Sara Andres, PhD

Research

• DNA Damage Response and Repair
• Drug Resistant Infections
• Structural Biology

Drug resistant infections continuously challenge all forms of eukaryotic life including humans, plants, and animals. Current antibiotic therapies against bacterial infections include those that damage the bacterial genome, however DNA damage response and repair mechanisms lead to cell survival and drug resistant infections. Our lab is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms of bacterial DNA damage response and repair through protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions and the role these interactions play in driving the evolution of antimicrobial resistance. We employ structural biology (x-ray crystallography, small-angle x-ray scattering, and atomic force microscopy), biochemistry, and molecular and cell biology to identify unique features of the DNA damage response and repair systems that can be exploited for new therapeutic strategies targeting pathogenic bacteria.

Sara Andres, PhD

Research

• DNA Damage Response and Repair
• Drug Resistant Infections
• Structural Biology

Drug resistant infections continuously challenge all forms of eukaryotic life including humans, plants, and animals. Current antibiotic therapies against bacterial infections include those that damage the bacterial genome, however DNA damage response and repair mechanisms lead to cell survival and drug resistant infections. Our lab is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms of bacterial DNA damage response and repair through protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions and the role these interactions play in driving the evolution of antimicrobial resistance. We employ structural biology (x-ray crystallography, small-angle x-ray scattering, and atomic force microscopy), biochemistry, and molecular and cell biology to identify unique features of the DNA damage response and repair systems that can be exploited for new therapeutic strategies targeting pathogenic bacteria.

Mick Bhatia, PhD

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Program in Experimental Therapeutics of Human Leukemias
Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Human Stem Cell Biology
Michael G. DeGroote Chair in Stem Cell and Cancer Biology

MDCL 5029
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 28687
mbhatia@mcmaster.ca

Research

Mick Bhatia’s research examines the parallels between the behaviour of human stem cells and the initial stages of the development of human cancer in order to advance understanding of how cancer begins.

Mick Bhatia, PhD

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Program in Experimental Therapeutics of Human Leukemias
Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Human Stem Cell Biology
Michael G. DeGroote Chair in Stem Cell and Cancer Biology

MDCL 5029
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 28687
mbhatia@mcmaster.ca

Research

Mick Bhatia’s research examines the parallels between the behaviour of human stem cells and the initial stages of the development of human cancer in order to advance understanding of how cancer begins.

Russell Bishop, PhD

Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

4H31B Health Sciences Centre
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 28810
bishopr@mcmaster.ca

Research

• Biogenesis of the Gram-negative Cell Envelope

Research in the Bishop Lab is focused on the biogenesis of bacterial cell envelopes, including biochemical studies of lipid transport, the bacterial outer membrane enzyme PagP, as well as enzymology and signal transduction of lipid A (endotoxin).

Russell Bishop, PhD

Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

4H31B Health Sciences Centre
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 28810
bishopr@mcmaster.ca

Research

• Biogenesis of the Gram-negative Cell Envelope

Research in the Bishop Lab is focused on the biogenesis of bacterial cell envelopes, including biochemical studies of lipid transport, the bacterial outer membrane enzyme PagP, as well as enzymology and signal transduction of lipid A (endotoxin).

Eric D. Brown, PhD

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Canada Research Chair in Chemical Biology

MDCL 2321
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 21547
ebrown@mcmaster.ca

Assistant: Jodi Biro

Research

• Microbiological Biochemistry
• Antimicrobial Research

Dr. Brown’s research interests are in studying complex and poorly understood aspects of biology in bacteria using molecular genetic and biochemical approaches. Brown lab researchers are currently studying cell wall and ribosome biogenesis, both daunting cellular processes of remarkable complexity. Further, Dr. Brown oversees an ambitious effort in chemical genomics aimed at mapping and understanding the interaction of drug-like small molecules with bacterial cell systems.

In the past forty years, only two new classes of antibiotics have reached the clinic for treatment of bacterial infections. During this time we have seen an alarming increase in reports of “superbugs” that are resistant to all existing antibiotics. Indeed, multi-drug resistance amoung bacterial pathogens is largely due to the limited number of drugs that eradicate bacteria with a narrow range of measures. Recognizing the need for new therapies with novel mechanisms of action, we have mounted research projects in areas of bacterial physiology of emerging importance in antibacterial drug discovery.

Eric D. Brown, PhD

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Canada Research Chair in Chemical Biology

MDCL 2321
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 21547
ebrown@mcmaster.ca

Assistant: Jodi Biro

Research

• Microbiological Biochemistry
• Antimicrobial Research

Dr. Brown’s research interests are in studying complex and poorly understood aspects of biology in bacteria using molecular genetic and biochemical approaches. Brown lab researchers are currently studying cell wall and ribosome biogenesis, both daunting cellular processes of remarkable complexity. Further, Dr. Brown oversees an ambitious effort in chemical genomics aimed at mapping and understanding the interaction of drug-like small molecules with bacterial cell systems.

In the past forty years, only two new classes of antibiotics have reached the clinic for treatment of bacterial infections. During this time we have seen an alarming increase in reports of “superbugs” that are resistant to all existing antibiotics. Indeed, multi-drug resistance amoung bacterial pathogens is largely due to the limited number of drugs that eradicate bacteria with a narrow range of measures. Recognizing the need for new therapies with novel mechanisms of action, we have mounted research projects in areas of bacterial physiology of emerging importance in antibacterial drug discovery.

Lori Burrows, PhD

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Joint Member, Pathology & Molecular Medicine

4H18 Health Sciences Centre
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22029
burrowl@mcmaster.ca

Research

• Bacterial Adhesins
• Biofilm Formation

Many bacteria use retractable, grappling hook-like fibres called type IV pili (T4P) to stick to, and pull themselves along surfaces. T4P are related to type II secretion (T2S) systems used to release toxic proteins from the cell. We study these two systems in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa with the goals of understanding their function and identifying vulnerabilities that could be exploited for drug development.

T4P and T2S systems must cross the fence-like peptidoglycan layer that acts as a skeleton for the cell. We investigate how large protein complexes are inserted through this layer, which must remain intact for the cells to survive.

Surface-attached bacterial communities called biofilms are important in environmental, medical and food safety-related processes. We study key biofilm developmental pathways by finding small molecules that increase or decrease biofilm formation by P. aeruginosa or Listeria monocytogenes, an important food-borne pathogen.

Lori Burrows, PhD

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Joint Member, Pathology & Molecular Medicine

4H18 Health Sciences Centre
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22029
burrowl@mcmaster.ca

Research

• Bacterial Adhesins
• Biofilm Formation

Many bacteria use retractable, grappling hook-like fibres called type IV pili (T4P) to stick to, and pull themselves along surfaces. T4P are related to type II secretion (T2S) systems used to release toxic proteins from the cell. We study these two systems in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa with the goals of understanding their function and identifying vulnerabilities that could be exploited for drug development.

T4P and T2S systems must cross the fence-like peptidoglycan layer that acts as a skeleton for the cell. We investigate how large protein complexes are inserted through this layer, which must remain intact for the cells to survive.

Surface-attached bacterial communities called biofilms are important in environmental, medical and food safety-related processes. We study key biofilm developmental pathways by finding small molecules that increase or decrease biofilm formation by P. aeruginosa or Listeria monocytogenes, an important food-borne pathogen.

Brian Coombes, PhD

Chair and Professor

Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Canada Research Chair in Infectious Disease Pathogenesis

4N59 Health Sciences Centre
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22454
coombes@mcmaster.ca

Research

• Microbiological Biochemistry
• Antimicrobial Research Cell Biology
• Gene Regulation

The Coombes laboratory investigates the genetics and molecular pathogenesis of human and animal infectious diseases. Coombes lab scientists use genetic, genomic and proteomics techniques to understand how bacterial virulence factors are expressed and function in the context of a host. We use model systems to then understand the complexity of the biological processes affected by these virulence factors, including subversion of the immune system, colonization dynamics and host damage. We have initiated research projects in four major areas that focus on the evolution, mechanisms and host responses to pathogenic processes caused by bacteria.

Brian Coombes, PhD

Chair and Professor

Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Canada Research Chair in Infectious Disease Pathogenesis

4N59 Health Sciences Centre
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22454
coombes@mcmaster.ca

Research

• Microbiological Biochemistry
• Antimicrobial Research Cell Biology
• Gene Regulation

The Coombes laboratory investigates the genetics and molecular pathogenesis of human and animal infectious diseases. Coombes lab scientists use genetic, genomic and proteomics techniques to understand how bacterial virulence factors are expressed and function in the context of a host. We use model systems to then understand the complexity of the biological processes affected by these virulence factors, including subversion of the immune system, colonization dynamics and host damage. We have initiated research projects in four major areas that focus on the evolution, mechanisms and host responses to pathogenic processes caused by bacteria.

Cameron Currie, PhD

Dr. Cameron Currie is the Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair in Pandemic Research and Prevention at McMaster University in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and a member of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research (IIDR). 

Research in the Currie Lab is highly interdisciplinary, integrating the fields of microbiology, microbial ecology, evolutionary biology, genetics, and chemistry. Dr. Currie has a strong interest in beneficial microbes serving as a form of evolutionary innovation for diverse animal hosts, from ants to humans. The lab currently focuses on defensive symbionts mediating disease dynamics through the production of antimicrobial compounds and the potential of these molecules as anti-infective drugs. These efforts have identified several promising antifungal drug leads. 

Dr. Currie has received a number of awards, including the NSERC Doctoral Prize, an NSF CAREER Award, and the Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering (PECASE) from US President Obama and is a fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) and American Academy of Microbiology. From 2015-2020, Dr. Currie held the Ira L Baldwin chair in the Department of Bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  

Dr. Currie has published more than 180 papers and graduated 16 PhD students, 5 MSc students, and provided training to 15 postdoctoral fellows. From these, 6 former PhD student and 9 former postdoctoral fellows are now in tenure-track or tenured faculty positions. 

Cameron Currie, PhD

Dr. Cameron Currie is the Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair in Pandemic Research and Prevention at McMaster University in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and a member of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research (IIDR). 

Research in the Currie Lab is highly interdisciplinary, integrating the fields of microbiology, microbial ecology, evolutionary biology, genetics, and chemistry. Dr. Currie has a strong interest in beneficial microbes serving as a form of evolutionary innovation for diverse animal hosts, from ants to humans. The lab currently focuses on defensive symbionts mediating disease dynamics through the production of antimicrobial compounds and the potential of these molecules as anti-infective drugs. These efforts have identified several promising antifungal drug leads. 

Dr. Currie has received a number of awards, including the NSERC Doctoral Prize, an NSF CAREER Award, and the Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering (PECASE) from US President Obama and is a fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) and American Academy of Microbiology. From 2015-2020, Dr. Currie held the Ira L Baldwin chair in the Department of Bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  

Dr. Currie has published more than 180 papers and graduated 16 PhD students, 5 MSc students, and provided training to 15 postdoctoral fellows. From these, 6 former PhD student and 9 former postdoctoral fellows are now in tenure-track or tenured faculty positions. 

Radhey Gupta, PhD

The Gupta lab uses genome sequences to identify novel molecular markers that are useful for diagnostic, therapeutic and evolutionary studies.

Radhey Gupta, PhD

The Gupta lab uses genome sequences to identify novel molecular markers that are useful for diagnostic, therapeutic and evolutionary studies.

Hong Han, PhD

Hong received her BSc (honours) at the University of British Columbia. She then completed her PhD in the Department of Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto, with Dr. Benjamin Blencowe and Dr. Jason Moffat. Immediately after her PhD, in 2016, Hong was honoured as the first recipient of the prestigious Donnelly Home Research Fellow Fund at the University of Toronto, which allowed her to become a semi-independent investigator to develop projects and supervise a research team. In 2022, Hong was appointed as an assistant professor at the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) and a principal investigator at the Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research (CDCR) at McMaster University.

The Han Lab works at the interface of cancer biology, RNA and multilayer gene regulation and innovative high-throughput technologies. Dr. Han and her team have pioneered developing and applying several integrated technological platforms for large-scale genetic/drug screening and ultra-high-throughput single-cell profiling. Leveraging the power of these systematic experimental and computational approaches, together with in vitro, in vivo and patient cohort studies, they discover multilayer regulatory mechanisms underlying cancer progression and RNA-multimodal therapeutics for treatment-resistant cancer. Her team strives to create a collaborative, supportive and stimulating environment for multi-disciplinary cancer research.

