Co-Op program)
Shane Cameron, NSERC Undergraduate Researcher
Swastik Sen, Undergraduate Researcher (Mitacs Globalink intern)
Austein McLoughlin, Honors Thesis Student (co-supervised with Dr. Deborah Court)
Monica Mai, Undergraduate Researcher (co-supervised with Dr. Annemieke Farenhorst)
Jasmine Frost, Honors Thesis Student
Jenna Poole, Undergraduate Researcher
Vincent Law, Faculty of Science Undergraduate Researcher
Sohini Bagchi, Undergraduate Researcher (Mitacs Globalink intern)
Alexander Tsibulski, Undergraduate Researcher (Co-Op program)
Leah Brown, NSERC Undergraduate Researcher
Blake Harris, Undergraduate Researcher
Jasleen Hora, Honors Thesis Student
Aajab Abdulhusein, Undergraduate Researcher
Massimo Narini, Undergraduate Researcher
Jade Greenly, NSERC Undergraduate Researcher
Hira Sohail, Honors Thesis Student
Ian Ngaira, Honors Thesis Student
Tremayne Peart, Undergraduate Researcher (UOIT Summer Research Award recipient, 2010)
Elliot Byrne, Undergraduate Researcher
Sean Chin, Undergraduate Researcher
Courtney Dalton, Undergraduate Researcher (UOIT Summer Research Award recipient, 2009)
Melissa Schultz, Honors Thesis Student
Dr. Alireza Samarbaf, Visiting Scientist
Bukola Fakayode, Visiting Scientist
Ravitej Goteti, Undergraduate Researcher (UOIT Summer Research Award recipient, 2008)
Reza Jafari, Undergraduate Researcher
Elizabeth Racz, Honors Thesis Student
Dr. Kari Kumar, Research Associate