People | Gregory Lab

Ann C. Gregory, PhD

Ann Gregory is a Canada Research Chair Tier II, CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar, and Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary. She began her research career studying viral community structure and function across the global oceans and has since expanded her work to study viral communities across the human body. In December 2018, Dr. Gregory earned her PhD from Ohio State University, followed by a EMBO postdoctoral fellowship at KU Leuven in Belgium. After completing her fellowship, she worked in biotech, serving as a computational biologist at the gene therapy company, Aera Therapeutics. As of January 2024, Dr. Gregory has returned to academia, founding the fledgling Integrative Viromics Lab at the University of Calgary. Her fledgling lab is dedicated to studying viral communities across diverse ecosystems, but with a focus on the human virome.

Interests

Viromics
Viral Ecology & Evolution
Viral Discovery
Synthetic Ecology

Education

Postdoc, KU Leuven, Belgium
PhD, The Ohio State University, USA
BA, Occidental College, USA

Meet the Lab

View Lab Pictures

Annie Nguyen

Lab Technician

Annie earned her MSc degree in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Calgary in 2023, where she conducted research in the Niu lab. Transitioning to the Gregory lab in February 2024, she brings a strong passion for phage and bacteria interaction, phage therapy, and healthcare innovation. Presently, her research focuses on gut phage isolation, alongside her contributions to the lab's daily operations. Committed to mentorship and well-being, Annie aims to foster a supportive and well-organized environment to minimize stress levels in graduate life.

Amanda Araújo Serrão de Andrade

Postdoctoral Fellow

Amanda is a bioinformatician with over 10 years of experience in Computational Virology and data analysis. She holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, a Master's degree in Computational Modeling, and a Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Sciences. Amanda joined the lab in September 2024 as a recipient of the VPR Match Funding Postdoctoral Fellowship and Alberta Innovates Postdoctoral Fellowship. She has a strong background in developing Artificial Intelligence methodologies for identifying novel viruses and is highly skilled in statistical analysis of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) data. Proficient in Shell Script, Python, C++, and R, she has extensive experience managing computational pipelines and developing R packages. Passionate about advancing the understanding of complex biological data, Amanda is always eager to take on new challenges in Computational Virology. In her free time, she enjoys coding personal projects, exploring new data science challenges, and cooking Brazilian cuisine.

Shelia Do

Undergraduate Researcher

Shelia is currently completing her last year of her Bachelor's degree in Biological Science at the University of Calgary. She joined the Gregory Lab in September 2024, focusing her undergrad research on megaphage isolation. Her interest in viruses stems from an extensive virology course she completed during her undergraduate studies, piquing her interest in the viruses around her. Although Shelia took this course without much knowledge about virology, she is now hoping to do her Masters in viral research. Shelia has also done a variety of biology courses, including advanced genetics, petroleum microbiology, and functional genomics. Entering the world of virology, Shelia hopes to continue to learn and contribute to the ongoing research of viruses. During her downtime, Shelia enjoys going to cafes with friends, reading, and playing the piano.

Anika Arora

Undergraduate Researcher

Anika Arora is a fourth-year student in the Biological Sciences Honours program with a concentration in Biotechnology at the University of Calgary. Throughout her undergraduate studies, she has participated in research across various topics. One of her primary interests is the gut microbiota due to its potential impact on human health, a subject she explored during her courses and is eager to investigate further through research. Anika enjoys collaborating with new people and joined Dr. Gregory’s lab in September 2024 to explore how viruses in the gut may contribute to immune defense, focusing on the processes and factors that could influence this potential interaction. Outside of academics, Anika enjoys spending time with family and friends, volunteering, and painting.

Zakie Hage

MSc Student

Zakie was born and raised here in Calgary, Alberta. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Calgary in May 2024, earning a BSc Honours First Class, majoring in Cellular, Molecular, and Microbial Biology with a minor in Greek and Roman Studies. He spent his options in his undergraduate degree expanding his interest in history. Zakie started his Master’s degree in Biological Sciences in January 2025. His research in the Gregory Lab will focus on the gut microbiome and virome of vultures. He is hoping to expand the knowledge and support new conservation efforts for these endangered species through his research. After his degree he is hoping to either continue towards obtaining a PhD or medical school. Most of his free time is spent with his family, working in his family’s shop, or traveling, with a little bit of time spent watching movies or playing video games.

Andrea Silverj

Postdoctoral Fellow

Andrea is a Computational Evolutionary Biologist interested in developing new methods to understand the role of microbes in evolution. He completed his studies in Italy, earning a PhD in Agrifood and Environmental Sciences from the University of Trento, an MSc in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Padua, and a BSc in Biological Sciences from the University of L'Aquila. Andrea joined the lab in January 2025 as a recipient of the Beverley Phillips Postdoctoral Fellowship. His main background is in metagenomics and phylogenomics, with a strong focus on analyzing viromics data. In his current projects at the Gregory Lab, Andrea is working on designing AI-based pipelines for virus discovery and evolutionary analysis. In his free time, he enjoys playing electric guitar, cooking, and going to the gym.