Meet The Team

Clinical Assistant Professor 

Melinda Wuest, Ph.D

She received her doctoral degree in inorganic coordination chemistry at the Department of Chemistry at Dresden University of Technology in Germany. She moved on to a postdoc in radiochemistry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis in the United States. After her return to Germany, she was introduced to electrophysiology for one year at the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Leipzig and continued research in the field of pharmacology of the lower urinary tract at the Medical School of Dresden University of Technology finishing with a doctoral equivalent degree in pharmacology. In 2008, she started her current position as the Manager of the Preclinical PET facility here at the Division of Oncologic Imaging in the field of radiopharmacology.

Professional Service Officer 

Susan Pike, Ph.D

Susan studied Chemistry at the Dresden University of Technology, Germany, and obtained her Ph.D. in 2011 from Dresden University of Technology, Germany after completing her Ph.D. studies in Radiochemistry/Radiopharmacy at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Germany. Susan Pike is currently working as a Professional Service Officer at the Department of Oncology, University of
Alberta. Her research interests are aimed at the development of novel radiopharmaceuticals for
molecular imaging and radiotherapy with a special focus on clinical translation.

Research Assistant

Cody Bergman, M.Sc.

Though originally from Kenora, Ontario I received my undergraduate from the University of Saskatchewan in 2008, receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry with Honours. I also received my Master’s degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 2012 having worked in the lab of Dr. Deborah Anderson at the Saskatoon Cancer Centre.  I was hired by Dr. Wuest in 2012 as a peptide synthesis technician and over more than a decade with the group I have been involved in multiple projects ranging from organic synthesis, radiochemistry, lab management, and training of new students and personnel.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Jenilee Woodfield, PhD.

I am a radiochemist/radiobiologist, with experience in cyclotron isotope production, radiochemistry synthesis, cell culture, and cell biology. I completed my undergrad, master's, and doctoral degrees at the University of Alberta; with a BSc Specialization in Chemistry—Master of Science in Experimental Oncology, and Doctor of Philosophy in Cancer Sciences.

Currently, I am a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Wuest Research Lab. I have several projects including developing new PET imaging agents to target USP14 in Multiple Myeloma. Testing stimulated multiple sclerosis (MS) cell lines to express various protein markers, with corresponding metabolic testing using [18F]FDG and improving the synthesis of autotaxin targeting radiotracers and enhancing the synthesis of ketone metabolism imaging agents and developing novel imaging agents for the imaging of P2X7 in MS. Developing novel imaging agents for Glut3 PET imaging. 

Postdoctoral Fellow

Miguel Herrera Rueda, PhD.

Miguel Herrera is a post-doctoral fellow in the Frank Wuest team at the Cross Cancer Institute, He finished his PhD in Mexico as a Medicinal Chemist. He is focusing on designing and developing small molecules with potential anticancer activity through organic synthesis, as well as developing molecular modeling studies to understand the Structure-Activity Relationship. He also synthesizes radiopharmaceuticals through radiochemistry for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Research Assistant

Samantha Leier, M.Sc

Samantha is a research assistant in the Wuest Lab, focusing on production of radiometals and subsequent radiolabeling of biomolecules for imaging and therapy of cancer.  She received her MSc in Cancer Sciences from the University of Alberta.  She has presented her work at the International Symposium for Radiopharmaceutical Sciences as well as the World Molecular Imaging Conference.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Marco Verona, PhD.

I am Marco, a post-doc fellow from Italy. I earned my master’s degree in pharmacy at the
University of Padua (Italy), followed by a Ph.D. in Molecular Sciences at the same institute.
Throughout my academic journey, I concentrated on synthesizing and radiolabeling novel small
molecules for diagnostic applications using different radionuclides like 64 Cu, 68 Ga, 111 In, and 18 F.
I honed my skills at both national and international institutions, including the Santa Maria Hospital in Italy and the Cross Cancer Institute in Canada (Wuest Lab).

Postdoctoral Fellow

Pradyumna Kedarisetti, Ph.D.