Hong Han, PhD

Hong received her BSc (honours) at the University of British Columbia. She then completed her PhD in the Department of Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto, with Dr. Benjamin Blencowe and Dr. Jason Moffat. Immediately after her PhD, in 2016, Hong was honoured as the first recipient of the prestigious Donnelly Home Research Fellow Fund at the University of Toronto, which allowed her to become a semi-independent investigator to develop projects and supervise a research team. In 2022, Hong was appointed as an assistant professor at the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) and a principal investigator at the Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research (CDCR) at McMaster University.

The Han Lab works at the interface of cancer biology, RNA and multilayer gene regulation and innovative high-throughput technologies. Dr. Han and her team have pioneered developing and applying several integrated technological platforms for large-scale genetic/drug screening and ultra-high-throughput single-cell profiling. Leveraging the power of these systematic experimental and computational approaches, together with in vitro, in vivo and patient cohort studies, they discover multilayer regulatory mechanisms underlying cancer progression and RNA-multimodal therapeutics for treatment-resistant cancer. Her team strives to create a collaborative, supportive and stimulating environment for multi-disciplinary cancer research.

Benson Honig, PhD

Professor, Human Resources and Management

bhonig@mcmaster.ca
Room DSB-406
ph: 905-525-9140 x23943
fax: 905-521-8995

Benson Honig

Professor Honig specializes in entrepreneurship. His research interests include social and human capital, business planning, transnational entrepreneurship, nascent entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurship in environments of transition. Please visit Dr. Honig’s website for more information about his research, experience and the Entrepreneurship in a Diverse University Base (B748) course syllabus.

Benson Honig, PhD

Professor, Human Resources and Management

bhonig@mcmaster.ca
Room DSB-406
ph: 905-525-9140 x23943
fax: 905-521-8995

Benson Honig

Professor Honig specializes in entrepreneurship. His research interests include social and human capital, business planning, transnational entrepreneurship, nascent entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurship in environments of transition. Please visit Dr. Honig’s website for more information about his research, experience and the Entrepreneurship in a Diverse University Base (B748) course syllabus.

Lindsay Kalan, PhD

Lindsay Kalan, PhD is an associate professor in the Department Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University. Her PhD research focused on the interplay between microbial biosynthesis of antibiotics and resistance mechanisms. She then headed a research group in industry focused on the development of novel antimicrobial wound care devices before completing postdoctoral research in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania. The Kalan lab is interested in understanding how microbial communities assemble and interact with each other and their host across the different microenvironments of the skin. To elucidate how the balance between beneficial and foreign microbes is maintained at the skin surface and in the context of non-healing chronic wounds, Dr. Kalan’s lab uses a highly inter-disciplinary approach that combines high-throughput technologies such as deep sequencing and untargeted metabolomics with bioinformatics, as well as wet-lab experimental systems. This has led to several pioneering studies in the field spearheading the use of the microbiome as a disease marker on the skin. Dr. Kalan has been awarded the Wound Healing Societies Young Investigator Award, the NIH Outstanding Investigator Award, and the 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award.   

Lindsay Kalan, PhD

Lindsay Kalan, PhD is an associate professor in the Department Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University. Her PhD research focused on the interplay between microbial biosynthesis of antibiotics and resistance mechanisms. She then headed a research group in industry focused on the development of novel antimicrobial wound care devices before completing postdoctoral research in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania. The Kalan lab is interested in understanding how microbial communities assemble and interact with each other and their host across the different microenvironments of the skin. To elucidate how the balance between beneficial and foreign microbes is maintained at the skin surface and in the context of non-healing chronic wounds, Dr. Kalan’s lab uses a highly inter-disciplinary approach that combines high-throughput technologies such as deep sequencing and untargeted metabolomics with bioinformatics, as well as wet-lab experimental systems. This has led to several pioneering studies in the field spearheading the use of the microbiome as a disease marker on the skin. Dr. Kalan has been awarded the Wound Healing Societies Young Investigator Award, the NIH Outstanding Investigator Award, and the 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award.   

Yingfu Li, PhD

Associate Director, Biomedical Discovery and Commercialization Program

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Associate Member, Chemical Engineering

4H32A Health Sciences Centre
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22462
liying@mcmaster.ca

Research

• Structural Biology
• Protein/Nucleic Acid Structure/Protein

Our group works at the interface between chemistry and biology. Our overall research interest is to examine unusual functions of nucleic acids and to be creative about them. The molecules that we are interested in studying include artificial or natural single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules with often surprising properties. Our study on DNA or RNA has several distinct features. First, we examine DNA or RNA not for its well-recognized role as the genetic material to store and transmit genetic information for living organisms, but rather for its less-known utility as a simple polymer to carry out catalytic and binding functions. Second, we study DNA or RNA not in their rigid double-stranded form but in their flexible single-stranded configuration. Third, usually there is no natural source to fetch the DNA or RNA molecules for our study, but rather we create our own molecules using a technique called “In vitro selection”. In vitro selection is a simple yet powerful combinatorial approach that allows simultaneous screening of up to 1016 different DNA or RNA molecules in a single mixture for rare sequences with unusual functions.

It has been well demonstrated that nucleic acids, in addition to their roles in the storage and transmission of genetic information, can also act as enzymes (ribozymes and DNAzymes) and receptors (aptamers and riboswitches). My group is interested both in the study of basic functions of these molecules (basic science focus of the lab) and in the exploration of these molecules as novel molecular tools for therapeutics, biomolecular detection, drug discovery and nanotechnology (applied science focus of the lab).

Yingfu Li, PhD

Associate Director, Biomedical Discovery and Commercialization Program

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Associate Member, Chemical Engineering

4H32A Health Sciences Centre
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22462
liying@mcmaster.ca

Research

• Structural Biology
• Protein/Nucleic Acid Structure/Protein

Our group works at the interface between chemistry and biology. Our overall research interest is to examine unusual functions of nucleic acids and to be creative about them. The molecules that we are interested in studying include artificial or natural single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules with often surprising properties. Our study on DNA or RNA has several distinct features. First, we examine DNA or RNA not for its well-recognized role as the genetic material to store and transmit genetic information for living organisms, but rather for its less-known utility as a simple polymer to carry out catalytic and binding functions. Second, we study DNA or RNA not in their rigid double-stranded form but in their flexible single-stranded configuration. Third, usually there is no natural source to fetch the DNA or RNA molecules for our study, but rather we create our own molecules using a technique called “In vitro selection”. In vitro selection is a simple yet powerful combinatorial approach that allows simultaneous screening of up to 1016 different DNA or RNA molecules in a single mixture for rare sequences with unusual functions.

It has been well demonstrated that nucleic acids, in addition to their roles in the storage and transmission of genetic information, can also act as enzymes (ribozymes and DNAzymes) and receptors (aptamers and riboswitches). My group is interested both in the study of basic functions of these molecules (basic science focus of the lab) and in the exploration of these molecules as novel molecular tools for therapeutics, biomolecular detection, drug discovery and nanotechnology (applied science focus of the lab).

Christopher J. Longo, PhD

Associate Professor, Executive Committee Member, Health Policy and Management

Room: RJC-253
ph: 905-525-9140 x23896
fax: 905-634-4994
clongo@mcmaster.ca

Dr. Longo has over 20 years of industry experience in clinical research, economic evaluation, and market access strategies for pharmaceuticals. He has published both clinical and economic research in a number of therapeutic areas including: diabetes, cancer, sepsis, and central nervous system disorders.

Dr. Longo’s research interests include the economic evaluation of pharmaceuticals, the public/private mix in the financing of healthcare, and the evaluation of factors influencing patients’ financial burden for health care services, particularly in the area of cancer.

Christopher J. Longo, PhD

Associate Professor, Executive Committee Member, Health Policy and Management

Room: RJC-253
ph: 905-525-9140 x23896
fax: 905-634-4994
clongo@mcmaster.ca

Dr. Longo has over 20 years of industry experience in clinical research, economic evaluation, and market access strategies for pharmaceuticals. He has published both clinical and economic research in a number of therapeutic areas including: diabetes, cancer, sepsis, and central nervous system disorders.

Dr. Longo’s research interests include the economic evaluation of pharmaceuticals, the public/private mix in the financing of healthcare, and the evaluation of factors influencing patients’ financial burden for health care services, particularly in the area of cancer.

Michelle MacDonald, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

4H44 Health Sciences Centre
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22316
macdonml@mcmaster.ca

Research

As a graduate of McMaster’s Biochemistry undergraduate program, I remained at McMaster and pursued a Ph.D. in the Medical Sciences Graduate Programme in the Faculty of Health Sciences in the area of Muscle Biochemistry. My Ph.D. thesis focused on “The regulation of carbohydrate and lactate metabolism in human skeletal muscle”. I continued with a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Waterloo in the Department of Kinesiology where my research focused on “Fatty acid transport proteins in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue of lean and obese patients and their role in the development of Type 2 diabetes”.

I am pleased to have returned to the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences as an Assistant Professor where my interests now lie in undergraduate education and improving teaching and learning in Biochemistry. As the academic advisor in Biochemistry, I also advise undergraduate students on programme and course selection. Though I don’t have set office hours, I am happy to meet with you by appointment, and my door is always open.

Michelle MacDonald, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

4H44 Health Sciences Centre
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22316
macdonml@mcmaster.ca

Research

As a graduate of McMaster’s Biochemistry undergraduate program, I remained at McMaster and pursued a Ph.D. in the Medical Sciences Graduate Programme in the Faculty of Health Sciences in the area of Muscle Biochemistry. My Ph.D. thesis focused on “The regulation of carbohydrate and lactate metabolism in human skeletal muscle”. I continued with a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Waterloo in the Department of Kinesiology where my research focused on “Fatty acid transport proteins in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue of lean and obese patients and their role in the development of Type 2 diabetes”.

I am pleased to have returned to the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences as an Assistant Professor where my interests now lie in undergraduate education and improving teaching and learning in Biochemistry. As the academic advisor in Biochemistry, I also advise undergraduate students on programme and course selection. Though I don’t have set office hours, I am happy to meet with you by appointment, and my door is always open.

Lesley T. MacNeil, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute

Office: HSC 4H17
Extension: 26523
Lab: HSC 3N11B
Extension: 21256
macneil@mcmaster.ca

Lesley T. MacNeil, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute

Office: HSC 4H17
Extension: 26523
Lab: HSC 3N11B
Extension: 21256
macneil@mcmaster.ca

Nathan Magarvey, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Canada Research Chair in Chemical Biology and Natural Products

MDCL-2320
McMaster University
905-525-9140 x 22244
magarv@mcmaster.ca

Research

• Natural Product Biosynthesis & Drug Discovery
• Microbial Metabolomics
• Small Molecule/chemical signaling

Nathan Magarvey, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Canada Research Chair in Chemical Biology and Natural Products

MDCL-2320
McMaster University
905-525-9140 x 22244
magarv@mcmaster.ca

Research

• Natural Product Biosynthesis & Drug Discovery
• Microbial Metabolomics
• Small Molecule/chemical signaling

Jakob Magolan, PhD

Associate Professor,
Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Boris Family Chair in Drug Discovery
Joint Member, Chemistry and Chemical Biology

MDCL 2306
McMaster University
magolanj@mcmaster.ca
905-525-9140 ext. 22268

Research

• Pre-Clinical Drug Discovery and Development
• Organic Synthetic Methods

In collaboration with biologists and biochemists, we pursue the discovery and pre-clinical development of pharmaceutical leads in a variety of therapeutic areas including: antimicrobial, anti-pancreatic cancer, and anti-depression. We specialize in the chemical synthesis of lead compounds and their structural derivatives with a particular interest in natural product-based leads.

