Our Team
The minds behind BioPortal
Our Biobank Recruitment Team
At the heart of our biobank’s mission is the recruitment team, a dedicated group of professionals committed to advancing scientific research and healthcare innovation. Our team works tirelessly to connect with participants, ensuring a smooth and informed experience as they contribute to groundbreaking studies that pave the way for new medical discoveries.
Mariana Pico
Clinical Research Coordinator
Mariana holds a B.Sc. in Biology with a concentration in Health Science from Bishop’s University. At BioPortal, she supports participant recruitment,
pre-screening, data management, and outreach for major projects like the COVID-19 Biobank. Passionate about accessible science, she combines rigor and empathy to advance clinical research.
Issam El Kbaiche
Data Engineer
Issam joined the Richards Lab in 2021 as a Data Engineer after working as a Business Intelligence Consultant for major organizations. He supports research teams with data preparation, cleaning, and analytics. He is passionate about extracting insights from complex datasets to advance medical research.
Darin Adra
Data Manager
Darin joined the Richards Lab in 2018 and has been instrumental in building the BQC19 Biobank and BioPortal. She manages data workflows while continuing her work in clinical research coordination and access management. Her background includes a B.Eng. in Food Science and eight years as an assistant professor.
Mariana Jaime
Clinical Research Coordinator
Mariana is pursuing a B.Sc. in Neuroscience at Concordia University while working as a Clinical Research Coordinator with BioPortal. She contributes to the diabetes biobank through participant recruitment, informed consent, biospecimen handling, and clinical assessments. Dedicated to patient wellbeing, she bridges academic training with hands-on research.
Corinne Pirici
Clinical Research Coordinator
Corinne is a Health Science student at Marianopolis College and Clinical Research Coordinator at BioPortal. She supports patient recruitment and clinical data collection, gaining valuable hands-on experience in research. She aspires to a career in medicine.
Mina Nikkhah
Laboratory Manager
Mina holds an M.Sc. in Genetics and works as a Laboratory Manager at BioPortal. She specializes in Quality Control and Assurance in biospecimen handling and molecular biology workflows. Her meticulous lab practices ensure reliable results for translational research.
Dr. Zaman Afrasiabi
Clinical Research Coordinator
Dr. Afrasiabi is a physician and clinical researcher with an M.Sc. in Medical Science from the University of Toronto and a mini-MBA in Healthcare Management. At the Lady Davis Institute, she contributes to biobank initiatives in endocrinology, cardiology, and chronic disease. Her multidisciplinary expertise bridges patient care, research, and strategy.
César Peralta
Clinical Research Coordinator
César is a certified medical technologist with experience in immunology research and clinical laboratories. At BioPortal, he coordinates research at the Lady Davis Institute, drawing on his background as a lead scientist at CellCarta. He is fluent in English, French, and Spanish, and is currently studying AI applications in healthcare.
Byanca De Faria Liboni
Clinical Research Coordinator
Byanca is a pediatrician from Brazil who joined BioPortal in 2024 to support research in diabetes and disease management. She oversees patient recruitment and ensures high-quality data entry for clinical studies. Her patient-centered approach combines medical expertise with research dedication.
Jonafe Daguplo
Clinical Research Coordinator
Jonafe is a registered nurse with experience in oncology and rare disease clinical trials. At BioPortal, she manages patient recruitment, informed consent, and biospecimen collection while ensuring accurate documentation. She is committed to patient-centered care and advancing medical research.
Nadia Blostein
Clinical Research Coordinator
Nadia is a medical student at University College Cork with an M.Sc. in Computational Neuroscience from McGill. At BioPortal, she contributes to clinical data collection and chart reviews. Her background in neuroimaging and biomedical engineering enriches her work at the intersection of medicine and data science.
Governing committee
The Governing Committee’s mandate is to establish objectives, set priorities, approve policies, and ensure transparency across the BioPortal and its partner institutions. It ensures the BioPortal meets its social mission and ethical obligations. The committee oversees updates to its management framework, reviews operational reports, and contributes to planning for the BioPortal’s eventual transition once its mission is complete.
Brent Richards
Principal Investigator
Dr. Richards is a Professor of Medicine at McGill University and an endocrinologist specializing in genetics and epidemiology. His research identifies the genetic basis of common diseases and translates discoveries into improved care. He has led landmark studies published in Nature, JAMA, and The Lancet, and is a member of the Royal Society of Canada.
Dr. Vincent Mooser
Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Mooser is the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Genomic Medicine and Professor of Human Genetics at McGill. With over 25 years of academic and industry experience, he has led major population studies and biobank initiatives in Switzerland, the UK, and Canada. At McGill, he co-founded BioPortal and advances precision medicine through genomics and AI.
Jonathan Afilalo
Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Afilalo is a cardiologist and professor at McGill University whose research centers on frailty and cardiovascular aging. He has led international studies and created digital tools such as frailtytool.com to assess frailty and muscle mass. He also founded Canada’s first Geriatric Cardiology fellowship.
Tricia Peters
Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Peters is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at McGill and clinician-scientist at the Lady Davis Institute. Her research focuses on women’s metabolic and reproductive health, especially gestational diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome. She applies clinical and genetic epidemiology to improve prevention, diagnosis, and patient care.
Guillaume Butler-Laporte
Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Butler-Laporte is an infectious diseases clinician-scientist and Assistant Professor at McGill, based at the Lady Davis Institute. He uses genetic epidemiology and large biobanks like BioPortal to uncover causal disease pathways. He also played a key role in the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative.
Dr. Satoshi Yoshiji
Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Yoshiji is an Assistant Professor of Human Genetics at McGill and a board-certified endocrinologist. His research develops BioPortal as a multi-ancestry biobank and applies multi-omics to diabetes, obesity, and cardiometabolic disease. He also holds research appointments at the Broad Institute and Mass General Brigham.
Tobias Erlanger
Statistician / Epidemiologist
Dr. Tobias Erlanger is a statistician working under the supervision of Dr. Mooser. He holds a PhD in Epidemiology and an MSc in Life Sciences from the University of Basel. His work focuses on identifying candidates and designing observational and interventional studies within cohorts. His research interests include precision drug development using omics data and ethics in research.
David Morrison
BioPortal Manager
David is the Manager of BioPortal at the Lady Davis Institute, where he oversees integration of genomic, clinical, and biospecimen data. He ensures the platform remains a high-quality, accessible resource for researchers worldwide. His expertise supports collaborations that advance precision medicine in diabetes and related disorders.