Derya Sargin
Associate Professor, PI
Derya received her BSc degree in Molecular Biology & Genetics from Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey and joined the International Max Planck Research School graduate program in Neurosciences in Goettingen, Germany. Her PhD work with Dr. Hannelore Ehrenreich at the Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine identified molecular and cellular mechanisms contributing to the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric diseases and led to the development of novel and effective treatment strategies for patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disease. She completed her first postdoctoral training with Dr. Sheena Josselyn at the Hospital for Sick Children on emotional memory formation and allocation. She then moved onto Dr. Evelyn Lambe’s lab at the University of Toronto where she identified novel chronic stress-induced regulatory mechanisms in serotonergic neurotransmission. She started her lab in August 2019 at the Department of Psychology, University of Calgary and holds membership in the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute.
Daniel Feng
Lab Manager
Daniel completed his B.Sc in Biochemistry at the University of Waterloo and M.Sc in Pharmacology at the Université de Montréal and has been working in the field of behavioural neuroscience in both academic and industry research labs since. His research interests in neuroscience are broad spanning from next-gen. psychedelics, motivation, chronic stress, epilepsy and enjoys the challenge of developing pre-clinical models to study these focus areas. His interest in neuroscience led him to join the University of Calgary in April 2024 as lab manager for the Sargin Lab and the Epp Lab to continue supporting neuroscience research. Outside of the lab, Daniel enjoys being outdoors by hiking and exploring parks in the summer and shredding the mountains in the winter.
Mio Tsutsui
Research Associate
Mio received her B.Sc and D.V.M at the Nihon University School and Veterinary Medicine. After working as a Research Associate in the Department of Pathology, she immigrated to the United States and soon after to Canada. Mio worked as a Research Technician in the laboratories of Dr. Quentin Pittman and Dr. Jaideep Bains at the University of Calgary. In March 2022, Mio joined the Sargin lab as a Research Associate. Having expertise with stereotaxic injections, jugular vein implantation, CSF sampling, histopathology, and cell culture systems, she is an asset to a variety of subjects within the lab. In her free time, Mio enjoys teaching Japanese and gardening when the weather permits in Calgary.
Shi Chen Xu
Research Assistant
Shi Chen began his research journey at the University of Calgary, working with Dr. Stephanie Borgland on tissue clearing and fast-scan cyclic voltammetry for two summers after high school. Shi Chen received his BSc and MSc in Physiology from McGill University, Montreal. Under Dr. Reza Sharif-Naeini, he investigated the role of calcium dynamics on firing in parvalbumin interneurons of the spinal dorsal. Returning to Calgary after graduation, he joined the Sargin Lab as a research assistant in August 2024. Having extensive experience in patch-clamp electrophysiology, Shi Chen collects data and assists others in designing and interpreting electrophysiological experiments for their projects. Outside of patching, Shi Chen has learned stereotaxic injections and brain implantation during his time here. In his free time, Shi Chen enjoys drawing and 3D animation, when he isn’t exploring nature or skiing.
Nahid Rouhi
Postdoctoral Researcher, Harley Hotchkiss-Samuel Weiss and ACHRI Postdoctoral Fellow
Nahid obtained her BSc degree in Biology from Kurdistan University, Iran. Her passion for neuroscience led her to join the Neuroscience Research Center of Medical Sciences at Hamadan University, Iran, where she investigated the role of glutamatergic receptors in the reward pathway using conditioned place preference. Nahid joined the Mirnajafizadeh lab at Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran, as a PhD student in 2014. During her PhD, she unraveled the impact of dopamine on hippocampus-dependent synaptic plasticity using electrophysiological and behavioural techniques in animal models of epilepsy. As a postdoctoral fellow in the Sargin lab, Nahid is investigating the effects of early life stress on serotonin physiology. Her work aims to shed light on the intricate mechanisms underlying stress and complex behaviours, ultimately contributing to the understanding of neuropsychiatric disorders.
Shaista Jabeen
Postdoctoral Researcher, ACHRI STEP Postdoctoral Fellow
Shaista completed her undergraduate studies at Patna Women’s College, India, earning a BSc degree in Industrial Microbiology. She then pursued her MSc degree in marine biotechnology from Goa University, India. During her Master's program, she developed a keen interest in biophysics and the intricate mechanisms of neural conduction, particularly the resemblance of a neuron to a cable. This fascination served as a strong motivation for her to join the lab of Dr. Vatsala Thirumalai at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, India, which focused on neuroscience research using the larval zebrafish model. In her Ph.D. work, Shaista investigated the roles of gap junctions in chemical synaptogenesis using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology and electron microscopy. Following her PhD, Shaista pursued a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in Dr. Vidita Vaidya's Lab at TIFR Mumbai, India. During this time, she explored the effects of serotonergic psychedelics on hippocampal plasticity using in vivo electrophysiology. Currently, in Dr. Sargin’s lab, Shaista is delving into the impact of early-onset serotonin dysfunction on the neurobehavioral symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease. Additionally, she is investigating potential treatment interventions using serotonergic psychedelics. In her personal life, Shaista enjoys various activities such as reading books, painting, and cooking but above all, she cherishes spending time with her little girl.