Our laboratory is also engaged in the development new strategies and methodologies for the efficient chemical synthesis. Our current areas of focus include:

1. new synthetic approaches to rare or unknown heterocyclic scaffolds;
2. expanding the versatility of simple inexpensive substrates like dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as synthetic building blocks; and
3. use of heterogeneous reagents to enhance procedural efficiency and minimize the environmental impact of organic synthesis

Jakob Magolan, PhD

Associate Professor,
Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Boris Family Chair in Drug Discovery
Joint Member, Chemistry and Chemical Biology

MDCL 2306
McMaster University
magolanj@mcmaster.ca
905-525-9140 ext. 22268

Research

• Pre-Clinical Drug Discovery and Development
• Organic Synthetic Methods

In collaboration with biologists and biochemists, we pursue the discovery and pre-clinical development of pharmaceutical leads in a variety of therapeutic areas including: antimicrobial, anti-pancreatic cancer, and anti-depression. We specialize in the chemical synthesis of lead compounds and their structural derivatives with a particular interest in natural product-based leads.

Our laboratory is also engaged in the development new strategies and methodologies for the efficient chemical synthesis. Our current areas of focus include:

1. new synthetic approaches to rare or unknown heterocyclic scaffolds;
2. expanding the versatility of simple inexpensive substrates like dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as synthetic building blocks; and
3. use of heterogeneous reagents to enhance procedural efficiency and minimize the environmental impact of organic synthesis

Andrew McArthur, PhD

Director, Biomedical Discovery and Commercialization Program

Associate Professor,
Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

MDCL 2322
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 21663
mcarthua@mcmaster.ca

Research

• Biological database design and predictive analytics, particularly in the areas of antimicrobial drug resistance and molecular epidemiology
• Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (arpcard.mcmaster.ca)
• Development of Integrated Health Biosystems research at McMaster University, bridging data-intensive biomedical research and clinical healthcare
• Bioinformatics workflows and Cloud computing for gene expression, gene regulation, and population genomics
• Next generation DNA sequence analysis, genome assembly, and genome annotation
• Molecular phylogenetics and phylogenomics
• Ecotoxicogenomics of environmental contaminants (metals, organics, pharmaceuticals) using zebrafish, mouse, and other model systems.

The McArthur laboratory’s research program is rooted in bioinformatics, functional genomics, and computational biology. It spans complex informatics approaches to the functional genomics of microbial drug resistance, development of biological databases, next generation sequencing for genome assembly and molecular epidemiology, automated literature curation approaches, controlled vocabularies for biological knowledge integration, and functional genomics approaches in environmental toxicology. As part of our Cisco funded program, we additionally research the use and generation of ‘Big Data’ in the biomedical sciences, with the goal of integrating biomedical research and clinical healthcare.

Andrew McArthur, PhD

Director, Biomedical Discovery and Commercialization Program

Associate Professor,
Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

MDCL 2322
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 21663
mcarthua@mcmaster.ca

Research

• Biological database design and predictive analytics, particularly in the areas of antimicrobial drug resistance and molecular epidemiology
• Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (arpcard.mcmaster.ca)
• Development of Integrated Health Biosystems research at McMaster University, bridging data-intensive biomedical research and clinical healthcare
• Bioinformatics workflows and Cloud computing for gene expression, gene regulation, and population genomics
• Next generation DNA sequence analysis, genome assembly, and genome annotation
• Molecular phylogenetics and phylogenomics
• Ecotoxicogenomics of environmental contaminants (metals, organics, pharmaceuticals) using zebrafish, mouse, and other model systems.

The McArthur laboratory’s research program is rooted in bioinformatics, functional genomics, and computational biology. It spans complex informatics approaches to the functional genomics of microbial drug resistance, development of biological databases, next generation sequencing for genome assembly and molecular epidemiology, automated literature curation approaches, controlled vocabularies for biological knowledge integration, and functional genomics approaches in environmental toxicology. As part of our Cisco funded program, we additionally research the use and generation of ‘Big Data’ in the biomedical sciences, with the goal of integrating biomedical research and clinical healthcare.

Matthew Miller, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Associate Chair and Assistant Dean, Biochemistry Graduate Program

MDCL 2324
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22387
mmiller@mcmaster.ca

Research

The Miller Laboratory is focused on understanding the intimate relationship between viral pathogens and their hosts. Upon infection, both the innate and the adaptive branches of the immune system are mobilized with the aim of protecting the host from virus-mediated pathologies. However, improper regulation of anti-viral immune responses can themselves lead to disease. In addition, viruses have – and continue to – evolve elegant strategies through which to avoid host-mediated immune recognition. Thus, understanding the qualities of immune responses which are effective in protecting the host, as well as those qualities that may cause harm, is essential to informing the development of novel vaccines and therapeutics. The Miller Laboratory is therefore interested in issues concerning both of the (1) innate and (2) adaptive branches of the antiviral response:

• The type I interferon system represents the primary innate response pathway initiated upon viral infection. Type I interferons elicit potent cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic mechanisms to combat infection. However, when improperly regulated, these responses can lead to devastating immunopathologies. Polymorphisms in genes responsible for regulation of the type I interferon response can therefore have a profound effect on the outcome of viral infections. Our group is interested in understanding how host genetics contribute to the pathological outcome of viral infections. Identification and characterization of these factors will be used to inform more personalized approaches to the treatment of infectious diseases.




• Influenza A virus (IAV) presents a particularly formidable challenge to control by the humoral arm of the adaptive immune system. The virus has a segmented, RNA genome which is capable of both rapid mutation (contributing to “antigenic drift”), and re-assortment (which causes “antigenic shift”). These properties allow the virus to cause seasonal epidemics and periodic pandemics, respectively. Current-generation IAV vaccines must be administered seasonally, and provide optimal protection against only a very limited number of IAV strains. However, a new class of antibodies has recently been discovered which is capable of providing much more broad protection across multiple IAV subtypes. Our group is focused on understanding the immunobiology of these antibodies, how they are elicited, and how they may be useful for the generation of “universal” influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics.

Matthew Miller, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Associate Chair and Assistant Dean, Biochemistry Graduate Program

MDCL 2324
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22387
mmiller@mcmaster.ca

Research

The Miller Laboratory is focused on understanding the intimate relationship between viral pathogens and their hosts. Upon infection, both the innate and the adaptive branches of the immune system are mobilized with the aim of protecting the host from virus-mediated pathologies. However, improper regulation of anti-viral immune responses can themselves lead to disease. In addition, viruses have – and continue to – evolve elegant strategies through which to avoid host-mediated immune recognition. Thus, understanding the qualities of immune responses which are effective in protecting the host, as well as those qualities that may cause harm, is essential to informing the development of novel vaccines and therapeutics. The Miller Laboratory is therefore interested in issues concerning both of the (1) innate and (2) adaptive branches of the antiviral response:

• The type I interferon system represents the primary innate response pathway initiated upon viral infection. Type I interferons elicit potent cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic mechanisms to combat infection. However, when improperly regulated, these responses can lead to devastating immunopathologies. Polymorphisms in genes responsible for regulation of the type I interferon response can therefore have a profound effect on the outcome of viral infections. Our group is interested in understanding how host genetics contribute to the pathological outcome of viral infections. Identification and characterization of these factors will be used to inform more personalized approaches to the treatment of infectious diseases.




• Influenza A virus (IAV) presents a particularly formidable challenge to control by the humoral arm of the adaptive immune system. The virus has a segmented, RNA genome which is capable of both rapid mutation (contributing to “antigenic drift”), and re-assortment (which causes “antigenic shift”). These properties allow the virus to cause seasonal epidemics and periodic pandemics, respectively. Current-generation IAV vaccines must be administered seasonally, and provide optimal protection against only a very limited number of IAV strains. However, a new class of antibodies has recently been discovered which is capable of providing much more broad protection across multiple IAV subtypes. Our group is focused on understanding the immunobiology of these antibodies, how they are elicited, and how they may be useful for the generation of “universal” influenza virus vaccines and therapeutics.

Caitlin Mullarkey, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Associate Chair, Biochemistry Undergraduate Program

McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 20705
mullarkc@mcmaster.ca

Research

Dr. Caitlin Mullarkey is a Teaching Professor and the Associate Chair of Undergraduate Education in the department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences. She is focused on providing undergraduates with a rigorous and cutting-edge scientific education that will allow them to excel in diverse careers and graduate/professional school. At the heart of her approach to teaching is student-centered active learning, which encourages cooperation between students and facilitates a collaborative approach to the learning process. Drawing on her own background in research, the pedagogical strategies she utilizes emphasize that information and knowledge are dynamic, therefore problems and solutions evolve over time. With extensive training and expertise in infectious disease and vaccine development, she teaches virology, cell biology, biochemistry, and immunology to undergraduates at all levels. She is keenly interested in developing new curricula and her current scholarship centers on exploring advanced methods of delivering learning content. Working alongside Dr. Felicia Vulcu, she designed and launched a massive open online course (MOOC) called DNA Decoded (www.coursera.org/learn/dna-decoded). Her ongoing research projects include evaluating the integration of virtual reality labs into both laboratory and non-laboratory courses, technology enhanced learning, and other innovative methods to bridge the gap between scientific theory and practice.

Dr. Mullarkey received her doctorate from the University of Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar. She subsequently completed a postdoctoral fellowship in viral immunology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York City) under the mentorship of Dr. Peter Palese. She is the 2019-2020 recipient of the McMaster Student Union Teaching Award for the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Caitlin Mullarkey, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Associate Chair, Biochemistry Undergraduate Program

McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 20705
mullarkc@mcmaster.ca

Research

Dr. Caitlin Mullarkey is a Teaching Professor and the Associate Chair of Undergraduate Education in the department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences. She is focused on providing undergraduates with a rigorous and cutting-edge scientific education that will allow them to excel in diverse careers and graduate/professional school. At the heart of her approach to teaching is student-centered active learning, which encourages cooperation between students and facilitates a collaborative approach to the learning process. Drawing on her own background in research, the pedagogical strategies she utilizes emphasize that information and knowledge are dynamic, therefore problems and solutions evolve over time. With extensive training and expertise in infectious disease and vaccine development, she teaches virology, cell biology, biochemistry, and immunology to undergraduates at all levels. She is keenly interested in developing new curricula and her current scholarship centers on exploring advanced methods of delivering learning content. Working alongside Dr. Felicia Vulcu, she designed and launched a massive open online course (MOOC) called DNA Decoded (www.coursera.org/learn/dna-decoded). Her ongoing research projects include evaluating the integration of virtual reality labs into both laboratory and non-laboratory courses, technology enhanced learning, and other innovative methods to bridge the gap between scientific theory and practice.

Dr. Mullarkey received her doctorate from the University of Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar. She subsequently completed a postdoctoral fellowship in viral immunology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York City) under the mentorship of Dr. Peter Palese. She is the 2019-2020 recipient of the McMaster Student Union Teaching Award for the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Jonathan D. Schertzer, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

HSC 4H19
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22254
schertze@mcmaster.ca

Research

The inability to respond to insulin is the major cause of type 2 diabetes. This insulin resistance precedes overt diabetes thereby providing therapeutic window to prevent the disease. Obesity is the main cause of insulin resistance and inflammation has emerged as a key link between obesity and insulin resistance. How does obesity cause inflammation and how does inflammation cause insulin resistance leading to diabetes? My laboratory is interested in understanding these problems inImmunoMetabolism and how dietary and bacterial factors connect immunology and metabolism.

My laboratory uses physiology in genetic mouse models coupled with cell biology and biochemistry to understand the inflammatory basis of metabolic disease. Using our ImmunoMetabolism expertise, we collaborate with immunologists, microbiologists and gastroenterologists in order to understand how the food we eat and the bacteria that colonize us can cause (or prevent) metabolic diseases. This work is particularly interested in how the bacterial cell wall component, peptidoglycan, and dietary factors such as saturated fat propagate inflammation and alter metabolism via nucleotide oligomerization domain (Nod) proteins. This research has important implications for understanding the inflammatory underpinnings of obesity and diabetes, and is complimentary to ongoing collaborative research on energy sensors and fat/glucose metabolism during obesity.

My laboratory is also very interested in the role of inflammation in muscle diseases (i.e. myopathies). This builds on a long standing interest in basic science and therapeutics targeted to muscle using both endocrine and gene therapy approaches. Given that statin drugs are the first line treatment for obesity/diabetes related cardiovascular disease, we are particularly interested in immunity and statin-induced myopathy. Working with the world-renowned neuromuscular clinic at McMaster University, we bridge basic aspects of muscle biology and clinical treatment of myopathies such as muscular dystrophy, cancer cachexia, sarcopenia (aging) and inflammatory myopthies.

