EDUCATION

• Ph.D., Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada (2015–2020, Supervisor: Anmar Khadra).
  • Research Topic: Cellular Motility.
  • Techniques: Stochastic Processes & NonLinear Dynamics, Dynamical Systems, Slow-Fast Analysis, Digital Signal Processing & Feature Extraction.
    
    
• M.Sc., Physics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada (2013–2015, Supervisor: Anmar Khadra).
  • Research Topic: Markov Models of Ion Channels
  • Techniques: Numerical ODE Solvers, Bayesian Inference & Model Optimization (MCMC).
    
    
• B.Sc., Biophysics, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada (2008–2013).
  • Techniques: Ab Initio & Semi-empirical Computational Chemistry.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Operating Systems: Linux, Windows.
• Programming Languages: Python, MATLAB, FORTRAN, Javascript, Java.
• Computer Software: MATLAB, Mathematica, xppAUTO, Maple, Git.
• Computational Skills: Bayesian Inference (MCMC), Digital Signal Analysis, Image Processing, Numerical ODE Solvers, Mathematical Model Optimization, Physics-based Simulations, Stochastic Processes, Feature Extraction, Vectorization & Code Optimization, Quantitative 4D Microscopy Analysis.

PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS

• Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada (2021-Present, Supervisors: James Feng & Eric Cytrynbaum)
  • Carried out research on viscoelastic mechanics involved in tissue deformation, heavy use of code optimization techniques to speed-up computations.
  • Developed quantitative 4D (3D space + time) microscopy tools for analyzing cytokinetic ring closure and movements during mitosis.
  • See below for teaching duties.
    
    
• Developer Oscilloscape, Hartford CT, USA (Jan-May 2021)
  • Ported an existing C++ realtime DSP algorithm based on dynamical systems to Python for use on a Raspberry Pi device. Heavy use of parallelization, JIT-compiled code (numba), and functional programming to achieve near realtime (~10 ms) execution from easy-to-read Python code.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

• University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada (2021-Present)
  • Teaching
    • Differential Equations (MATH 256): Jan-Dec 2022
    • Differential Calculus with Applications to Life Sciences (MATH 102): Sept-Dec 2021
      
      
• McGill University, Montreal, Canada (2013–2020)
  • Teaching
    • Mathematical Methods in Biology (MATH 437/537): Feb–April 2020 (Physical/Mathematical Basis of Neuroscience)
  • Teaching Assistant
    • Mathematical Methods in Biology (MATH 437/537): Jan 2018 – Apr 2020 (Mathematical Biology)
    • Cell and Molecular Biology (BIOL 112): Jan–Apr 2018 (Biology)
    • Organismal Biology (BIOL 111): Sept-Dec 2017 (Biology)
    • Everyday Physics (PHYS 181): Jan-Apr 2015 (Physics)
    • Dynamics of Simple Systems (PHYS 230): Sept-Dec 2014, 2015 (Physics)
    • Intro to Electromagnetism (PHYS 102): Jan-Apr 2014 (Physics)

Publications

(A) Published Papers:

1. Laurent MacKay, Etienne Lehman, Anmar Khadra. Deciphering the dynamics of lamellipodium in a fish keratocytes model.
   [Journal of Theoretical Biology – In press]
2. Laurent Mackay, Anmar Khadra. The bioenergetics of integrin-based adhesion, from single molecule dynamics to stability of macromolecular complexes. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal. 18, 393-416, 2020.
3. Jessica K. Lyda, Zhang L.Tan, Abira Rajah, Asheesh Momi, Laurent Mackay, Claire M. Brown, Anmar Khadra. Rac activation is key to cell motility and directionality: An experimental and modelling investigation. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal. 17, 1436-1452, 2019.
4. L MacKay, Anmar Khadra. Dynamics of mechanosensitive nascent adhesionformation. Biophysical Journal. 117(6), 1057-1073, 2019.
5. L MacKay, H Zemkova, SS Stojilkovic, A Sherman and A Khadra. Deciphering the Regulation of P2X4 Receptor Channel Gating by Ivermectin using Markov Models. PLoS Computational Biology, 13, e1005643, 2017.
   [This paper has been recommended by Dr. Jean-Pierre Changeux in F1000Prime.]
6. L MacKay, N Mikolajewicz, SV Komarova and A Khadra. Systematic Characterization of dynamic parameters of intracellular Calcium Signals. Frontiers in Physiology, 7, 525, 2016.
7. S Wang, L MacKay, and G Lamoureux. Development of Semiempirical Models for Proton Transfer Reactions in Water. Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation. 10, 2881-2890, 2014.

(B) Published Conference Proceedings:

1. L MacKay, A Sherman, SS Stojilkovic and A Khadra. Deciphering the Kinetic and Gating Properties of Purinergic P2X7 Receptor Channels. Athens Journal of Natural & Formal Sciences, Proceedings of the 1st Annual International Conference on Physics & Chemistry, Athens, Greece, 43– 55, 2014.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

1. Attended “Science Communication Day” workshop, McGill University, 2020.
2. Attended “Translating Your Research To The Public” workshop, McGill University, 2019.
3. Participant in the NIMBioS summer school on sensitivity analysis, University of Tennessee, 2017.
   [Selected for travel award funding]
4. Participant in the Montreal Light Microscopy workshop, McGill University, 2016.

PRESENTATIONS & MEETINGS

1. L. MacKay “Introduction to Unix/Linux” Code-tober 2020, Department of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, Oct 2020. [Presentation]
2. L. MacKay, “Understanding the Effects of Mechanosensitive Nascent Adhesions in an Oscillatory Lamellipodium”, Biophysical Society 64 th Annual Meeting, San Diego, USA, Feb 2020. [Poster]
3. L. MacKay “Introduction to Unix/Linux” Code-tober 2019, Department of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, Oct 2019. [Presentation]
4. L. MacKay “Modelling the Mechanosensitivity of Adhesion Formation” SMB Annual Meeting, Montreal, Canada, Oct 2019. [Presentation]
5. L. MacKay, “Modelling the Mechanosensitivity of Integrin-Based Adhesions”, Banff International Research Station Workshop “Mathematics of the Cell: Mechanical and Chemical Signaling across Scales”, Banff, Canada, Aug 2018. [Poster]
6. L. MacKay, “Temporal Dynamics of Focal Adhesion Size Distribution”, Biophysical Society 62nd Annual Meeting, San Francisco, USA, Feb 2018. [Poster]
7. L. MacKay, “Modelling the Mechanosensitivity of Adhesion Formation”, Canadian Mathematical Society Winter Meeting, Vancouver Canada, Dec 2018. [Presentation]
8. L. MacKay, “Systematic Analysis of Transient Intracellular Calcium Signals in Live Cells”, Biophysical Society 61 st Annual Meeting, New Orleans, USA, Feb 2017. [Poster]
9. L. MacKay, “Deciphering the Allosteric Modulation of the Purinergic P2X Receptors Using Markov Models”, Canadian Mathematical Society Winter Meeting, Montreal, Canada, Dec 2015. [Presentation]