
Dr. Wael Elhenawy
Principal Investigator
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4599-8500
Canada Research Chair in Microbiome (Tier 2)
Dr. Wael Elhenawy obtained his PhD in Microbiology & Biotechnology in 2015 at the University of Alberta under the supervision of Dr. Mario Feldman. In 2016, he joined the laboratory of Dr. Brian Coombes at McMaster University to pursue his postdoctoral studies during which he investigated the role of Escherichia coli in driving Crohn's Disease. In 2021, Dr. Wael Elhenawy joined the Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology as an assistant professor.
Natalie Lapa
MSc Student
Natalie completed her BSc in Honors Cell Biology at the University of Alberta. Prior to studying eukaryotic cell biology, she had greatly enjoyed watching squiggly wiggly bacteria under her microscope in high school. She has now returned to the world of bacteriology and is investigating how the gut microbiome affects the virulence of adherent-invasive E. coli. Outside the lab, she enjoys thinking about cool hobbies, like surfing and skydiving. Her current, less cool hobbies include geocaching and pretending to learn new languages.

Jonas Wong
MSc student
Jonas finished his BSc with honors in Infection and Immunology. He is interested in understanding how type IV secretion system contributes to the ability of E. coli to persist in the human gut. Apart from research, Jonas enjoys playing the piano, sketching, and writing
Ahmad Refaat
Undergraduate student


Julian Ortiz
MSc Student
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Julian obtained his BSc in biology from the University of Tolima, Colombia. He joined the Elhenawy lab in 2023 to study the metabolism of adherent-invasive E. coli strains in the gut. In addition to research, he loves 70’s progressive rock, jazz, and motorcycles.
Ahmad is currently in his fourth year of a BSc with honours in Immunology and Infection. He is passionate about understanding the regulation behind type IV secretion expression and how it is affected by the gut environment. Outside of academics and research, Ahmad enjoys playing sports such as volleyball and soccer.