Selected Publications

• Gehrig SM, et al. HSP72 preserves muscle function and slows progression of severe muscular dystrophy. Nature, 484: 394-398, 2012
• Hawley SA, et al. The ancient drug salicylate directly activates AMP-activated protein kinase. Science, Apr 19, 2012
• Galic S, et al. Hematopoietic AMPK?1 reduces murine adipose tissue macrophage inflammation and hepatic insulin resistance in obesity. J Clin Invest, 121: 4903-4915, 2011
• O ‘Neill HM, et al. AMPK?1?2 muscle null mice reveal an essential role for AMPK in maintaining mitochondrial content and glucose uptake during exercise. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 108: 16092-7, 2011
• Schertzer JD and Klip A. Give a NOD to Insulin Resistance. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 301: E585-6, 2011
• Schertzer JD, et al. NOD1 activators link innate immunity to insulin resistance. Diabetes 60: 2206-15, 2011
• Tamrakar AK, et al. NOD2 activation induces muscle cell-autonomous innate immune responses and insulin resistance. Endocrinology 151: 5624-5637, 2010
• Schertzer JD, et al. A transgenic mouse model to study GLUT4myc regulation in skeletal muscle. Endocrinology 150:1935-40, 2009
• Schertzer JD, et al. Modulation of IGF-I and IGFBP interactions enhances skeletal muscle regeneration and ameliorates the dystrophic pathology in mdx mice. Am J Pathol 171: 1180-8, 2007
• Schertzer JD and Lynch GS. Comparative evaluation of IGF-I gene transfer and IGF-I protein administration for enhancing skeletal muscle regeneration after injury. Gene Ther 13: 1657-64, 2006
• Schertzer JD, et al. Optimizing plasmid-based gene transfer for investigating skeletal muscle structure and function. Mol Ther 13: 795-803, 2006

Jonathan D. Schertzer, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

HSC 4H19
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22254
schertze@mcmaster.ca

Research

The inability to respond to insulin is the major cause of type 2 diabetes. This insulin resistance precedes overt diabetes thereby providing therapeutic window to prevent the disease. Obesity is the main cause of insulin resistance and inflammation has emerged as a key link between obesity and insulin resistance. How does obesity cause inflammation and how does inflammation cause insulin resistance leading to diabetes? My laboratory is interested in understanding these problems inImmunoMetabolism and how dietary and bacterial factors connect immunology and metabolism.

My laboratory uses physiology in genetic mouse models coupled with cell biology and biochemistry to understand the inflammatory basis of metabolic disease. Using our ImmunoMetabolism expertise, we collaborate with immunologists, microbiologists and gastroenterologists in order to understand how the food we eat and the bacteria that colonize us can cause (or prevent) metabolic diseases. This work is particularly interested in how the bacterial cell wall component, peptidoglycan, and dietary factors such as saturated fat propagate inflammation and alter metabolism via nucleotide oligomerization domain (Nod) proteins. This research has important implications for understanding the inflammatory underpinnings of obesity and diabetes, and is complimentary to ongoing collaborative research on energy sensors and fat/glucose metabolism during obesity.

My laboratory is also very interested in the role of inflammation in muscle diseases (i.e. myopathies). This builds on a long standing interest in basic science and therapeutics targeted to muscle using both endocrine and gene therapy approaches. Given that statin drugs are the first line treatment for obesity/diabetes related cardiovascular disease, we are particularly interested in immunity and statin-induced myopathy. Working with the world-renowned neuromuscular clinic at McMaster University, we bridge basic aspects of muscle biology and clinical treatment of myopathies such as muscular dystrophy, cancer cachexia, sarcopenia (aging) and inflammatory myopthies.

Selected Publications

• Gehrig SM, et al. HSP72 preserves muscle function and slows progression of severe muscular dystrophy. Nature, 484: 394-398, 2012
• Hawley SA, et al. The ancient drug salicylate directly activates AMP-activated protein kinase. Science, Apr 19, 2012
• Galic S, et al. Hematopoietic AMPK?1 reduces murine adipose tissue macrophage inflammation and hepatic insulin resistance in obesity. J Clin Invest, 121: 4903-4915, 2011
• O ‘Neill HM, et al. AMPK?1?2 muscle null mice reveal an essential role for AMPK in maintaining mitochondrial content and glucose uptake during exercise. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 108: 16092-7, 2011
• Schertzer JD and Klip A. Give a NOD to Insulin Resistance. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 301: E585-6, 2011
• Schertzer JD, et al. NOD1 activators link innate immunity to insulin resistance. Diabetes 60: 2206-15, 2011
• Tamrakar AK, et al. NOD2 activation induces muscle cell-autonomous innate immune responses and insulin resistance. Endocrinology 151: 5624-5637, 2010
• Schertzer JD, et al. A transgenic mouse model to study GLUT4myc regulation in skeletal muscle. Endocrinology 150:1935-40, 2009
• Schertzer JD, et al. Modulation of IGF-I and IGFBP interactions enhances skeletal muscle regeneration and ameliorates the dystrophic pathology in mdx mice. Am J Pathol 171: 1180-8, 2007
• Schertzer JD and Lynch GS. Comparative evaluation of IGF-I gene transfer and IGF-I protein administration for enhancing skeletal muscle regeneration after injury. Gene Ther 13: 1657-64, 2006
• Schertzer JD, et al. Optimizing plasmid-based gene transfer for investigating skeletal muscle structure and function. Mol Ther 13: 795-803, 2006

Deborah Sloboda, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Associate Member, Pediatrics

Canada Research Chair in Perinatal Programming

HSC 4H21
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22250
sloboda@mcmaster.ca

Research

• Perinatal programming
• Reproduction
• Metabolism

There is now no doubt that events occurring before birth influence weight gain, deposition of body fat and metabolic function during childhood and beyond. The increase in childhood obesity in recent decades has been more rapid than can be explained purely by genetic susceptibility or diet. Poor maternal nutrition and maternal stress both have long-term effects on offspring growth and development and increase risk of disease in adulthood. Recent studies also highlight the impact that early life events have on later reproductive function. Over the past century, the average age at which girls have their first menstrual period (the age at menarche) has advanced considerably. New evidence, across a number of populations, suggests that nutrition before and in the period following birth influences the processes leading to reproductive maturity.

Dr Sloboda’s laboratory investigates the impact of poor maternal nutrition on the developing fetus and how it influences the risk of non-communicable disease later in life. Her experimental studies investigate the effects of maternal nutrient manipulation combined with a changing postnatal diet on pubertal onset, ovarian development and maturation, metabolic function and the role of underlying epigenetic processes. Dr Sloboda’s laboratory seeks to understand the relationship between maternal nutrition and offspring phenotype, investigating how maternal nutritional history influences placental development and how altered placental development and function contributes to altered offspring phenotype. Her recent work has expanded to include circadian biology and the understanding of how the intrauterine environment influences circadian regulation in the offspring.

After completing her PhD in Physiology at the University of Toronto Dr Sloboda was awarded the Forrest Fetal Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Women’s and Infants’ Research Foundation, at The University of Western Australia. In 2006 she joined The Liggins Institute at The University of Auckland where she investigated the effects of maternal high fat nutrition on maternal care and associated changes in reproductive function in offspring and grand-offspring. From 2008-2011 Dr Sloboda was the Deputy Director of the National Research Centre for Growth and Development at the University of Auckland. She is a member of the Executive Council of the Society for the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) and an Associate Editor for the Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. She also holds cross appointments in the Depts of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics at McMaster.

Potential Graduate Student Projects

• Maternal nutritional compromise: effects on offspring ovarian clock gene signalling
• Role of melatonin in regulating reproductive and metabolic function in programmed animals
• Maternal obesity and offspring reproductive and metabolic outcome

Selected Publications

• Vickers MH and Sloboda DM. (2012) Leptin as mediator of the effects of developmental programming.Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. In press
• Connor, KL, Vickers MH, Meaney M, Beltrand J and Sloboda DM (2012). Nature, nurture or nutrition? Impact of maternal nutrition on maternal care, offspring development and reproductive function. Journal of PhysiologyMar 12. [Epub ahead of print].
• Beltrand J, Sloboda DM, Connor KL, Truong M and Vickers MH. (2012). The effect of neonatal leptin antagonism in male rat offspring is dependent upon prior maternal nutritional status and post-weaning diet. Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism 2012: 296935. Epub 2012 Apr 2.
• Howie, GJ, Sloboda DM, Vickers MH. (2011). Maternal undernutrition during critical windows of development results in differential and sex specific effects on postnatal adiposity and related metabolic profiles in adult rat offspring. British Journal of Nutrition Oct 11: 1-10.
• Dudley K, Sloboda DM, Connor KL, Beltrand J, and Vickers MH (2011) Offspring of mothers fed a high fat diet during pregnancy and lactation display hepatic cell-cycle inhibition and associated changes in gene expression and DNA methylation PLoS ONE; 6(7):e21662.
• Braun T, Li S, Moss TJM, Connor KL, Doherty DA, Newnham JP, Challis JRG and Sloboda DM (2011) Differential expression of prostaglandin H synthase type 2 in sheep placentome subtypes after betamethasone treatment late in gestation. Placenta 32(4):295-303.
• Vickers MH, Clayton Z, Yap C and Sloboda DM (2011) High fructose intake during pregnancy leads to altered placental development and gender-specific changes in fetal and neonatal endocrine development Endocrinology 152(4):1378-87.
• Sloboda DM Hickey M, Hart R. Reproduction in females: the role of the early life environment. (2011) Human Reproduction Update; 17(2):210-27.
• Bernal AB, Vickers MH, Hampton MB, Poyton R, Sloboda DM (2010) Maternal nutrition significantly impacts ovarian follicle numbers and increases ovarian oxidative stress in adult rat offspring. PLoS One 5(12): e15558.
• Whitehouse AJ, Mayberry MT, Hickey M, Sloboda DM. (2010) Brief Report: Autism-like traits in childhood predict later age at menarche in girls. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders; 41(8):1125-30.
• Vickers MH and Sloboda DM. (2010) Prenatal nutritional influences on offspring risk of obesity. (2010) Nutrition and Dietary Supplements 2010:2 137?149.
• Connor KL, Vickers MH, Cupido C, Sirimanne E and Sloboda DM (2010). Maternal high fat diet during critical windows of development alters adrenal cortical and medullary enzyme expression in adult male rat offspring. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. 1(4), 245-254.
• Hickey M, Doherty DA, Hart R, Norman RJ, Mattes E, Atkinson HC, Sloboda DM. (2010) Maternal and umbilical cord androgen concentrations do not predict digit ratio (2D:4D) in girls: A prospective cohort study. Psychoneuroendocrinology: 35(8):1235-1244.
• Hart R, Sloboda DM, Doherty D, Norman R, Atkinson H, Newnham JP, Dickinson J, Hickey M (2009) Prenatal determinants of uterine volume and ovarian reserve in adolescence. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism Dec;94(12):4931-7.
• Sloboda DM, Howie G., Gluckman PD., Vickers M.H. (2009) Pre- and postnatal nutritional histories influence reproductive maturation and ovarian function in the rat. PLoS One. Aug 25;4(8):e6744.
• Sloboda DM, Beedle A, Cupido C, Gluckman PD, Vickers MH. (2009) Impaired perinatal growth and longevity: a life history perspective. Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research 2009:608740. Epub 2009 Sep 6.
• Hickey M, Sloboda DM, Atkinson, H, Doherty D, Franks S, Norman, R, Newnham, JP, Hart R. (2009) The relationship between maternal and umbilical cord androgen levels and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in adolescence: A prospective cohort study. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism Oct;94 (10):3714-20.
• Howie G, Sloboda DM, Kamal T, Vickers MH. (2009) A maternal high fat diet preconceptionally and/or throughout pregnancy and lactation leads to obesity in offspring independent of postnatal diet. Journal of Physiology 587 (4): 905-915.

