Lab Members

Mount Allison University provides students with a unique and high-quality academic experience. As a smaller institution, it prides itself on offering a hands-on learning experience and a collaborative learning environment.

Students are directly involved in world-class innovative research projects, gaining valuable laboratory experience and often co-authoring peer-reviewed publications, allowing them to pursue successful academic and professional careers.

Lab Members (2025-2026):

O. Peter Oni

2nd year, PhD Pharmacy

Peter (he/him) is a PhD student working on examining the role of sucralose toxicity using a multi-phased and combinatory tools of in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo models of Crohn's Disease.

SunMin Park

2nd year, MSc Chemistry

SunMin (she/her) is an MSc student working on investigating sucralose cytotoxicity in the human gut epithelium and whether orphan GPCRs are involved in mediating the cellular signals.

Lily Schwartz

4th year, BSc Biochemistry

Lily (she/her) is an honours student investigating the effects of Lac-Phe on the differentiation and function of adipocytes.

Tallulah MacNeil

4th year, BSc Biochemistry

Tua (she/her) is an honours student working on developing an AuNP colorimetric point-of-care test for proteins associated with pathologies.

Christian Leger

4th year, BSc Biochemistry

Christian (he/him) is an honours student investigating the interaction of phenylalanine and GPCRs from a neuronal perspective.

Rourke Lab Alumni:

2019-2020

From left to right: Madelaine Russell, Rachel McDougall, Madeline Power, Brandon MacKinnon, Nick Fernandez

Nick Fernandez, BSc Biochemistry (Hons.) '20 (2018-2020) / Thesis: GPR17 and GPR52 are activated by the artificial sweeteners sucralose and saccharin
Rachel McDougall, BSc Biochemistry (Hons.) '20 (2019-2020) / Thesis: Gold nanoparticle surface chemistry affects multiple parameters of cytotoxicity in ovarian cancer model
Madelaine Russell, BSc Biochemistry (Hons.) '20 (2019-2020) / Thesis: Investigating amino acid activation of G-protein coupled receptors invovled in lipid metabolism
Brandon MacKinnon, BSc Biochemistry (Hons.) '20 (2019-2020) / Thesis: Aspartame and Acesulfame potassium showing promise for peptide receptors and inflammatory reponses in class A orphan G-protein coupled receptors
Madeline Power, BSc Biochemistry (Hons.) '20 (2019-2022) / Thesis: L-phenylalanine activates class A orphan G-protein coupled receptors

2020-2021

From left to right: Maggie Pickard, Alexie Ouellette, Hannah Cahill, Madeline Power, Erin Yaung

Maggie Pickard, BSc Biochemistry (Hons.) '21 (2020-2021) / Thesis: Investigation of GPCR activation by health and insulin-resistant adipocytes
Hannah Cahill, BSc Biochemistry (Hons.) '21 (2020-2021) / Thesis: Change in gold nanoparticle surface coatings results in distinct cytotoxic profile across various cancer models
Alexie Ouellette, BSc Biology (Hons.) '21 (2020-2021) / Thesis: MiR-744 and MiR-30d act as tumour suppressors in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (co-supervision with Dr. Jeremy Roy at Atlantic Cancer Research Institute)

2021-2022

From left to right: (front row) Dr. Rourke, Hanna Fuzesi, Charlie Burke; (back row) Madeline Power, Erin Yaung, SunMin Park

Erin Yaung, BSc Biology (Hons.) '22 (2020-2022) / Thesis: An assessment of orphan G-protein coupled receptor activation with L-phenylalanine
Charlie Burke, BSc Biochemistry (Hons.) '22 (2021-2022) / Thesis: L-phenylalanine differentially activates G-protein coupled receptor signaling pathways
Hanna Fuzesi, BSc Biology (Hons.) '22 (2021-2022) / Thesis: Investigating methods to knock out a novel G-protein coupled receptor, GPR52, for the non-nutritive sweetener, sucralose
Madeline Power, MSc Chemistry '22 (2019-2022) / Thesis: Characterizing nutrient-activation of orphan and lipid metabolism-related G-protein coupled receptors

2022-2023

From left to right: Dr. Rourke, SunMin Park, Grace Stapleton, Diwan Minocha; missing Gawon Suh, Hailey Stack, Peter Oni, Alex Hack-Polay

