Ghoshal Lab : Molecular Plant Virology Laboratory
Basudev Ghoshal, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Dr. Basudev Ghoshal is a Research Scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Summerland Research and Development Centre | Directory of scientists and professionals (science.gc.ca). He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver) (Home Page | UBC Botany) and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Victoria (Biology - University of Victoria (uvic.ca)) and the University of Waterloo Welcome to Biology at Waterloo | Biology | University of Waterloo (uwaterloo.ca). His molecular plant virology group is housed in two Government Research Centers : the Summerland Research and Development Centre (SuRDC) of AAFC, and the Sidney Laboratory-Centre for Plant Health of Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in North Saanich.
Basudev earned his B.Sc and M.Sc from the University of Calcutta (India) and his Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. He conducted his Ph.D. thesis research in the laboratory of Dr. Hélène Sanfaçon at the SuRDC, working on plant viruses. He continued his research on plant viruses as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. D’Ann Rochon. To expand his expertise, he joined Prof. Steven E. Jacobsen’s laboratory at the University of California, Los Angeles, USA, as a postdoctoral fellow to develop targeted epigenome editing tools and plant viral vectors. Besides research, Dr. Ghoshal has extensive experience in online and in-person undergraduate classroom teaching. He practices Evidence-Based teaching.
Outside the lab, Basudev watches movies and listens to audiobooks and songs. He then loves to hold discussions with his wife, critically analyzing films, books, and songs.
Mr. Adam Smith grew up in the Okanagan Valley, and moved to Southern Alberta for University. At the University of Lethbridge, he earned a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Biochemistry. He has worked in University Research Labs, a Private-Sector Industrial Fermentation start-up, as well as at AAFC’s Lethbridge Research and Development Centre.
He moved to Vancouver Island in 2019 to be closer to his family. Adam enjoys Science Fiction, cooking for his wife, and also enjoys working with his hands; creating, fixing, and renewing.
Adam Smith, MS
Research Technician
April Mahovlic, MS
Research Technician
Ms. April Mahovlic grew up in Summerland, enjoying delicious produce from local farms. This influenced her decision to study plant disease so she could help growers and producers in her community.
April completed her Bachelor of Science with honors in Microbiology at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus and her Master of Science in Biology with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Research Affiliate program. Her graduate studies focused on investigating practical strategies to mitigate the harmful effects of grapevine viruses in Okanagan vineyards.
Outside of the lab, she has a passion for strength sports. She was previously a competitive powerlifter and now enjoys CrossFit and indoor cycling classes. Her evenings and weekends are best spent with her husband and her cat, watching Formula 1 races or reading a good book.
Mr. Mohammad grew up in Iran, where he earned his B.Sc. from Tehran University of Medical Sciences and his M.Sc. in Biotechnology from the High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine. He completed his first Ph.D. in microbial biotechnology at the University of Isfahan in 2022. In 2023, he began pursuing his second Ph.D. in Biology at the University of Waterloo, focusing on bioinformatics to explore host-virus protein interactions in plants under the supervision of Dr. Brendan McConkey and Dr. Basudev Ghoshal.
He enjoys mountain climbing, traveling, visiting different countries, and learning about various cultures.
Mohammad Moradi
PhD Student
James P Moran
MSc Student
Originally from Eastern Ontario, Mr. James Moran grew up in a rural setting adjacent to a conservation area. A childhood spent exploring the forests surrounding his home instilled an early appreciation for nature and the biodiversity of life.
James earned his Bachelor of Science, Honours, in Biology with concentration in Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour from Carleton University in 2024. His undergrad capstone project focused on computational screening of genes related to DNA repair in Arabidopsis thaliana.
In 2025 he arrived in British Columbia to join Dr. Basudev Ghoshal’s Molecular Plant Virology Laboratory as part of the research affiliate program of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, as well as to pursue his Master of Science in Biology at the University of Victoria. He will be co-supervised by Dr. Basudev Ghoshal and Dr. Jürgen Ehlting.
James enjoys hiking, reading fantasy series, houseplants, and gardening.
Hedley grew up in Hong Kong and moved to Vancouver to pursue university. She is a student in the Combined Honours Program of Biochemistry and Forensic Science at the University of British Columbia and British Columbia Institute of Technology. As a Co-op student at the Sidney Centre for Plant Health in North Saanich, she is looking forward to exploring avenues of research in plant science and biochemistry.
Outside of academics, she enjoys sketching and photography, as well as being outdoors exploring the city and hiking. She also likes spending time by the water, be it just gazing at it, swimming in it, or being on it— like kayaking and dragonboat paddling.
Hedley Yim
Co-op student UBC
Former lab members
Jane Theilmann, MS
Research Technician