Deborah Sloboda, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Associate Member, Pediatrics

Canada Research Chair in Perinatal Programming

HSC 4H21
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22250
sloboda@mcmaster.ca

Research

• Perinatal programming
• Reproduction
• Metabolism

There is now no doubt that events occurring before birth influence weight gain, deposition of body fat and metabolic function during childhood and beyond. The increase in childhood obesity in recent decades has been more rapid than can be explained purely by genetic susceptibility or diet. Poor maternal nutrition and maternal stress both have long-term effects on offspring growth and development and increase risk of disease in adulthood. Recent studies also highlight the impact that early life events have on later reproductive function. Over the past century, the average age at which girls have their first menstrual period (the age at menarche) has advanced considerably. New evidence, across a number of populations, suggests that nutrition before and in the period following birth influences the processes leading to reproductive maturity.

Dr Sloboda’s laboratory investigates the impact of poor maternal nutrition on the developing fetus and how it influences the risk of non-communicable disease later in life. Her experimental studies investigate the effects of maternal nutrient manipulation combined with a changing postnatal diet on pubertal onset, ovarian development and maturation, metabolic function and the role of underlying epigenetic processes. Dr Sloboda’s laboratory seeks to understand the relationship between maternal nutrition and offspring phenotype, investigating how maternal nutritional history influences placental development and how altered placental development and function contributes to altered offspring phenotype. Her recent work has expanded to include circadian biology and the understanding of how the intrauterine environment influences circadian regulation in the offspring.

After completing her PhD in Physiology at the University of Toronto Dr Sloboda was awarded the Forrest Fetal Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Women’s and Infants’ Research Foundation, at The University of Western Australia. In 2006 she joined The Liggins Institute at The University of Auckland where she investigated the effects of maternal high fat nutrition on maternal care and associated changes in reproductive function in offspring and grand-offspring. From 2008-2011 Dr Sloboda was the Deputy Director of the National Research Centre for Growth and Development at the University of Auckland. She is a member of the Executive Council of the Society for the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) and an Associate Editor for the Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. She also holds cross appointments in the Depts of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics at McMaster.

Potential Graduate Student Projects

• Maternal nutritional compromise: effects on offspring ovarian clock gene signalling
• Role of melatonin in regulating reproductive and metabolic function in programmed animals
• Maternal obesity and offspring reproductive and metabolic outcome

Selected Publications

• Vickers MH and Sloboda DM. (2012) Leptin as mediator of the effects of developmental programming.Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. In press
• Connor, KL, Vickers MH, Meaney M, Beltrand J and Sloboda DM (2012). Nature, nurture or nutrition? Impact of maternal nutrition on maternal care, offspring development and reproductive function. Journal of PhysiologyMar 12. [Epub ahead of print].
• Beltrand J, Sloboda DM, Connor KL, Truong M and Vickers MH. (2012). The effect of neonatal leptin antagonism in male rat offspring is dependent upon prior maternal nutritional status and post-weaning diet. Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism 2012: 296935. Epub 2012 Apr 2.
• Howie, GJ, Sloboda DM, Vickers MH. (2011). Maternal undernutrition during critical windows of development results in differential and sex specific effects on postnatal adiposity and related metabolic profiles in adult rat offspring. British Journal of Nutrition Oct 11: 1-10.
• Dudley K, Sloboda DM, Connor KL, Beltrand J, and Vickers MH (2011) Offspring of mothers fed a high fat diet during pregnancy and lactation display hepatic cell-cycle inhibition and associated changes in gene expression and DNA methylation PLoS ONE; 6(7):e21662.
• Braun T, Li S, Moss TJM, Connor KL, Doherty DA, Newnham JP, Challis JRG and Sloboda DM (2011) Differential expression of prostaglandin H synthase type 2 in sheep placentome subtypes after betamethasone treatment late in gestation. Placenta 32(4):295-303.
• Vickers MH, Clayton Z, Yap C and Sloboda DM (2011) High fructose intake during pregnancy leads to altered placental development and gender-specific changes in fetal and neonatal endocrine development Endocrinology 152(4):1378-87.
• Sloboda DM Hickey M, Hart R. Reproduction in females: the role of the early life environment. (2011) Human Reproduction Update; 17(2):210-27.
• Bernal AB, Vickers MH, Hampton MB, Poyton R, Sloboda DM (2010) Maternal nutrition significantly impacts ovarian follicle numbers and increases ovarian oxidative stress in adult rat offspring. PLoS One 5(12): e15558.
• Whitehouse AJ, Mayberry MT, Hickey M, Sloboda DM. (2010) Brief Report: Autism-like traits in childhood predict later age at menarche in girls. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders; 41(8):1125-30.
• Vickers MH and Sloboda DM. (2010) Prenatal nutritional influences on offspring risk of obesity. (2010) Nutrition and Dietary Supplements 2010:2 137?149.
• Connor KL, Vickers MH, Cupido C, Sirimanne E and Sloboda DM (2010). Maternal high fat diet during critical windows of development alters adrenal cortical and medullary enzyme expression in adult male rat offspring. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. 1(4), 245-254.
• Hickey M, Doherty DA, Hart R, Norman RJ, Mattes E, Atkinson HC, Sloboda DM. (2010) Maternal and umbilical cord androgen concentrations do not predict digit ratio (2D:4D) in girls: A prospective cohort study. Psychoneuroendocrinology: 35(8):1235-1244.
• Hart R, Sloboda DM, Doherty D, Norman R, Atkinson H, Newnham JP, Dickinson J, Hickey M (2009) Prenatal determinants of uterine volume and ovarian reserve in adolescence. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism Dec;94(12):4931-7.
• Sloboda DM, Howie G., Gluckman PD., Vickers M.H. (2009) Pre- and postnatal nutritional histories influence reproductive maturation and ovarian function in the rat. PLoS One. Aug 25;4(8):e6744.
• Sloboda DM, Beedle A, Cupido C, Gluckman PD, Vickers MH. (2009) Impaired perinatal growth and longevity: a life history perspective. Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research 2009:608740. Epub 2009 Sep 6.
• Hickey M, Sloboda DM, Atkinson, H, Doherty D, Franks S, Norman, R, Newnham, JP, Hart R. (2009) The relationship between maternal and umbilical cord androgen levels and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in adolescence: A prospective cohort study. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism Oct;94 (10):3714-20.
• Howie G, Sloboda DM, Kamal T, Vickers MH. (2009) A maternal high fat diet preconceptionally and/or throughout pregnancy and lactation leads to obesity in offspring independent of postnatal diet. Journal of Physiology 587 (4): 905-915.

Jon Stokes, PhD

Jon received his BHSc in 2011 and his PhD in antimicrobial chemical biology in 2016, both from McMaster University. From 2017–21 he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, carrying a prestigious Banting Fellowship from 2018–20. Upon completing his postdoc, Jon established his laboratory back at McMaster in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, in August 2021.

The Stokes lab leverages a mindful balance of experimental and computational approaches to discover the next generation of life-saving antibiotics with novel structures and functions that expand the capabilities of these medicines beyond the current state of the art. One of our primary interests, quite broadly, is in the application of deep learning approaches to help us predict the antibacterial properties of structurally novel small molecules. Moreover, we seek to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying tolerance to antibiotics, which is the case where conventional bactericidal antibiotics fail to eradicate genetically antibiotic-susceptible bacterial cells. Indeed, these poorly understood antibiotic tolerant bacterial populations are responsible for prolonging antibiotic treatment durations in immunocompromised patients and facilitating the evolution of bona fide antibiotic resistance.

Along with his scientific endeavors, Jon has a strong interest in increasing the rate at which fundamentally novel antibiotics are developed, approved and administered to patients in need. To this end, as a postdoc he co-founded a non-profit organization, Phare Bio, which aims to de-risk promising antibiotic candidates and position these molecules for more rapid advancement through the clinical trial process. At McMaster, Jon is motivated to identify new and unconventional ways that we can more efficiently and less expensively turn our discoveries into life-saving medicines.

Jon Stokes, PhD

Jon received his BHSc in 2011 and his PhD in antimicrobial chemical biology in 2016, both from McMaster University. From 2017–21 he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, carrying a prestigious Banting Fellowship from 2018–20. Upon completing his postdoc, Jon established his laboratory back at McMaster in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, in August 2021.

The Stokes lab leverages a mindful balance of experimental and computational approaches to discover the next generation of life-saving antibiotics with novel structures and functions that expand the capabilities of these medicines beyond the current state of the art. One of our primary interests, quite broadly, is in the application of deep learning approaches to help us predict the antibacterial properties of structurally novel small molecules. Moreover, we seek to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying tolerance to antibiotics, which is the case where conventional bactericidal antibiotics fail to eradicate genetically antibiotic-susceptible bacterial cells. Indeed, these poorly understood antibiotic tolerant bacterial populations are responsible for prolonging antibiotic treatment durations in immunocompromised patients and facilitating the evolution of bona fide antibiotic resistance.

Along with his scientific endeavors, Jon has a strong interest in increasing the rate at which fundamentally novel antibiotics are developed, approved and administered to patients in need. To this end, as a postdoc he co-founded a non-profit organization, Phare Bio, which aims to de-risk promising antibiotic candidates and position these molecules for more rapid advancement through the clinical trial process. At McMaster, Jon is motivated to identify new and unconventional ways that we can more efficiently and less expensively turn our discoveries into life-saving medicines.

Felicia Vulcu, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Office 4H43 – Lab 1H6, Health Sciences Centre
McMaster University
905-525-9140 x22838
vulcuf@mcmaster.ca

Felicia Vulcu, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Office 4H43 – Lab 1H6, Health Sciences Centre
McMaster University
905-525-9140 x22838
vulcuf@mcmaster.ca

John Whitney, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Member, Michael DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research

MDCL 2108
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22280
jwhitney@mcmaster.ca

Research

• Interbacterial competition
• Microbial communities
• Bacterial cell surface structures
• Structure/function of bacterial toxins

Type VI Secretion:

The bacterial type VI secretion system is a recently identified protein translocation pathway used by Gram-negative bacteria to deliver toxins to neighbouring bacteria in a cell contact-dependent manner. We are interested in understanding how these antibacterial proteins are transported from one cell to another and how they exert toxicity once delivered to a target cell. By understanding the molecular principles underlying this process it is our long term goal to be able to rationally manipulate bacterial populations relevant to human health.

Bacterial Adhesion:

Many species of bacteria exist in dense cellular aggregates held together by bacterially produced exopolysaccharides. In this form, bacteria are difficult to eradicate due in part to decreased efficacy of antibiotics. We are interested in determining how bacterial exopolysaccharides are synthesized and exported from the cell. By understanding how this process occurs at the molecular level, we hope to one day be able to inhibit exopolysaccharide secretion under circumstances where it is detrimental to human activities (i.e. biofouling of pipes, colonization of indwelling medical devices, etc.).

John Whitney, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Member, Michael DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research

MDCL 2108
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22280
jwhitney@mcmaster.ca

Research

• Interbacterial competition
• Microbial communities
• Bacterial cell surface structures
• Structure/function of bacterial toxins

Type VI Secretion:

The bacterial type VI secretion system is a recently identified protein translocation pathway used by Gram-negative bacteria to deliver toxins to neighbouring bacteria in a cell contact-dependent manner. We are interested in understanding how these antibacterial proteins are transported from one cell to another and how they exert toxicity once delivered to a target cell. By understanding the molecular principles underlying this process it is our long term goal to be able to rationally manipulate bacterial populations relevant to human health.

Bacterial Adhesion:

Many species of bacteria exist in dense cellular aggregates held together by bacterially produced exopolysaccharides. In this form, bacteria are difficult to eradicate due in part to decreased efficacy of antibiotics. We are interested in determining how bacterial exopolysaccharides are synthesized and exported from the cell. By understanding how this process occurs at the molecular level, we hope to one day be able to inhibit exopolysaccharide secretion under circumstances where it is detrimental to human activities (i.e. biofouling of pipes, colonization of indwelling medical devices, etc.).

