Our Team
Dr. David S. Wishart
Dr. David S. Wishart (PhD Yale, 1991) is a Professor in the Departments of Biological Sciences and Computing Science at the University of Alberta. He also holds adjunct appointments with the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. He has been with the University of Alberta since 1995. Dr. Wishart’s research interests are very wide-ranging, covering nanotechnology, molecular biology, analytical chemistry, nutritional science and bioinformatics. For the past 13 years, Dr. Wishart has led the “Human Metabolome Project” (HMP), a multi-university, multi-investigator project cataloging all known metabolites in human tissues and biofluids. Using advanced methods in NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, multi-dimensional chromatography and machine learning, Dr. Wishart and his colleagues have identified or found evidence of more than 110,000 metabolites in the human body. This information has been archived on a freely accessible web resource called the Human Metabolome Database (HMDB). More recently, Dr. Wishart’s efforts have focused on characterizing the content of various foods and food products, including milk and dairy products, eggs, meats, herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables. This information is now available in a resource called FooDB. Over the course of his career, Dr. Wishart has published more than 410 research papers in high-profile journals on a wide variety of subject areas.
Dr. Lun Zhang
Dr. Lun Zhang is a Research Associate in Dr. Wishart’s lab the University of Alberta. He currently co-leads the R&D activities for the LC-MS based metabolomics platforms for Dr. Wishart’s node in TMIC. Dr. Zhang received his PhD degree in Pharmacology from the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Sciences (SIMM) in 2015. He was supervised by the current SIMM Director Dr. Li Jia. After graduating, Dr. Zhang started his post-doctoral research in the University of Toronto followed by the University of Alberta. Dr. Zhang has a strong metabolomics and molecular/cellular biology background and extensive experience in the application of LC-MS based metabolomics technologies. Since joining the Wishart lab in 2017, Dr. Zhang has led or participated in the development of all LC-MS based metabolomics technologies that are currently being used in the Wishart TMIC node. Dr. Zhang also led multiple translational medicine research projects in the Wishart node, such as early-stage lung cancer biomarker identification, colorectal cancer and polyp biomarker discovery, and prion-like diseases biomarker discovery.
Dr. Yamile López Hernández
Yamilé López Hernández is a Research Associate in Dr. Wishart’s lab at the University of Alberta. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and a Master’s degree in Protein Biochemistry from the University of Havana and a PhD in Health Sciences from the Higher Institute of Medical Sciences in Cuba, which she received in 2011. For the past ten years, Dr. López Hernández has led the Clinical Metabolomics Laboratory at the Autonomous University of Zacatecas, Mexico. Her research focuses on identifying diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for chronic and infectious diseases, cancer, and conditions affecting the mother-newborn dyad. Yamilé has authored 50 indexed scientific articles, secured funding for multiple national and international projects, co-authored three patents, and contributed to over 100 conferences. She also holds memberships on the executive boards of several prestigious organizations, including the Metabolomics Association of North America (MANA) and the Mexican Proteomics Society.
Ms. Mariacarla Ferrert
Mariacarla Ferrert holds a degree in Education and brings over a decade of experience in commercial and regional management with prominent Mexican media groups, including Televisa and Global media. Her extensive expertise spans public relations, business development, sales, advertising, and marketing. Since joining Dr. Wishart’s Lab at the University of Alberta as a Research Assistant in 2023, Mariacarla has developed a distinguished portfolio of business and client relationships across Latin America and South America. She has successfully organized workshops in Mexico and is actively involved in several projects with companies in Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, all aimed at advancing metabolomics research in the region.
Ms. Jiamin Zheng
Ms. Jiamin Zheng is a Senior Research Scientist with the TMIC Wishart node at the University of Alberta. She currently co-leads the R&D activities for LC-MS based metabolomics platforms in the Wishart group. Ms. Zheng received her MSc degree in Chemistry from the University of Alberta in 2012, supervised by Dr. Liang Li. Ms. Zheng has worked in the metabolomics field for more than ten years, and has a strong metabolomics background as well as extensive experience in applying LC-MS for metabolomics studies. Since joining the Wishart lab in 2016, Ms. Zheng has led or participated in the development of all LC-MS based metabolomics technologies currently being used in the Wishart node. She also participated in multiple translational medicine research projects in the Wishart node, such as early-stage lung cancer biomarker identification, colorectal cancer and polyps biomarker discovery, etc.
Dr. Rupasri Mandal
Dr. Rupasri Mandal is the TMIC (The Metabolomics Innovation Centre) node manager for the Wishart node. TMIC is Canada’s national metabolomics core facility. She obtained her Ph.D. degree in environmental analytical chemistry from Carleton University, Canada, in 2001. Her research experience is broad and covers the field of metabolomics, bioanalytical, biomedical, environmental/analytical and physical chemistry. Dr. Mandal has >20 years of research/work experience in these fields. Over this period of time, she has gained an extensive experience in the development of novel schemes and analytical/bioanalytical techniques for targeted and untargeted metabolomics. She is quite familiar with the operation and general maintenance of all of the GC-MS, LC-MS, NMR, HPLC and sample preparation equipment in the Wishart node. She is also well acquainted with the multivariate statistical software that is used to interpret TMIC’s metabolomic results. These represent a unique set of skills. As TMIC node manager, she is responsible for coordination and management of TMIC operations and technology developments. These activities include, but are not limited to developing and implementing the strategic plan for research activities; designing experiments, research methods, data collection protocols, and standards in consultation with the Director; managing TMIC’s facility personnel and their activities; identifying and reporting on new metabolomic technologies, coordinating and conducting the development and adaptation of new metabolomic technologies; training new staff on how to properly use TMIC equipment; communicating with TMIC clients, analyzing/interpreting metabolomic data and preparing reports for clients; assisting TMIC directors with the preparation of grants, contracts and scientific publications, budget planning, equipment and supply purchases. Dr. Mandal’s leadership and expertise are crucial for project planning and project reporting, methods and technology development and client service provision in the TMIC Wishart node. Dr. Mandal has led and participated in multiple clinical/health research projects in the Wishart node such as several maternal, prenatal, neonatal and other human disease biomarker studies. These include first trimester prediction of early-/ late-onset preeclampsia, down syndrome, fetal congenital heart defect, adult heart disease, pediatric kidney transplant and early/late-onset of osteoarthritis, lung cancer, autism, IBD and colorectal cancer.
Ms. Galina Durant
Galina is an Executive Assistant for Dr. Wishart in Wishart’s lab the University of Alberta. Her educational background:
Diploma in Public Administration, University of Victoria, BC,
Library & Information Technology, Diploma Langara College, Vancouver, BC
Diploma in Accounting, International Correspondence School, Montreal, Canada
Certificate in Marketing and Management, International Business Academy, New-York, USA
Bachelor Degree, Food Science, Moscow University of Cooperation, Russia
Before joining the Wishart’s lab in 2018 Galina was an official elected for municipal government in BC for 13 years. She is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of her contribution to Canada.