Pradyumna Kedarisetti is a Postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Electrical and Computing Engineering and Oncology. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alberta. He is currently working on the development of improved blood biopsy platforms for minimally invasive and high specificity prognostication of prostate cancer. He also works on projects involving the use of high powered histotripsy platforms for solid tumor ablations and the development of novel stain-free optical imaging systems to improve histopathological throughput.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Yasniel Babi Araujo, PhD.

Originary from San Jose de las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba. Majored in Radiochemistry at the Higher Institute of Applied Sciences and Technologies (InSTEC) of the University of Havana (UH), Cuba, 2017 class. In February 2024 got his PhD in Nuclear Technology-Applications at the Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN) of the University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil. His work is mainly focused on Organic Chemistry, Radiochemistry, and Production of radioisotopes.

Ph.D. Student

Felix Francis, M.Sc.

Felix was born and raised in Kerala, India. He completed his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Organic chemistry at Mahatma Gandhi University in 2016 under the supervision of Prof. Ibrahim Ibnusaud, where he worked on the chiral pool synthesis of anti-proliferative compounds from various hydroxycitric acids. As a Ph.D. student, Felix is working on Pd-mediated site selective cysteine arylation of biomolecules with radiolabeled prosthetic groups. Outside of the lab, Felix enjoys playing football and watching Sci fi movies.  

Ph.D.Student

Pawani Perera, M.Sc.

I received my Bachelor of Science Honours degree specializing in Chemistry from the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka in 2020. Currently, I am a PhD student in Chemistry working in Dr. Wuest's group. 

My project highlights the PET imaging of PD-L1 using peptide radiotracers as an effective approach in patient selection and therapy monitoring and PET imaging of oxytocin receptors in breast cancer models to confirm the feasibility of oxytocin receptors as novel biomarkers in cancer.

Ph.D. Student

Masoomeh Nazarabi, M.Sc.

Masoomeh is an accomplished individual who completed her Master's degree in Medicinal Chemistry from Shiraz University of Technology in Iran. She is now pursuing her Ph.D. as a part of Dr. Wuest's group, where she is conducting groundbreaking research on Tyrosine modification for cancer imaging and treatment along with some computational chemistry.

Ph.D.Student

Chahat Suri, M.Sc.

I'm Chahat Suri, a passionate molecular biotechnologist hailing from the vibrant landscape of India. I embarked on my academic journey with a Bachelor's degree from NIIT University in Neemrana, India, where I delved into the intricacies of biotechnology.

Fueling my curiosity further, I pursued a Master's degree at Hochschule Anhalt, specializing in molecular biotechnology, honing my skills and knowledge in this dynamic field. The pinnacle of my academic endeavors led me to Munich, Germany, where I undertook my master's thesis at Helmholtz, delving into cutting-edge research and contributing to the advancements in biotechnology.

Ph.D. Student

Toktam Sadat Shirazian, M.Sc.

I'm Toktam Shirazian, a dedicated pharmaceutical chemist originally from Tehran, Iran. My academic journey began with a Bachelor's degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, followed by a Master's degree in the same field, both of which solidified my passion for medicinal chemistry.

During my master's studies, I embarked on a research project focusing on the synthesis of functionalized acridines with potential anti-cancer properties. This work culminated in a publication in the prestigious European Journal of Organic Chemistry, marking a significant milestone in my academic career.

Currently, I am pursuing my PhD under the guidance of Prof. Wuest, where I am engaged in the synthesis of small molecule inhibitors targeting Heat Shock Protein 90 (HSP90). My research aims to contribute to the development of novel therapeutic agents with potential applications in cancer treatment, aligning with my long-standing interest in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery.

Undergrad Student

Rachel Leung

Rachel is currently doing her Bachelor's in Immunology and Infection Specialization and working with us as an undergraduate student.

Master Student

David Yang, B.Sc.

I’m David (Ziyi) Yang, originally from Xi’an, China, where the Terracotta Army is located! I recently graduated from the University of Toronto and received my HBSc with high distinction, double majoring in Health and Disease, and Physiology, with a minor in Immunology. I’m currently a graduate student in the Department of Oncology in Dr. Wuest’s lab at the Cross Cancer Institute, focusing on measuring the effects of epigenetic drugs on several neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), such as pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (panNETs) and prostate cancers.