Gerard D. Wright, PhD

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Director, Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research

Canada Research Chair in Antimicrobial Biochemistry

MDCL-2301
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22664
wrightge@mcmaster.ca

Gerard D. Wright, PhD

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

Director, Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research

Canada Research Chair in Antimicrobial Biochemistry

MDCL-2301
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22664
wrightge@mcmaster.ca

Daniel S.-C. Yang, PhD

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

4N20A Health Sciences Centre
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22455
yang@mcmaster.ca

Daniel S.-C. Yang, PhD

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences

4N20A Health Sciences Centre
McMaster University
905-525-9140 ext. 22455
yang@mcmaster.ca

Stephanie Atkins, PhD

Dr. Stephanie Atkinson is Professor and nutrition clinician-scientist in the Department of Pediatrics, Associate Member, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Special Professional Staff in McMaster Children’s Hospital and former Associate Chair, Research, Department of Pediatrics. Following a PhD in nutritional biochemistry from the University of Toronto she completed post-doctoral training in endocrinology at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. Dr. Atkinson’s current research is approached through the lens of the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD), in the conduct of randomized clinical trials and epidemiological investigations both regionally and nationally. This research explores the environmental (nutrition), genetic and biochemical factors during fetal, neonatal and early childhood life that play a role in defining the offspring phenotype and as risk determinants for non-communicable diseases including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Outcome measures include detailed metabolic, endocrine, and gene profiles as markers of cardiometabolic and bone status, as well as anthropometry, nutrition, physical activity and clinical outcome measures. Through collaborative research with McMaster colleagues, we explore the impact of nutrition during pregnancy on the microbiome environment and its association with clinical outcomes in both mother and offspring as well as neurodevelopment in early life.

Stephanie Atkins, PhD

Dr. Stephanie Atkinson is Professor and nutrition clinician-scientist in the Department of Pediatrics, Associate Member, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Special Professional Staff in McMaster Children’s Hospital and former Associate Chair, Research, Department of Pediatrics. Following a PhD in nutritional biochemistry from the University of Toronto she completed post-doctoral training in endocrinology at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. Dr. Atkinson’s current research is approached through the lens of the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD), in the conduct of randomized clinical trials and epidemiological investigations both regionally and nationally. This research explores the environmental (nutrition), genetic and biochemical factors during fetal, neonatal and early childhood life that play a role in defining the offspring phenotype and as risk determinants for non-communicable diseases including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Outcome measures include detailed metabolic, endocrine, and gene profiles as markers of cardiometabolic and bone status, as well as anthropometry, nutrition, physical activity and clinical outcome measures. Through collaborative research with McMaster colleagues, we explore the impact of nutrition during pregnancy on the microbiome environment and its association with clinical outcomes in both mother and offspring as well as neurodevelopment in early life.

Tobias Berg, PhD

Dr. Berg’s research interests are focused around understanding determinants of treatment response in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and to develop novel treatments based on this understanding. He is trained as a hematologist and medical oncologist and, during his doctoral thesis and postdoctoral fellowship, received additional training in molecular and cellular biology.

Dr. Berg has been using functional model systems both in vitro and in vivo to study the role of epigenetic regulators in this context, and their interplay with lineage-specific differentiation and more classical transcriptional regulators. His team also studies the biological processes that occur in residual cells after treatment to potentially explain why AML, unfortunately, often relapses after treatment. This effort is based on the combined use of Dr. Berg’s previous expertise in identifying minimal residual disease (MRD) in AML, based on flow-cytometric techniques and the application of functional assays and novel single cell resolution methods to characterize residual AML cells during, and shortly after, chemotherapy in patients and surrogate xenograft models.

As a clinician scientist, Dr. Berg is actively involved in the clinical treatment of patients with hematological malignancies. His focus is in the fields of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and early clinical trials. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (transplantation with cells from related or unrelated donors) represents a platform technology for curing otherwise incurable hematological malignancies including leukemias at a high risk for relapse. His team plans to use MRD-guided interventions and combine the use of allogeneic stem cell transplantation with targeted therapies. With his background in early clinical trials, Dr. Berg is poised to facilitate the translation of findings into novel treatments.

Tobias Berg, PhD

Dr. Berg’s research interests are focused around understanding determinants of treatment response in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and to develop novel treatments based on this understanding. He is trained as a hematologist and medical oncologist and, during his doctoral thesis and postdoctoral fellowship, received additional training in molecular and cellular biology.

Dr. Berg has been using functional model systems both in vitro and in vivo to study the role of epigenetic regulators in this context, and their interplay with lineage-specific differentiation and more classical transcriptional regulators. His team also studies the biological processes that occur in residual cells after treatment to potentially explain why AML, unfortunately, often relapses after treatment. This effort is based on the combined use of Dr. Berg’s previous expertise in identifying minimal residual disease (MRD) in AML, based on flow-cytometric techniques and the application of functional assays and novel single cell resolution methods to characterize residual AML cells during, and shortly after, chemotherapy in patients and surrogate xenograft models.

As a clinician scientist, Dr. Berg is actively involved in the clinical treatment of patients with hematological malignancies. His focus is in the fields of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and early clinical trials. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (transplantation with cells from related or unrelated donors) represents a platform technology for curing otherwise incurable hematological malignancies including leukemias at a high risk for relapse. His team plans to use MRD-guided interventions and combine the use of allogeneic stem cell transplantation with targeted therapies. With his background in early clinical trials, Dr. Berg is poised to facilitate the translation of findings into novel treatments.

Jonathan Bramson, PhD

Jonathan Bramson, PhD

John Brennan, PhD

John Brennan, PhD

Clinton Campbell, BSc, MD, PhD, FRCPC

We are in an era where the availability and scale of data is unprecedented. It is beyond the capability of humans to meaningfully analyze such enormous datasets using traditional approaches. This is particularly relevant to healthcare, where increasingly large and complex patient datasets are set to redefine the practice of medicine. The future of diagnostic medicine will entail extracting information from these datasets using a type of artificial intelligence (AI) called machine learning, which is software that learns from data to make predictions about the world. Consequently, the specialty known as pathology will evolve from that of a diagnostic consultant to one of an information specialist.

The fundamental paradigm of pathology is that information about a disease state can be gained by looking at the microscopic features of human tissue. However, the methods used to analyze human tissue specimens (glass slides and light microscope) remain archaic. Assuming that the human brain coupled with a microscope is the best measurement tool for extracting visual information from tissues may no longer be valid. Fortunately, the inevitable transition to digital pathology is set to yield large digital image datasets that can be analyzed by machine learning algorithms to extract and organize biological information in ways not possible by humans. When this information is linked to information from other large clinical and real-word datasets, also analyzed using machine learning tools, it is anticipated that new paradigms will emerge that will fundamentally change the practice of diagnostic medicine.

We believe careful application of machine learning algorithms in diagnostic medicine using non-biased and objective approaches will yield new insights into human health and disease, and lead to better patient care. With this in mind, our research program is structured around the following broad applications of machine learning:

1. Automate workflows in diagnostic medicine
2. Develop new representations of the information in pathology tissue specimens and reports
3. Link this information with information from other large healthcare datasets to redefine paradigms in health and disease

Our research program is jointly conducted in collaboration with Dr. Hamid Tizhoosh and KIMIA Lab at the University of Waterloo and Huron Digital Pathology.

Research interests: Artificial intelligence machine learning, machine learning myeloid neoplasia

Clinton Campbell, BSc, MD, PhD, FRCPC

We are in an era where the availability and scale of data is unprecedented. It is beyond the capability of humans to meaningfully analyze such enormous datasets using traditional approaches. This is particularly relevant to healthcare, where increasingly large and complex patient datasets are set to redefine the practice of medicine. The future of diagnostic medicine will entail extracting information from these datasets using a type of artificial intelligence (AI) called machine learning, which is software that learns from data to make predictions about the world. Consequently, the specialty known as pathology will evolve from that of a diagnostic consultant to one of an information specialist.

The fundamental paradigm of pathology is that information about a disease state can be gained by looking at the microscopic features of human tissue. However, the methods used to analyze human tissue specimens (glass slides and light microscope) remain archaic. Assuming that the human brain coupled with a microscope is the best measurement tool for extracting visual information from tissues may no longer be valid. Fortunately, the inevitable transition to digital pathology is set to yield large digital image datasets that can be analyzed by machine learning algorithms to extract and organize biological information in ways not possible by humans. When this information is linked to information from other large clinical and real-word datasets, also analyzed using machine learning tools, it is anticipated that new paradigms will emerge that will fundamentally change the practice of diagnostic medicine.

We believe careful application of machine learning algorithms in diagnostic medicine using non-biased and objective approaches will yield new insights into human health and disease, and lead to better patient care. With this in mind, our research program is structured around the following broad applications of machine learning:

1. Automate workflows in diagnostic medicine
2. Develop new representations of the information in pathology tissue specimens and reports
3. Link this information with information from other large healthcare datasets to redefine paradigms in health and disease

Our research program is jointly conducted in collaboration with Dr. Hamid Tizhoosh and KIMIA Lab at the University of Waterloo and Huron Digital Pathology.

Research interests: Artificial intelligence machine learning, machine learning myeloid neoplasia

Marie Elliot, PhD

The goal of our research is to understand development and regulation in multicellular bacteria, using Streptomyces coelicolor as our model system. The streptomycetes are extremely important to the pharmaceutical industry as they make a large number of secondary metabolites having a profound medical benefit, including anti-cancer agents, immunosuppressants and the majority of clinically useful antibiotics.

Research interests: Development in multicellular bacteria, regulation by small RNAs, antibiotic production

Marie Elliot, PhD

The goal of our research is to understand development and regulation in multicellular bacteria, using Streptomyces coelicolor as our model system. The streptomycetes are extremely important to the pharmaceutical industry as they make a large number of secondary metabolites having a profound medical benefit, including anti-cancer agents, immunosuppressants and the majority of clinically useful antibiotics.

Research interests: Development in multicellular bacteria, regulation by small RNAs, antibiotic production

Thomas Hawke, PhD

Our research focus is on the role and regulation of muscle satellite cells, the stem cell population of skeletal muscle, in health and disease states such as diabetes mellitus and limb girdle muscular dystrophy.

Skeletal muscle has an amazing capacity to regenerate following injury. The injury may be induced by a number of factors including heavy exercise, trauma or disease. The regenerative capacity of skeletal muscle is due primarily to a rare population of progenitor cells called muscle satellite cells. These cells have many characteristics of stem cells, including the capacity divide numerous times, self-renew their population and enter a state of quiescence when they are not needed.

The potential of this cell population is tremendous, however, the use of these cells for cell transplantation into patients with myopathies has yielded disappointing results. This is mostly due to a lack of knowledge regarding the regulatory mechanisms controlling these cells. It is only through a more thorough understanding of this cell population that their therapeutic potential be realized.

Using molecular, cellular and physiological techniques, we are attempting to define the regulation of this cell population in health and disease. Techniques used in the lab include: histology, immunohistochemistry, protein and RNA expression assays, isolated single fibre and primary myoblast cultures, in situ muscle stimulation to assess contractile function, adenoviral mediated overexpression and/or silencing and metabolic enzyme assays.

Thomas Hawke, PhD

Our research focus is on the role and regulation of muscle satellite cells, the stem cell population of skeletal muscle, in health and disease states such as diabetes mellitus and limb girdle muscular dystrophy.

Skeletal muscle has an amazing capacity to regenerate following injury. The injury may be induced by a number of factors including heavy exercise, trauma or disease. The regenerative capacity of skeletal muscle is due primarily to a rare population of progenitor cells called muscle satellite cells. These cells have many characteristics of stem cells, including the capacity divide numerous times, self-renew their population and enter a state of quiescence when they are not needed.

The potential of this cell population is tremendous, however, the use of these cells for cell transplantation into patients with myopathies has yielded disappointing results. This is mostly due to a lack of knowledge regarding the regulatory mechanisms controlling these cells. It is only through a more thorough understanding of this cell population that their therapeutic potential be realized.

Using molecular, cellular and physiological techniques, we are attempting to define the regulation of this cell population in health and disease. Techniques used in the lab include: histology, immunohistochemistry, protein and RNA expression assays, isolated single fibre and primary myoblast cultures, in situ muscle stimulation to assess contractile function, adenoviral mediated overexpression and/or silencing and metabolic enzyme assays.

Stephen Hill, PhD, FCACB

Research Focus
Biomarkers of cardiac injury
Evidence-based laboratory medicine

Clinical Focus
Core and automated laboratories

Stephen Hill, PhD, FCACB

Research Focus
Biomarkers of cardiac injury
Evidence-based laboratory medicine

Clinical Focus
Core and automated laboratories

Alison Holloway, PhD

Dr. Holloway’s research is focused on examining the mechanisms by which chemical insults in fetal or adult life can cause metabolic endocrine disruption in animal and human populations. The central theme of her current research is to examine how exposure to various chemicals during pregnancy can cause adverse postnatal metabolic outcomes, including type 2 diabetes and obesity. The chemicals that are of interest to her laboratory include: chemicals we may intentionally expose ourselves to through lifestyle choices or the use of over the counter natural health products, man-made chemicals present in the environment and naturally occurring chemicals in our diet (e.g., plant phytoestrogens). The majority of the work in her lab at this time focuses on the consequences of fetal and neonatal exposure to constituents of cigarette smoke and smoking cessation pharmacotherapies.

