Dr. Gill is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Physiology & Pharmacology at Western University, as well as a Scientist with the Lawson Health Research Institute in the Critical Illness Research Program. He received his PhD in Physiology from Western in 2006 and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. He joined the faculty at the University of Washington in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine as an Acting Instructor in 2010 before returning to Western in 2012.

Fun fact: Sean now has a beard!

Emma is a PhD student in Physiology and Pharmacology.  She joined the lab in 2021 from Toronto via Queen's University in Belfast. Her project will examine the consequences of vaping on pulmonary surfactant and the alveoli. 

Fun Fact:  Ethan, Emma's son, received the same surfactant she works with in her research when he was born.

Fred Possmayer is a Professor Emeritus in the Departments of Biochemistry and Obstetrics & Gynaecology at Western University. He is also an associate scientist at Children's Health Research Institute and a scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute.  

Fred's main input is during the weekly lab meetings where he provides valuable insight and asks lots of questions. He also shows pictures of fish he has caught.

Fun fact:  Fred is mentioned (with picture) in David Suzuki's autobiography.

Eisha is a Master’s student in Physiology and Pharmacology at Western University and will soon begin her PhD. Her research focuses on age-dependent changes in lung endothelial cell responses to mechanical stretch, an in vitro model that mimics the forces experienced during mechanical ventilation in vivo. Through this work, she aims to better understand mechanisms underlying ventilator-induced lung injury.

Fun fact: Eisha is less than 5ft tall!

Onon is a lab technician responsible for maintaining day-to-day laboratory operations and ensuring a well-organized research environment. She supports students across projects and contributes to ongoing studies through her work with mouse models. Her role is essential in keeping the lab running efficiently while advancing experimental research.

Fun fact: Onon is a nomad at heart; she collects countries and experiences like souvenirs - her degrees just happened to tag along for the ride.

Sara is a fifth-year student in the Medical Sciences Honours Specialization in Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences program. She is currently completing an independent research project. Her work involves exploring the biological and biochemical properties of surfactant

Fun fact: Sara has the cutest toy puddle named Teddy.

Lethicia is a fourth-year student completing her Honours Double Major in Biochemistry and Medical Cell Biology. She started volunteering in the lab in 2025, and now she is completing an independent research project within the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, exploring the persistent effects of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes on lung inflammation.

Fun fact: Lethicia has lived in more than 10 different cities. 

Busra is an undergraduate researcher studying the effects of e-cigarette aerosol exposure in lung epithelial cells. Her current project uses an A549 cell model and LDH and alamarBlue assays to define a sublethal exposure range for clear aerosol-conditioned media that can support future mechanistic studies.

Fun fact: She has been playing the violin since Grade 1 and shares a birthday with her cat!

Ibrahim is a work-study student who has been in Dr. Ruud Veldhuizen’s lab for the past two years. He helps with routine lab tasks and supports undergraduate and graduate students with ongoing projects. His work has included protein and phosphorus assays, and more recently, he has started training in western blot analysis. He is hoping to continue with summer research and independent studies in the lab.

Fun fact: Ibrahim’s favourite chess openings are the Bishop’s Opening and the London System.

Cory Yamashita is a Respirologist at St Joseph's Hospital, a scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute and an associate professor at Western University. 

Cory provides the medical angle for our research questions and is also involved in writing grants and papers. 

Fun fact:  Cory is not opposed to the Winnipeg Jets winning the Stanley Cup.