Rachel Shih
Lab Technician
Stem cells Flow cytometry Molecular biology
McGill University · RI-MUHC · Montréal
Understanding development.
Reimagining transplantation.
We study how human tissues form and how the immune system responds to them, to advance personalized care for people with kidney disease and diabetes.
Explore our researchOur purpose
Better models.
More personal medicine.
Transplantation can transform lives. Our goal is to help that promise go further.
Our research brings together developmental biology, immunology and stem cell bioengineering. By investigating human kidney and pancreas development alongside transplant rejection, we work toward diagnostics and cell therapies that could reduce the burden of lifelong immunosuppression.
Research program
Three questions.
One connected program.
01
ImmunologyWhat drives
What drives
transplant rejection?
We use stem cell–derived organoids to dissect the molecular mechanisms of allorejection: the immune response against tissue from another individual.
Focus: human organoid models of rejection
02
Personalized medicineCan we model rejection
Can we model rejection
for each patient?
We are developing a platform using patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells to model allorejection in the context of an individual’s biology.
Focus: patient-specific iPSC models
03
Development & cell therapyHow do we build organs
How do we build organs
from stem cells?
We investigate how human pluripotent stem cells acquire organ identities, with a focus on pancreas, kidney and thymic progenitors.
Applications: personalized models and cell therapy
Clinician-scientist
Kidney transplantation
Paraish Misra MDCM, PhD, FRCPC
Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor, Division of Nephrology
McGill University
Junior Scientist, RI-MUHC
Metabolic Disorders and Complications Program
Paraish is a nephrologist and clinician-scientist whose work connects stem cell biology with the challenges of kidney transplantation.
He completed his medical degree and internal medicine residency at McGill, followed by nephrology and solid organ transplantation fellowships at the University of Toronto. His doctoral research explored pancreatic islet development and interactions with the immune system.
During postdoctoral training at the McEwen Stem Cell Institute, he investigated reprogramming urinary cells into pluripotent stem cells and their potential for kidney tissue regeneration.
Our team
C.J. Froese
M.Sc. Student
McGill Graduate Excellence Award
Stem cells Flow cytometry Kidney development and differentiation
Robin Mackenzie White
Medical Undergraduate Research Student
McGill FHMS Summer Research Bursary Award
T cells Flow cytometry Allorejection HLA biology
Jacob Faulkner
M.Sc. Student
T cells Gene editing Endothelial differentiation Allorejection
Edward Wen
Ph.D. Student
Thymic epithelial cells Bioengineering Cell therapies Encapsulation
Sophie Braunstein
Undergraduate Honours Research Student
Thymic epithelial cells Functional maturation Reporter cell lines
Alumni
Felix Chan
Undergraduate Summer Student
Molecular biology Modified RNA
Adele Usmanov
Undergraduate Summer Student
Stem Cell Network Summer Studentship Award
Thymic epithelial cells 3D organoid culture
Carl Korban
Medical Undergraduate Research Student
McGill FHMS Summer Research Bursary Award
Intermediate mesoderm differentiation Neuroectoderm and retinal differentiation Wnt signaling
Research highlights
Connect with the lab
Science starts
with a conversation.
To discuss research collaborations, training opportunities or ways to support the lab, please contact Dr. Misra.
paraish.misra@mcgill.caMcGill University Health Centre · Glen Site1001 Boulevard Décarie
Montréal, Québec H4A 3J1
Canada