Alison Holloway, PhD

Dr. Holloway’s research is focused on examining the mechanisms by which chemical insults in fetal or adult life can cause metabolic endocrine disruption in animal and human populations. The central theme of her current research is to examine how exposure to various chemicals during pregnancy can cause adverse postnatal metabolic outcomes, including type 2 diabetes and obesity. The chemicals that are of interest to her laboratory include: chemicals we may intentionally expose ourselves to through lifestyle choices or the use of over the counter natural health products, man-made chemicals present in the environment and naturally occurring chemicals in our diet (e.g., plant phytoestrogens). The majority of the work in her lab at this time focuses on the consequences of fetal and neonatal exposure to constituents of cigarette smoke and smoking cessation pharmacotherapies.

Alexander Hynes, PhD

Dr. Hynes studies bacteriophages – viruses that exclusively infect bacteria. As Farncombe Family Chair in Bacteriophage Biology, he marries this expertise with the Farncombe Institute’s focus on gut health, trying to establish how the bacteriophages that reside within us help shape the bacterial communities essential to our health, as well as how they could be exploited to manipulate those communities.

Alexander Hynes, PhD

Dr. Hynes studies bacteriophages – viruses that exclusively infect bacteria. As Farncombe Family Chair in Bacteriophage Biology, he marries this expertise with the Farncombe Institute’s focus on gut health, trying to establish how the bacteriophages that reside within us help shape the bacterial communities essential to our health, as well as how they could be exploited to manipulate those communities.

Marc Jeschke, MD, PhD, FACS, FCCM, FRCS (C)

Dr. Marc Jeschke has been caring for burn patients and conducting research in the field of burns for over 25 years. He is a global leader in burn care, research, and education. According to Expertscape, he is the second highest-ranked expert in burns in the world. Dr. Jeschke is currently the Director of the Burn Program at Hamilton Health Sciences Centre and is a Surgeon-Scientist. He is the Vice-President of Research for Hamilton Health Sciences and is a Professor in the Departments of Surgery and Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University. Before joining Hamilton Health Sciences, Dr. Jeschke held a faculty position at Sunnybrook, in Toronto, for 12 years. Prior to that, he was the distinguished Annie Laurie Howard Chair in Burn Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch and Shriners Hospital for Children and worked there as a staff surgeon and coordinator of research, with a focus on increasing research productivity and obtaining independent grant funds. 

Dr. Jeschke has a continuous commitment to scholarly work with over 450 peer-reviewed articles, books, and book chapters on burn care. He has been funded continuously since 2000 and has a significant track record of success with federal funding agencies and private foundations. He has a total lifetime funding of over $20,000,000 as a principal or co-investigator. Dr. Jeschke has an essential role in worldwide multicenter clinical trials and is currently engaged in multiple ongoing multicenter trials. His work is translational, and his research interests include investigating the profound metabolic alterations post-burn injury and novel techniques for wound coverage and skin regeneration. 

Marc Jeschke, MD, PhD, FACS, FCCM, FRCS (C)

Dr. Marc Jeschke has been caring for burn patients and conducting research in the field of burns for over 25 years. He is a global leader in burn care, research, and education. According to Expertscape, he is the second highest-ranked expert in burns in the world. Dr. Jeschke is currently the Director of the Burn Program at Hamilton Health Sciences Centre and is a Surgeon-Scientist. He is the Vice-President of Research for Hamilton Health Sciences and is a Professor in the Departments of Surgery and Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University. Before joining Hamilton Health Sciences, Dr. Jeschke held a faculty position at Sunnybrook, in Toronto, for 12 years. Prior to that, he was the distinguished Annie Laurie Howard Chair in Burn Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch and Shriners Hospital for Children and worked there as a staff surgeon and coordinator of research, with a focus on increasing research productivity and obtaining independent grant funds. 

Dr. Jeschke has a continuous commitment to scholarly work with over 450 peer-reviewed articles, books, and book chapters on burn care. He has been funded continuously since 2000 and has a significant track record of success with federal funding agencies and private foundations. He has a total lifetime funding of over $20,000,000 as a principal or co-investigator. Dr. Jeschke has an essential role in worldwide multicenter clinical trials and is currently engaged in multiple ongoing multicenter trials. His work is translational, and his research interests include investigating the profound metabolic alterations post-burn injury and novel techniques for wound coverage and skin regeneration. 

Charu Kaushic, PhD

RESEARCH INTERESTS: Mucosal Immunity to HIV & sexually transmitted infections.

Charu Kaushic, PhD

RESEARCH INTERESTS: Mucosal Immunity to HIV & sexually transmitted infections.

Mark Larche, PhD

Research interests: Asthma/allergy, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and graft versus host disease

Mark Larche, PhD

Research interests: Asthma/allergy, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and graft versus host disease

Karen Mossman, PhD

Research interests: Viral immunity, virus-host interactions in humans and bats, oncolytic viruses, cancer immunotherapy

Karen Mossman, PhD

Research interests: Viral immunity, virus-host interactions in humans and bats, oncolytic viruses, cancer immunotherapy

Manali Mukherjee, PhD

Dr. Mukherjee completed her BSc in zoology and biotechnology from Pune, India and her MSc in biotechnology from Dundee, Scotland. She then completed her PhD in airway cell biology from University of Nottingham, UK under the supervision of Drs. Cynthia Bosquillon and David Pritchard. After a short stint of research in the National University of Singapore, in clinical autoimmunity, she was recruited by Dr. Parameswaran Nair as a postdoctoral fellow at the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Research, to investigate autoimmunity in eosinophilic asthma. She stayed on to establish her lab at McMaster focusing on “lung autoimmunity and biomarkers”. Dr. Mukherjee’s work on investigating novel autoimmune mechanisms in complex airways disease, and of recent COVID-18, is supported by local and federal sources including Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) – Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health. She is the current recipient of the CIHR/CAAIF Emerging Researcher Award in Allergic Asthma.

Manali Mukherjee, PhD

Dr. Mukherjee completed her BSc in zoology and biotechnology from Pune, India and her MSc in biotechnology from Dundee, Scotland. She then completed her PhD in airway cell biology from University of Nottingham, UK under the supervision of Drs. Cynthia Bosquillon and David Pritchard. After a short stint of research in the National University of Singapore, in clinical autoimmunity, she was recruited by Dr. Parameswaran Nair as a postdoctoral fellow at the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Research, to investigate autoimmunity in eosinophilic asthma. She stayed on to establish her lab at McMaster focusing on “lung autoimmunity and biomarkers”. Dr. Mukherjee’s work on investigating novel autoimmune mechanisms in complex airways disease, and of recent COVID-18, is supported by local and federal sources including Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) – Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health. She is the current recipient of the CIHR/CAAIF Emerging Researcher Award in Allergic Asthma.

Ishac Nazy, PhD

Research interests are in the specific interactions between antibodies and their target antigens on platelets, leading to thrombocytopenia and/or thrombosis. Heparin induced thrombocytopenia and Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) are great models for identifying key factors involved in the pathogenesis of the immune responses leading to low platelet counts. Our research focuses on the cellular and humoral immunity and the downstream effects on platelet physiology. We use our research to identify the pathology from patient samples and create in-vitro models that could explain our findings and further our understanding of the issues at hand.

Ishac Nazy, PhD

Research interests are in the specific interactions between antibodies and their target antigens on platelets, leading to thrombocytopenia and/or thrombosis. Heparin induced thrombocytopenia and Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) are great models for identifying key factors involved in the pathogenesis of the immune responses leading to low platelet counts. Our research focuses on the cellular and humoral immunity and the downstream effects on platelet physiology. We use our research to identify the pathology from patient samples and create in-vitro models that could explain our findings and further our understanding of the issues at hand.

Guillaume Pare, MD, MSc

Guillaume Pare, MD, MSc

Marie Pigeyre, MD, PhD

Marie Pigeyre, MD, PhD

Sandeep Raha, PhD

Dr. Raha’s research focuses on understanding the role of the endocannabinoid system in early development. Specifically, the laboratory focuses on mechanisms underpinning the effects of the bioactive components of cannabis on placental function and fetal growth. Understanding how these compounds impact cellular communication between the stem cells that comprise the maternal-fetal interface and the baby may lead to elucidation of therapeutic strategies for how to mitigate effects of uterine stresses and the developing fetus. Specifically, he is interested in the role of the mitochondria, the energy factories of the cell, in this process. These questions are tackled using a variety of methodologies which provide practical training for opportunities in today’s biotechnology employment market. These include, 2D and 3D cell culture, live cell microscopy, histopathological imaging, gene and protein expression analysis, interrogation of samples using microarrays and the associated bioinformatic analysis. Dr. Raha’s laboratory is also interested in translating these data, through effective science communication, and developing interactive learning opportunities for youth. 

Sandeep Raha, PhD

Dr. Raha’s research focuses on understanding the role of the endocannabinoid system in early development. Specifically, the laboratory focuses on mechanisms underpinning the effects of the bioactive components of cannabis on placental function and fetal growth. Understanding how these compounds impact cellular communication between the stem cells that comprise the maternal-fetal interface and the baby may lead to elucidation of therapeutic strategies for how to mitigate effects of uterine stresses and the developing fetus. Specifically, he is interested in the role of the mitochondria, the energy factories of the cell, in this process. These questions are tackled using a variety of methodologies which provide practical training for opportunities in today’s biotechnology employment market. These include, 2D and 3D cell culture, live cell microscopy, histopathological imaging, gene and protein expression analysis, interrogation of samples using microarrays and the associated bioinformatic analysis. Dr. Raha’s laboratory is also interested in translating these data, through effective science communication, and developing interactive learning opportunities for youth. 

Sheila Singh, PhD

Dr. Sheila Singh’s research program is dedicated to applying a developmental neurobiology approach to the study of human brain tumours. As a pediatric neurosurgeon, Dr. Singh is acutely aware of the needs of patients and clinicians dealing with these diseases. Her unique perspective as a surgeon-scientist guides her research questions and areas of focus.

The three types of tumours studied by Dr. Singh’s lab are glioblastoma, medulloblastoma and brain metastases. The lab employs a stem cell biology framework to the study of these cancers to identify and target the molecular mechanisms responsible for their development. Their goal is to determine which treatment refractory cells are leading to relapse and recurrence in patients.

Research interests: Applying a developmental neurobiology approach to the study of human brain tumours

Sheila Singh, PhD

Dr. Sheila Singh’s research program is dedicated to applying a developmental neurobiology approach to the study of human brain tumours. As a pediatric neurosurgeon, Dr. Singh is acutely aware of the needs of patients and clinicians dealing with these diseases. Her unique perspective as a surgeon-scientist guides her research questions and areas of focus.

The three types of tumours studied by Dr. Singh’s lab are glioblastoma, medulloblastoma and brain metastases. The lab employs a stem cell biology framework to the study of these cancers to identify and target the molecular mechanisms responsible for their development. Their goal is to determine which treatment refractory cells are leading to relapse and recurrence in patients.

Research interests: Applying a developmental neurobiology approach to the study of human brain tumours

Leyla Soleymani, PhD

Dr. Leyla Soleymani received her PhD from University of Toronto, in 2010, in electrical and computer engineering and joined McMaster University, in 2011, as an assistant professor. Dr. Soleymani is currently an associate professor in the Department of Engineering Physics and School of Biomedical Engineering at McMaster. Dr. Soleymani’s research is focused on developing biomedical technologies for rapid disease diagnostics and health monitoring, as well as solutions for reducing the spread of infectious diseases.

Dr. Soleymani is a University Scholar and the Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Miniaturized Biomedical Devices. Dr. Soleymani was inducted to the Royal Society of Canada, College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists in 2022. Dr. Soleymani was awarded the Ontario Early Researcher Award in 2016, the Engineering Innovation of the Year Award by the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers in 2020, and the grand prize for Tech Brief’s Create the Future Contest in 2020 for her work on biosensors and biointerfaces.

