The people behind the lab
Dr. Sébastien Gauvrit
Originally from France, Sébastien trained in vascular and developmental biology and pioneered new models of vascular disease during his postdoctoral work in Germany. He now leads the lab as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Pharmacology at the University of Saskatchewan, where the team uses zebrafish and mouse models to understand how the vascular system forms in health and disease.
Liubov Lobanova
Read bio
Liubov is a laboratory technician with a strong passion for uncovering the microscopic mysteries of life. She holds a BSc in Microbiology and an MSc in Vaccinology and Immunotherapeutics from the University of Saskatchewan. Her scientific journey has been an engaging, multidisciplinary exploration, spanning a wide range of fields.
Over the years, she has developed core expertise in immunology, virology, cancer research, and the mechanisms of the circadian clock. While she maintains a broad and lasting interest in molecular biology, Liubov is particularly energized by understanding biology at a systems level. Recently, she has become deeply interested in the lymphatic system and the complexities of developmental biology.
She is especially fascinated by intricate cellular signalling pathways and protein–protein interactions that govern cell development, communication, and function. For Liubov, science is about connecting insights across disciplines to address complex questions from innovative perspectives.
Wrynan Munabirul
Read bio
An international student from the Philippines, Wrynan holds a B.Sc. in Biochemistry with a specialization in computational bioinformatics and drug design. Before coming to Canada for his graduate studies, he served as a university instructor at his alma mater, teaching undergraduate chemistry courses to pre-medicine students. He also gained experience in agricultural chemistry laboratories, where he was involved in quality assurance testing.
Currently, Wrynan's research in the Gauvrit Lab focuses on identifying downstream signalling pathways that regulate vascular homeostasis and proliferation. He is also developing in silico prediction tools to support the design of alternative pharmacological inhibitors for pathological angiogenesis.
Ana Gabriel
Read bio
Ana and her four-legged furry monster are transplants from the U.S. An animal lover at heart, Ana completed her B.Sc. in Biology at Rockhurst University, where she fell in love with a plate of developing zebrafish embryos. She enjoys running (slowly) across the beautiful Saskatchewan prairies with her monster, who usually drags her for miles.
In the Gauvrit lab, Ana studies the influence of key genes in the development of the lymphatic system using both zebrafish and mice. She enjoys building the transgenic tools that will facilitate this project and sweet-talking bacteria into making the genes she wants.