Current Lab Members | Dillon Lab

Marcus Dillon, Principal Investigator (he/him)

I am an evolutionary geneticist and microbiologist focussing primarily on how infectious diseases emerge via critical evolutionary transitions. I received my BA in Biology from Wake Forest University in 2011 and my PhD in Microbiology from the University of New Hampshire in 2016. Between 2016 and 2020, I was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto St. George. I joined the University of Toronto Mississauga as an Assistant Professor in July 2020. Over the past decade, my research has been published in a wide range of journals, including Genetics, Evolution, Molecular Biology and Evolution, Phytopathology, Genome Biology, and Science. In my spare time, I like to stay active alongside family and friends, with whom I can be irritatingly competitive. I consider myself somewhat of a professional lawn games player.

Amandeep Kaur, Postdoctoral Fellow (she/her)

I started my current position as a Postdoctoral Fellow (PDF) in the Dillon Lab at UTM in 2025. I was previously a PDF at the University of Florida from 2022 to 2025, completed my PhD at the Institute of Microbial Technology in 2022, and completed my MSc/BSc Panjab University in 2015. My research focuses on understanding the evolution of mobile genetic elements in bacterial plant pathogens, which are critical drivers of adaptation in many pathogen populations. Outside of the lab, I enjoy gardening, listening to music, and spending time with my family.

Viplav Agarwal, PhD Student (he/him)

I am a PhD student in the University of Toronto Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) program studying the evolution of type III secreted efectors in Xanthomonas species and the impact of effective populations size on the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Escherichia coli. I previously completed my integrated BSc-MSc degree from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Bhopal, India. Outside of the lab, my other interests include quizzing, PC gaming, and crime fiction.

Tsz Chung (David) Chan, PhD Student (he/him)

I am a PhD student studying the evolutionary dynamics that enable bacterial infections to emerge in different environmental and biological conditions. My research background is in ecology, having earned my BSc in 2018 and my MSc in 2021 from the University of Hong Kong (HKU), where I focused on the population genetics of the American goldfinch. Following my MSc, I worked at HKU's School of Public Health, investigating the genomics of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in human, food, and farm samples. During my spare time, I enjoy music, photography, and birdwatching.

Jamie Chew, MSc Student (he/him)

I am a MSc student in the University of Toronto Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) program specializing in evolutionary biology, with a particular interest in evolutionary genetics. My research is focused on how mutation rate varies across the genomes of plant pathogenic bacteria. I am particularly interested in mutational hotspots that may lead to host shifts, like the repetitive regions of transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs). Outside of the lab, I enjoy a variety of hobbies like volleyball, music, and video games.

Sarah Gamal El-Dean, Undergraduate (she/her)

I am a third-year undergraduate student specializing in Neuroscience and minoring in Biology and Chemistry. My research focusses on the genetic signatures of adaptation to canola crops in Xanthomonas campestris. Specifically, I am conducting a high-throughput screen to quantify the virulence of diverse X. campestris strains on canola and leveraging a genome-wide association study to identify genetic loci associated with canola disease. Outside of the lab, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, being outdoors, and reading.

Ikram Kharroubi, Undergraduate (she/her)

I am a third-year undergraduate student specializing in Biotechnology and interested in the strategies plants deploy to respond to biological and environmental pressures. My research focuses on the interactions between Xanthomonas effectors and the plant resistance genes. Specifically, my work aims to map the landscape of effector-triggered immunity (ETI) in the Xanthomonas-Arabidopsis pathosystem by identifying all Xanthomonas effectors that are recognized by Arabidopsis. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, painting, and biking with friends and family.

Karisa Sol-Edeigba, Undergraduate (she/her)

I am a fourth-year undergraduate student specializing in Biology. I am particularly interested in cell and molecular biology and leveraging microbes for real-world applications. My research focuses on mapping the landscape of effector-triggered Immunity (ETI) in the Xanthomonas-Canola pathosystem to determine which effectors elicit ETI in this host. We hope to leverage this information to engineer more robustly resistant canola cultivars in the future. Outside of the lab I enjoy reading and writing reviews of books that I've read.

Olamide Olajide, Undergraduate (she/her)

I am a fourth-year undergraduate student specializing in Molecular Biology with a minor in Chemistry. My research focusses on the pathological convergence of Xanthomonas campestris strains to a common host via the acquisition of an effector containing mobile genetic element. Specifically, my work aims to quantify the extent to which the acquisition of the XopJ6 effector enhances the virulence of diverse X. campestris strains on the model host Arabidopsis. Outside of the lab, I enjoy reading, writing, listening to music, and spending time with family and friends.

Mairin McConnell, Undergraduate (she/her)

I am a second-year undergraduate student majoring in Biology for Health Sciences and double minoring in Chemistry and Political Science. I am primarily interested in mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and my research investigates the role of these MGEs in the evolution of virulence traits in Xanthomonas species. Specifically, I am analyzing whole-genome sequencing data to characterize plasmid diversity and explore how plasmid acquisition influences the evolution of different bacterial lineages. Outside of the lab, I enjoy staying physically active, baking, and reading a good rom-com.

We are a growing research group with multiple funded positions available to study the evolutionary genomics of disease emergence in microbial pathogens. I am always excited to discuss current opportunities in the Dillon Lab. You can find more information about these opportunities here.

DILLON LAB ALUMNI

Peter Kalnay, Undergraduate (2024-2026)

Bonnie Tang, Undergraduate (2024-2026)

Sasha Dahdah, Undergraduate (2025)

Dila Gulmez, Undergraduate (2024-2025)

Brianna Tapia, Undergraduate (2024-2025)

Keonho Lee, Undergraduate (2024)

Elise Bull, MSc Student/Research Associate (2022-2025)

Hind Emad, Postdoctoral Fellow (2023-2024)

Sienna Valley, Undergraduate (2023-2024)

Sean Yam, Undergraduate (2022-2024)

Mateja Perc, Undergraduate (2021-2024)

Jacy Newfeld, MSc Student (2021-2023)

Affan Ahmed, Undergraduate (2022-2023)

Simran Rakhra, Undergraduate (2022-2023)

Zain Nassrullah, Undergraduate (2021-2023)

Rachel Stubits, Undergraduate (2021-2022)

Erka Shata, Undergraduate (2021-2022)

Nial Navaratne, Undergraduate (2021-2022)

Elana Maria, Undergraduate (2021-2022)

Joshua Hung, Undergraduate (2020-2021)