Dr. Soleymani has over 75 publications and holds several patents in the areas of biosensing and biointerfaces with multiple technologies licensed to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Leyla Soleymani, PhD

Dr. Leyla Soleymani received her PhD from University of Toronto, in 2010, in electrical and computer engineering and joined McMaster University, in 2011, as an assistant professor. Dr. Soleymani is currently an associate professor in the Department of Engineering Physics and School of Biomedical Engineering at McMaster. Dr. Soleymani’s research is focused on developing biomedical technologies for rapid disease diagnostics and health monitoring, as well as solutions for reducing the spread of infectious diseases.

Dr. Soleymani is a University Scholar and the Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Miniaturized Biomedical Devices. Dr. Soleymani was inducted to the Royal Society of Canada, College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists in 2022. Dr. Soleymani was awarded the Ontario Early Researcher Award in 2016, the Engineering Innovation of the Year Award by the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers in 2020, and the grand prize for Tech Brief’s Create the Future Contest in 2020 for her work on biosensors and biointerfaces.

Dr. Soleymani has over 75 publications and holds several patents in the areas of biosensing and biointerfaces with multiple technologies licensed to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Jeffery Weitz, MD

Dr. Weitz is Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University, Executive Director of the Thrombosis and Atherosclerosis Research Institute and Past President of Council for the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis. Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology, Dr. Weitz focuses his clinical practice on patients with thrombotic disorders. His research spans the spectrum from basic studies in the biochemistry of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis to animal models of thrombosis and on to clinical trials of antithrombotic therapy. The breadth of his work is highlighted by his over 640 publications in journals as diverse as the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Biochemistry, Circulation, Blood, Annals of Internal Medicine, New England Journal of Medicine and Lancet, and 65 book chapters. The recipient of numerous awards, Dr. Weitz is a Fellow of the American Heart Association, the Royal Society of Canada, and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

Jeffery Weitz, MD

Dr. Weitz is Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University, Executive Director of the Thrombosis and Atherosclerosis Research Institute and Past President of Council for the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis. Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology, Dr. Weitz focuses his clinical practice on patients with thrombotic disorders. His research spans the spectrum from basic studies in the biochemistry of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis to animal models of thrombosis and on to clinical trials of antithrombotic therapy. The breadth of his work is highlighted by his over 640 publications in journals as diverse as the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Biochemistry, Circulation, Blood, Annals of Internal Medicine, New England Journal of Medicine and Lancet, and 65 book chapters. The recipient of numerous awards, Dr. Weitz is a Fellow of the American Heart Association, the Royal Society of Canada, and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

Samantha L Wilson, PhD

Dr. Wilson’s research program focuses on understanding placental development and function and the etiology of placental dysfunction conditions. The Wilson Pregnancy lab uses multi-omics data (e.g., epigenomics, genomics, transcriptomics) to characterize molecular signatures of the placenta and investigate how molecular changes change over gestation and are associated with placental dysfunction. Another research theme of the lab is developing non-invasive methods to assess placental and pregnancy health. For this theme, we are focused on characterizing cell-free DNA profiles and using machine learning approaches to develop predictive classification models for placental dysfunction conditions. The majority of our work, at this time, is computational.

Samantha L Wilson, PhD

Dr. Wilson’s research program focuses on understanding placental development and function and the etiology of placental dysfunction conditions. The Wilson Pregnancy lab uses multi-omics data (e.g., epigenomics, genomics, transcriptomics) to characterize molecular signatures of the placenta and investigate how molecular changes change over gestation and are associated with placental dysfunction. Another research theme of the lab is developing non-invasive methods to assess placental and pregnancy health. For this theme, we are focused on characterizing cell-free DNA profiles and using machine learning approaches to develop predictive classification models for placental dysfunction conditions. The majority of our work, at this time, is computational.

Paul Berti, PhD

Research interests: enzymes and molecular imaging probes

Paul Berti, PhD

Research interests: enzymes and molecular imaging probes

Cecile Fradin, PhD

Research in the Fradin group is focused on capturing the dynamics of living systems, from the swimming or crawling motions of cells to the intracellular motion of biomolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids and lipids. Over the years, we have looked at different types of molecular movements: diffusion in solution and in membranes, active transport along microtubules or across nuclear pore complexes, binding, oligomerization, conformational changes and, more recently, condensate formation.

Our work is interdisciplinary by design. We ask questions relevant to molecular and cell biology (and closely collaborate with biologists or biochemists for all our projects) while using approaches and tools mostly developed by physicists and engineers.

We work with a number of model systems, from in vitro reconstituted systems to live organisms. At the moment, we are specifically working with Drosophila embryos and magnetotactic bacteria.

Our techniques of choice to quantify molecular and cellular motions are fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy and single particle tracking. We complement these dynamics studies with structural studies done with neutron & x-ray scattering. Our work also has a strong computational component, since we develop automated image analysis algorithms and perform simulations.

Cecile Fradin, PhD

Research in the Fradin group is focused on capturing the dynamics of living systems, from the swimming or crawling motions of cells to the intracellular motion of biomolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids and lipids. Over the years, we have looked at different types of molecular movements: diffusion in solution and in membranes, active transport along microtubules or across nuclear pore complexes, binding, oligomerization, conformational changes and, more recently, condensate formation.

Our work is interdisciplinary by design. We ask questions relevant to molecular and cell biology (and closely collaborate with biologists or biochemists for all our projects) while using approaches and tools mostly developed by physicists and engineers.

We work with a number of model systems, from in vitro reconstituted systems to live organisms. At the moment, we are specifically working with Drosophila embryos and magnetotactic bacteria.

Our techniques of choice to quantify molecular and cellular motions are fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy and single particle tracking. We complement these dynamics studies with structural studies done with neutron & x-ray scattering. Our work also has a strong computational component, since we develop automated image analysis algorithms and perform simulations.

Paul Higgs, PhD

Research interests: Evolution of bacterial genomes and horizontal gene transfer, the RNA world and the origin of life, codon usage, translational efficiency and the dynamics of ribosomes

Paul Higgs, PhD

Research interests: Evolution of bacterial genomes and horizontal gene transfer, the RNA world and the origin of life, codon usage, translational efficiency and the dynamics of ribosomes

Giuseppe Melacini, PhD

Research interests: Pre-clinical molecular pharmacology of neurodegenerative diseases and cancer, intrinsically unstructured amyloidogenic proteins: protein kinases and signaling, functional protein dynamics and allosteric regulation, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)

Giuseppe Melacini, PhD

Research interests: Pre-clinical molecular pharmacology of neurodegenerative diseases and cancer, intrinsically unstructured amyloidogenic proteins: protein kinases and signaling, functional protein dynamics and allosteric regulation, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)

Hendrik Poinar, PhD

I am a molecular evolutionary geneticist and biological anthropologist by training, and rely heavily on interdisciplinary research. I use both chemical and molecular techniques to elucidate the state of preservation within forensic, archeological and paleontological remains. This information is subsequently used to devise novel techniques to extract the molecular information (DNA, RNA and/or protein sequences) and use it to address anthropological questions, such as the identification of pathogens responsible for past pandemics (i.e., The Black Death, The Plague of Justinian) as well as the evolutionary dynamics of infectious disease (i.e., Vibrio cholera).

Hendrik Poinar, PhD

I am a molecular evolutionary geneticist and biological anthropologist by training, and rely heavily on interdisciplinary research. I use both chemical and molecular techniques to elucidate the state of preservation within forensic, archeological and paleontological remains. This information is subsequently used to devise novel techniques to extract the molecular information (DNA, RNA and/or protein sequences) and use it to address anthropological questions, such as the identification of pathogens responsible for past pandemics (i.e., The Black Death, The Plague of Justinian) as well as the evolutionary dynamics of infectious disease (i.e., Vibrio cholera).

Gregory Steinberg, PhD

Dr. Steinberg obtained his PhD in 2002 from the University of Guelph. His research thesis was conducted in the laboratory of Professor David Dyck, where he studied the regulation of metabolism in muscle by the hormone leptin. From 2002-006, Dr. Steinberg conducted postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Professor Bruce Kemp, at St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, Australia. During this time, he gained insight into protein biochemistry and molecular biology, with an emphasis on the metabolic stress sensing protein kinase AMPK. In 2006, Dr. Steinberg became head of the Metabolism Unit at St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research and a senior fellow of the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.

In 2009, Dr. Steinberg returned to Canada and joined the Department of Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism Division as an associate professor and Canada Research Chair. His laboratory is currently funded by grants from Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), The Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

Gregory Steinberg, PhD

Dr. Steinberg obtained his PhD in 2002 from the University of Guelph. His research thesis was conducted in the laboratory of Professor David Dyck, where he studied the regulation of metabolism in muscle by the hormone leptin. From 2002-006, Dr. Steinberg conducted postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Professor Bruce Kemp, at St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, Australia. During this time, he gained insight into protein biochemistry and molecular biology, with an emphasis on the metabolic stress sensing protein kinase AMPK. In 2006, Dr. Steinberg became head of the Metabolism Unit at St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research and a senior fellow of the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.

In 2009, Dr. Steinberg returned to Canada and joined the Department of Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism Division as an associate professor and Canada Research Chair. His laboratory is currently funded by grants from Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), The Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

Michael Surette, PhD

Michael Surette, a professor of medicine and one of Canada’s top microbiologists, is shedding new light on why some microbes keep us healthy while others cause illness, what role our microbes play in chronic diseases, how the microbiome develops and changes across the lifespan and how changes with age affect susceptibility to disease.

While it is often stated that most of the microbiome is not accessible by laboratory culturing methods, Surette’s lab has challenged this assumption. His pioneering approach combining culture-enriched molecular profiling with state-of-the-art genome sequencing allows his laboratory to routinely grow more than 99.9% of bacterial populations, and typically recovers 2-3 times the diversity of bacteria than recovered by molecular profiling alone.

These approaches are being used to investigate specific diseases such as cystic fibrosis, asthma, ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome, and to address fundamental questions about microbe-microbe/host interactions. Exploiting beneficial properties of the human microbiota holds promise for the development of new microbiome-derived therapies for the treatment of a wide range of conditions impacted by the health of our microbiota.

Michael Surette, PhD

Michael Surette, a professor of medicine and one of Canada’s top microbiologists, is shedding new light on why some microbes keep us healthy while others cause illness, what role our microbes play in chronic diseases, how the microbiome develops and changes across the lifespan and how changes with age affect susceptibility to disease.

While it is often stated that most of the microbiome is not accessible by laboratory culturing methods, Surette’s lab has challenged this assumption. His pioneering approach combining culture-enriched molecular profiling with state-of-the-art genome sequencing allows his laboratory to routinely grow more than 99.9% of bacterial populations, and typically recovers 2-3 times the diversity of bacteria than recovered by molecular profiling alone.

These approaches are being used to investigate specific diseases such as cystic fibrosis, asthma, ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome, and to address fundamental questions about microbe-microbe/host interactions. Exploiting beneficial properties of the human microbiota holds promise for the development of new microbiome-derived therapies for the treatment of a wide range of conditions impacted by the health of our microbiota.

Geoff Werstuck, PhD

Our research is concentrated upon understanding why people with diabetes mellitus are predisposed to cardiovascular disease.

The last few decades have witnessed a dramatic, worldwide increase in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus. Complications associated with diabetes make it a leading cause of blindness, renal failure and lower limb amputations in adults as well as an important, independent risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). In fact, CVD accounts for over 65% of diabetic mortality. The treatment and prevention of diabetic complications such as CVD is currently limited by our lack of understanding of the mechanisms by which diabetes promotes atherosclerosis – the underlying cause of CVD.

Geoff Werstuck, PhD

Our research is concentrated upon understanding why people with diabetes mellitus are predisposed to cardiovascular disease.

The last few decades have witnessed a dramatic, worldwide increase in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus. Complications associated with diabetes make it a leading cause of blindness, renal failure and lower limb amputations in adults as well as an important, independent risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). In fact, CVD accounts for over 65% of diabetic mortality. The treatment and prevention of diabetic complications such as CVD is currently limited by our lack of understanding of the mechanisms by which diabetes promotes atherosclerosis – the underlying cause of CVD.