Our Team

Keith Sharkey was educated at the University of London (B.Sc. Hons., Nutrition) and the University of Liverpool (Ph.D., Gastrointestinal Physiology).  After postdoctoral training in Hungary, the UK and Canada, he was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary (1990).  He has remained at the University of Calgary for his academic career and is currently Professor of Physiology & Pharmacology in the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary.

From 2005-2021, Sharkey held the Crohn’s and Colitis Canada Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research.

Keith Sharkey’s research is focused on understanding the physiology and pathophysiology of the neural control of the gastrointestinal tract and brain-gut interactions in health and disease.  He has published over 280 original peer-reviewed research articles, and reviews. For his contributions to gastrointestinal sciences, he was elected as a Fellow of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

Outside of work, Keith’s interests include birding, photography, music, food and wine.

Cathy MacNaughton is a Senior Research Associate and Lab Manager in the Sharkey lab, holding a Master’s of Science in Physiology and Pharmacology from McMaster University. Cathy has been involved in GI Research since 1985 in the labs of GP Morris (Queen’s), PK Rangachari (McMaster), JL Wallace (Queen’s and U. Calgary) and KA Sharkey (since 1996). Cathy’s research interests lie in GI inflammation and motility. Outside of the lab, Cathy enjoys the outdoors through her pursuits of running, hiking, cross country and downhill skiing, kayaking, camping and travelling.

Laurie Wallace is a Research Associate and Lab Manager, holding a BSc in biochemistry from Dalhousie University. Previous work has looked at nutrient absorption models and inflammation models in the gastrointestinal tract. More recent work has focused on the neuro-immune aspect with respect to inflammation and also how the microbiome mediates changes in the enteric nervous system. She has a strong background in immunohistochemistry and microscopy and loves imaging. Outside of the lab, Laurie enjoys competitive masters swimming, kayaking and exploring the outdoors with her dogs.

Patricia Souza is a visiting professor in the Sharkey lab, holding a Bachelor of Science in 2002 from the Pontifical University of Goiania (Brazil), master's degree (2006) and PhD (2011) from University of Sao Paulo (Brazil). She is an associate professor at the Federal University of Sergipe on Heath Education Department teaching Immunology, physiology, and Heath public. Her research interests include are in immunology, neuroimmunology and behavior.  Outside of the lab, Patricia enjoys run, traveling, and outdoors sports.

Evandro joined the Sharkey lab as a Postdoctoral Associate in 2022. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Biology and his PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the State University of Maringá, in Brazil. His previous work focused on investigating the influence of high-fat diets and obesity in the enteric nervous system, gut motility and microbiota. He also worked in projects studying the role of antioxidants in the prevention of neuronal damage caused by oxidative stress in the gut during diabetes or ischemia-reperfusion injury. His academic interests include basic research on the neural control of the gastrointestinal tract in health and disease, especially the mechanisms by which enteric neural signaling in the gut is linked to the intestinal barrier function and the gut microbiota. Outside of the lab, Evandro enjoys exploring the outdoors, reading, learning about nature, and playing strategy video games.

Preedajit Wongkrasant (Som) is Postdoctoral fellow in the Sharkey and MacNaughton labs. Som graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Nursing Science (2007-2010) and worked as a nurse in the neurological department for 1 year (2011). She then decided to move to research and received a Master’s degree (2012-2014) and a Ph.D. (2015-2020) in Physiology from the Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. Her research interests are in the enteric nervous system regulation of gut function in health and disease. Outside of the lab, Som enjoys cooking, taking photos and going to concerts.

In 2017, Timothy decided to pursue a university education after working many years as an industrial electrician across Canada. He recently obtained his CMMB degree from the University of Calgary and joined the Sharkey lab in January 2022. Timothy is working as a new master’s student in the Sharkey lab. He is interested in translational research regarding the enteric nervous system, especially in well-known diseases that affect many Canadians. He hopes his work will help contribute to determining the pathophysiology and mechanisms of some of these common diseases. While not at the lab, Timothy has many hobbies to keep him busy and balanced. He competes in soccer and motorcycle racing, plays piano and enjoys traveling. His dog, Gracie, keeps him very much preoccupied. He also enjoys metal and woodworking. 

Kris Svendsen is an MSc student in the Altier and Sharkey labs, holding a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Psychology from the University of Victoria. His research interests include pain and its modulation by cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system and electrophysiology. Outside of the lab, Kris can often be found rock climbing, reading, and cooking.