Matt Dawson
PhD Student, Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship Awardee
Matt received his BSc in Psychology from University of Calgary. After successfully defending his MSc thesis in the Sargin lab, Matt continued to pursue his PhD in September 2022. Matt uses in vivo calcium imaging, optogenetic and chemogenetic techniques and machine-learning based behavioural analysis to examine the neural systems that regulate social interaction. Outside of the lab, Matt trains on an Olympic weightlifting team and enjoys hiking with his two Labrador Retrievers.
Olivia O'Neill
PhD Student, Harley Hotchkiss-Samuel Weiss Graduate, Eyes High Fellowships, NSERC CGS-D Awardee, Izaak Walton Killam Scholar
Olivia completed her BSc in Psychology and Neuroscience from Wilfrid Laurier University. She received her MSc degree in Neuroscience and Applied Cognitive Science from the University of Guelph supervised by Dr. Boyer Winters where she focused on identifying the involvement of dopaminergic D1 receptors in memory modification using pharmacological manipulations and various behavioural tasks in rodents. As a PhD student in the Sargin lab, Olivia is studying how chronic unpredictable stress during development impacts neural circuitry and function, and how these changes contribute to deficits in socioemotional behaviours. Outside the lab, Olivia enjoys exploring new restaurants and coffee shops, catching up on reality TV, and hanging out with her cat Murphy.
Pin-Huan Lai
PhD Student, CIHR Canada Impact + Research Training Awardee
Pin-Huan received his MSc in Neuroscience from National Taiwan University, where he worked under Dr. Ming-Yuan Min and studied synaptic transmission between the medial prefrontal cortex and the locus coeruleus. He joined the Sargin lab in September 2026 as a PhD student. His research focuses on how neural circuits in the lateral hypothalamus regulate social behaviour, using mouse models and miniscopes. Outside the lab, Pin-Huan enjoys playing video games and outdoor activities.
Joshua Duong
MSc Student, HBI Graduate Fellowship Awardee, Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Inclusive Graduate Scholar
Joshua completed his HBSc at the University of Toronto, with double majors in neuroscience and global health. During his undergraduate studies, his research spanned cognitive, behavioural, and translational neuroscience. He assisted with fMRI studies investigating age-related differences in semantic and perceptual reasoning, helped conduct optogenetic experiments examining spatial memory in mice, and used machine learning to identify patient subtypes of dementia with biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease and cerebral small vessel disease. In September 2026, Joshua joined the Sargin Lab as an MSc student, where his primary research investigates how cerebrovascular alterations and serotonergic dysfunction contribute to neuropsychiatric symptoms in early Alzheimer’s disease. In his spare time, Joshua enjoys cooking, running, and producing music.
Danyi Zhao
Honours student, BSc Neuroscience
Danyi is an undergraduate student in Neuroscience at the University of Calgary. She started doing research as a summer student with Dr. Araba Chintoh, working on a project analyzing trends in psychiatric medication use among adolescents in Alberta. Her interest in behavioural neuroscience led her to join the Sargin Lab as a summer student in May 2026 and continue as an Honours student. Her current research focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying social behaviour and the effects of social isolation on brain development and function. Outside of the lab, Danyi enjoys trying out new coffee and bubble tea places, crocheting, and playing cozy games.
Benafsha Tughra
Honours student, BSc Psychology
Benafsha is an Honours student in Psychology at the University of Calgary, completing her thesis in the Sargin Lab. During her previous research training at the Herzog Research Lab (Faculty of Kinesiology), she investigated osteoarthritis in human articular cartilage and co-authored a study exploring the use of innovative imaging technology for early disease detection. Her Honours project focuses on investigating Alzheimer's-related pathological markers in the human dorsal raphe nucleus. Outside the lab, Benafsha enjoys hiking and landscape oil painting.
Hannah Wills
Honours student, BSc Psychology
Hannah is an undergraduate Bachelor of Science student in Psychology at the University of Calgary. She started doing research as a summer research assistant analyzing demographic and service usage data to inform program development for a new suicide and distress center in a rural community. Hannah’s interest in behavioural neuroscience led her to join the Sargin Lab as an Honours Student. Her current research focuses on using a mouse model to investigate the behavioural and neural effects of chronic unpredictable stress during development. Outside of the lab, Hannah enjoys hiking, playing the piano, and volunteering at Alberta’s Children's Hospital.
Ayşegül Gemici Sinen
Visiting PhD candidate, TÜBİTAK 2214/A International Doctoral Research Fellow
Ayşegül completed her MSc in Physiology at Manisa Celal Bayar University and is currently pursuing her PhD in Biophysics at Akdeniz University under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Narin Derin. Her research is particularly centered on synaptic plasticity mechanisms underlying cognitive dysfunction in neurodegenerative conditions. Since May 2025, she has been conducting part of her doctoral research in the Sargin Lab as a visiting researcher, focusing on measuring hippocampal calcium dynamics using in vivo fiber photometry. Outside the lab, she enjoys hiking in nature, reading books, and developing new recipes in the kitchen.
Osman Sinen
Visiting Researcher
Osman received both his MSc and PhD degrees in Physiology from Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine. His graduate studies focused on the gut-brain axis, particularly investigating neural mechanisms involving the dorsal vagal complex. His postdoctoral work focuses on translational approaches to alleviate both motor and non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease. Since May 2025, he has joined the Sargın Lab as a visiting researcher, contributing to ongoing neuroscience projects alongside his spouse, Ayşegül. Outside the lab, Osman enjoys fishing, being at sea, camping, and playing chess.