SunMin Park, BSc Biology (Hons.) '23 (2021-2023) / Thesis: Trick or Treat? Multiparametric investigation of biological effects of sucralose signaling in the gut
Diwan Minocha, BSc Biology (Hons.) '23 (2022-2023) / Thesis: The effect of L-Phenylalanine on the dorsomedial hypothalamus and galanin receptor activation (co-supervision with Dr. Karen Crosby)
Grace Stapleton, BSc Biochemistry (Hons.) '23 (2022-2023) / Thesis: Investigating methods of assessing the biological function of a novel sucralose receptor, GPR52
Gawon Suh, BSc Biology (Hons.) '23 (2022-2023) / Thesis: Characterizing activation and localization of the metabolite-sensing G protein-coupled receptor, GPR52
ChemTox students:
- Hailey Stack, BSc Chemistry (Hons.) '23 (2023-2024)

2023-2024

From left to right: Dr. Rourke, Isaac McCardle, Megan Campbell, Aditaya Kalia; missing Peter Oni, Alex Hack-Polay, Spencer Scott, Logan Reid (staff), Tyler Lutes (staff)

Isaac McCardle, BSc Biochemistry (Hons.) '24 (2023-2024) / Thesis: Phenylalanine is required for maximal acetylcholine-directed activation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors
Megan Campbell, BSc Biochemistry (Hons.) '24 (2023-2024) / Thesis: Don't Sleep on Phenylalanine: Investigating the role of Phenylalanine on melatonin GPCR activation
Aditaya Kalia, BSc Biochemistry (Hons.) '24 (2023-2024) / Thesis: Not so sweet: Multiparametric investigation of the biological effects of sucralose in the gut
Peter Oni, MSc Chemistry '24 (2023-2024) / Thesis: A new signaling metabolite? Characterizing N-lactoyl-phenylalanine (Lac-Phe) activation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs)
ChemTox students:
- Alex Hack-Polay, BSc Biology (Hons.) '24 (2022-2024)
- Spencer Scott, BSc Chemistry (Hons.) '24 (2023-2024)

2024-2025

From left to right: Malcolm MacKinnon, Peter Oni, Dr. Rourke, Alyssa Loubert, Dylan Kruger; missing SunMin Park

Malcolm MacKinnon, BSc Biochemistry (Hons.) '25 (2024-2025) / Thesis: Examining the role of phenylalanine as a facilitator of maximal muscarinic acetylcholine receptor activation
Alyssa Loubert, BSc Biochemistry (Hons.) '25 (2024-2025) / Thesis: Let’s Get Physical: Do Differentiated Adipocytes Secrete the Exercise-Induced Metabolite, Lac-Phe?
Dylan Kruger, BSc Biology '25 (2024-2025)

Where are they now?

Nick Fernandez - completed Ph.D. in Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto (2025).
Rachel MacDougall - currently pursuing Doctor of Optometry at the University of Waterloo.
Madelaine Russell - completed Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island (2024).
Brandon MacKinnon - completed Bachelor of Education at St. Francis Xavier University (2022).
Madeline Power - completed MSc in Chemistry at Mount Allison University (2022); currently pursuing Doctor of Medicine at Dalhousie University.
Maggie Pickard - completed MSc in Biochemistry at Dalhousie University (2023); currently pursuing Doctor of Medicine at Dalhousie University.
Hannah Cahill - currently pursuing PhD in Pathology at Dalhousie University.
Alexie Ouellette - completed Doctor of Medicine at Dalhousie University (2025).
Erin Yaung - completed Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Accelerated at McMaster University (2024).
Charlie Burke - completed Juris Doctor at Dalhousie University (2025).
SunMin Park - currently pursuing MSc in Chemistry at Mount Allison University.
Grace Stapleton - currently pursuing MSc in Community Health & Epidemiology at Dalhousie University.
Diwan Minocha - currently pursuing Master of Physican Assistant Studies at Dalhousie University.
Gawon Suh - currently pursuing Doctor of Pharmacy at Dalhousie University.
Hailey Stack - completed MSc in Pharmacology at Dalhousie University (2025); currently pursuing Ph.D. in Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto.
Alex Hack-Polay - currently pursuing Doctor of Medicine at Dalhousie University.
Aditaya Kalia - currently pursuing Doctor of Medicine at Dalhousie University.
Megan Campbell - currently pursuing Doctor of Medicine at Dalhousie University.
Isaac McCardle - currently pursuing Doctor of Medicine at the University of Toronto.
Logan Reid - currently pursuing Master of Marine Studies at the Marine Institute, Memorial University.
Peter Oni - currently pursuing PhD in Pharmacy at the University of Saskatchewan and as a visiting scholar at Mount Allison University.
Malcolm MacKinnon - currently working as a research assistant at the NB Heart Centre.

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