The Santos Lab is an enthusiastic group of researchers studying the epigenetic regulation of stem cell pluripotency using the latest techniques in stem cell biology, embryology, molecular biology, functional genomics and bioinformatics.
Miguel was born in New Haven, CT, in 1972 and went back to Portugal with his family when he was four months old. He grew up in Coimbra, Portugal, and attended the University of Coimbra for an undergraduate degree in Biology and a Masters’ degree in Cell Biology, under the supervision of Carlos Faro. He moved to the US in 1997 for his PhD at the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Harvard University, where he was co-advised by Doug Melton and Andy McMahon. He received his PhD in 2002 and in 2003 moved to San Francisco to become a UCSF Fellow, an independent research position designed as an alternative to a traditional postdoc. In 2007 he became an Assistant Professor at UCSF, and he was promoted to Associate Professor in 2013. He is the recipient of a 2008 NIH New Innovator Award and a 2016 Royan International Research Award in Reproductive Genetics. In 2018 he moved to Canada to become the Canada 150 Research Chair in Developmental Epigenetics, Senior Investigator at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute and Full Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto.
In his spare time Miguel was a member of two theater companies in Coimbra, Portugal: the University’s students’ theater group, TEUC, and the professional company A Escola da Noite. He was also a drummer and composer of the rock bands Los e o Mito, in Coimbra, U Dig’em Trilobites, in Cambridge, MA, and Long Dark Hallway, in San Francisco, CA. He published two books of creative writing in Portuguese, “Cabo Norte” and “Auto”, and is slowly working on a third one. In the little time outside of his scientific and teaching activities he enjoys bike riding, swimming, reading, writing, playing drums, following European soccer, traveling, scuba diving and cooking. He lives with his family in Toronto.
Kirti received her PhD from the University of Delhi and post-doctoral training at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. She is interested in new approaches to understand pluripotent stem cell genomics.
Juan received her PhD from the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin after carrying out the thesis work at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin, Germany. She is interested in repetitive elements for their potential roles in chromatin organization during early embryonic development.
Sarah received her PhD in Human Genetics from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She is interested in how perturbations to the in utero environment could affect fetal development. Outside of the lab, Sarah is a bubble tea enthusiast, cat lover, and occasional knitter.
Giacomo received his PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Lyon, France. He is interested in understanding how harmful environmental stimuli can perpetuate their effects in the developing embryo and subsequent generations. When he’s not in the lab, Giacomo enjoys hiking, concerts, reading, and good wine.
Lamisa received her BSc from University of Toronto and is currently pursuing her PhD from the Department of Molecular Genetics. She is interested in studying the role of transposon interaction networks during early embryonic development. Outside of the lab, Lamisa enjoys baking, binge watching TV shows and drinking as much coffee as humanly possible.
Brandon was born and raised in Vancouver, BC, where he received his BSc from the University of British Columbia. He is now pursuing his graduate studies in the Department of Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto. Brandon is interested in using mouse models to investigate hypertranscription during embryonic development. Outside of the lab he enjoys playing various sports, exploring the outdoors and trying new recipes with his sous-vide.
Julie received her BSc from McMaster University and is pursuing her PhD in the Molecular Genetics program. She is interested in hypertranscription and the chromatin state during embryonic development. When not in lab, Julie enjoys playing volleyball, volunteering in the community, and cooking.
Andrew received his BA from Harvard University in 2017, and his MSc in Immunology from the University of Toronto in 2019. He is currently pursuing a combined MD/PhD degree at the University of Toronto, where his PhD studies will focus on the impact of environmental stressors such as pathogens on early embryonic development. Outside of science and medicine, Andrew is a home cook, a pianist and trombonist, a fount of pop culture wisdom, and a casual runner.
Bryn was well on her way to being a professional artist when encounters with a two-headed snake (dead), The Emperor of All Maladies (a great biology book), and the drawings of Ernst Haeckel lured her into biology. She grew up in the coastal town of Sooke, B.C., completed her BSc in biology and statistics at the University Of Victoria, and now is studying hypertranscription in embryonic development. When not in the lab, you can find her drawing, cooking spicy food, cycling, hiking, or reading science fiction.
Sylvia is a 4th year undergraduate student at UTSG, specializing in neuroscience and majoring in fundamental genetics. She is interested in studying how environmental stimuli affect the neural development of embryos. Outside of the lab, she is an amateur cinephile and loves spending time with her two cats.
Tracy received her BSc from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and worked as an admin staff at food factories and hospital. After relocated to Toronto, she joined the team and provides general admin support. She excels in using Microsoft Suite tips, tricks and VBA to boost productivity. When not in the office, she enjoys bakery, crocheting, and calligraphy.
Sir Inks-A-Lot is the Santos Lab Mascot. He is the most efficient 8-channel pipettor. Outside the lab, Sir Inks-A-Lot likes to travel a lot. He octopies our hearts.