Emad Yuzbashian, PhD
Dr. Emad Yuzbashian is a postdoctoral research fellow specializing in nutritional science, gut microbiome, and metabolic regulation. He completed his Ph.D. in Human Nutrition at the University of Alberta, where his research focused on the metabolic effects of dietary interventions in obesity and related disorders. In addition to his laboratory-based work, Dr. Yuzbashian has a strong background in nutritional epidemiology, with extensive experience analyzing large-scale cohort studies to examine the impact of dietary patterns on chronic disease risk. He is also proficient in multi-omic integration, applying systems biology approaches to combine microbiome, lipidomics, and metabolomics data for a more comprehensive understanding of host–diet–microbe interactions. Dr. Yuzbashian’s research excellence has been recognized through multiple awards, including the Alberta Diabetes Institute and International Helmholtz Research School for Diabetes (ADI/HRD) Award. His current postdoctoral research at UBC Okanagan explores the synergy between genetically engineered probiotics (BioPersist™) and host microbial communities shaped by distinct dietary patterns. Using advanced gnotobiotic mouse models, he investigates how these interactions influence the severity of colitis and its metabolic and neurobehavioral comorbidities. His work contributes to the development of personalized, microbiome-informed interventions for chronic inflammatory diseases.
Zeinab Pourhashem, PhD
Dr. Zina Pourhashem is a postdoctoral researcher at UBC Okanagan. Her project focuses on developing engineered microbial systems as platforms for novel biological tools and future therapeutic applications. By combining molecular biotechnology, genetic engineering, and microbial engineering, she aims to build robust microbial strains with defined functions that can support next-generation biotechnologies. She completed her Ph.D. in Medical Biotechnology at the Pasteur Institute of Iran, where she designed and evaluated multicomponent transmission-blocking malaria vaccines targeting both Plasmodium falciparum and Anopheles stephensi. Dr. Pourhashem’s broader expertise includes molecular cloning, protein expression and purification, immunoassays, cytokine profiling, microbial engineering, and bioinformatics. She has contributed to multiple peer-reviewed publications in vaccinology, monoclonal antibody development, and computational biology. Her scientific training also includes a Vaccinology Fellowship at the Pasteur Institute of France, where she received advanced instruction in reverse vaccinology, structural vaccinology, and translational vaccine research.
Natasha Haskey RD, PhD
Natasha is a postdoctoral fellow researching the link between diet, inflammation and the intestinal microbiota and its implications on Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). She has been a practicing dietitian for over 20 years. She completed her BSc and MSc degrees at the University of Saskatchewan, and PhD at University of British Columbia Okanagan. Natasha has been awarded the awarded the Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship-Doctoral Award (CGSD) from the Canadian Institute of Health Research. Natasha hopes to create evidence-based nutrition guidelines for patients living with IBD.
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