Work in my lab focuses on mechanisms of learning, memory and forgetting. Our work is applicable to understanding both normal and pathological memory in conditions such as aging, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and brain injury.  We approach these broad topics using several techniques. First, we use tissue clearing techniques such as CLARITY, combined with lightsheet microscopy and Graph theory analysis of IEG labeling to examine brain wide patterns of activity and functional connectivity that occur in response to memory retrieval.  Second, we use optogenetic and chemogenetic approaches to modify the development of adult generated neurons. This allows us to examine changes in synaptic plasticity and circuit function that occur because of modified neuronal activity.  Third, we use in vivo imaging approaches such as fiber photometry and miniscopes to monitor activity of neuronal populations in freely behaving mice.  

Naila completed both her BSc and MSc in Psychology at the University of Calgary where she completed both her honours and masters theses in Dr. Michael Antle’s chronobiology lab. Her masters project, specifically, investigated the effects of modulating levels of acetylcholine in Syrian hamsters utilizing acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, and how doing so could affect circadian rhythms in a nonphotic context. She also investigated whether changes observed in rhythms were due to these inhibitors were caused by differences in acetylcholine levels in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Naila also has experience working with multiple types of biological models, including hamsters, mice, rats, and drosophila.  In her free time, Naila enjoys painting, reading, working out, and watching movies. Outside of the lab, you will find her either at a Marvel movie premier or at a local bookstore.  

Dylan is a PhD candidate in the Epp Lab.  His research interests mainly pertain to the dynamic nature of memory storage, particularly the networks of functional connections which underlie memories and how these can be modified by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. 

In 2018, he joined the Epp Lab after graduating from the University of Prince Edward Island (Charlottetown, PE). During his undergraduate degree, he spent considerable time studying animal behavior, which sparked an interest in the neural systems underlying behaviour.  His graduate research in the Epp Lab has allowed me to delve deeper into this interest by applying analyses of correlated brain-wide immediate early gene expression density to visualize changes in task-specific functional networks in response to various factors. 

As someone who was born and raised in PEI, he has had to try to find something other than lounging around on a beach to occupy his time outside of the lab. During this downtime, he can now either be found trying to maintain semblance of a former athlete in a gym or exploring the city and nearby mountains with a camera and a coffee. 

Yi Ren obtained Her Master's Degree in pharmacology and bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from China Pharmaceutical University. During her Master’s, she validated the effect of traditional Chinese medicine on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury and explored the effect of a novel compound on Alzheimer’s disease. Her Master’s thesis investigated the role of estrogen receptors in cognitive impairment, neurogenesis, and apoptosis. She started her PhD program in Epp Lab from January 2022 and will explore the impact of adult neurogenesis on neural circuits during learning and memory by using multiple advanced techniques. She is originally from the southwest of China and loves spicy food. Outside of the lab, she enjoys the time with family, cooking, meditation and likes trying new things.

Kabirat Adigun completed her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She proceeded to obtain her Master’s degree in Veterinary Physiology (majored in Neurophysiology) at the same University. She has worked both as a student and a research assistant in Dr Olamide Adebiyi’s laboratory at the University of Ibadan where she studied the effects of a heavy metal, cadmium and Bisphenol A on depressive and anxiety-like behavior, memory and motor coordination. She worked with Dr. Adebiyi in a study that focused on high environmental temperature and its impacts on behavior and neurodevelopment following gestational and neonatal exposure in Wistar rats. Her PhD research at the Epp Lab will focus on the relationship between early life stress, depression and adult neurogenesis.

Outside of the lab, Kabirat enjoys reading novels, watching sports and catching up with family.

Daniela is completing her BSc Honours in Neuroscience at the University of Calgary. She joined the Epp lab in June 2020 where she looked at the modulation of memory reorganization by adult neurogenesis. Since then, Daniela has continued her work in the Epp lab developing custom atlases for biological image registration with FASTMAP, looking at the relationship between early life stress and perineuronal nets and exploring the link between adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus and default mode network connectivity. Outside the lab and classroom, Daniela serves as president of MusicBox Children’s Charity Calgary Chapter to help provide free music education opportunities to children facing social or economic marginalization in the Calgary area. Additionally, Daniela volunteers at the University of Calgary Women’s Resource Centre as co-team lead of the Events and Volunteer Engagement team where she coordinates volunteers and host events and initiatives that promote gender equality, diversity, wellness and community on campus.