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Research
Associates
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Dr. Janice Mayne
I study the physiology and
pathophysiology of the proprotein
convertase subtilisin/kexins (PCSKs) with focus on energy homeostasis,
cardiovascular and gastrointestinal health. This family of
mammalian serine proteases are important upstream regulators of cell
signalling through their bioactivation and inactivation of growth
factors, cytokines, hormones, transcription factors and cell surface
receptors. Their importance during development and in health is
underscored by pathologies associated with unregulated PCSK activity
including cancer, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke,
atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. We utilize a
combination of biochemistry, proteomics, cellular and molecular
biology, as well as mice models to study the function and regulation of
PCSKs in these disorders.
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Post
Doctoral Fellows
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Dr. Alain Doucet
Ph.D. in Biochemistry, 2002-2006, Universite Laval, Quebec, Canada. Postdoctoral Fellow, 2006-2010, University of British Columbia, BC, Canada Postdoctoral Fellow, 2010- now, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
Current project: Identification of Smyd4 Interactors and Substrates by Functional Proteomics.
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Dr. Cheng-Kang Chiang
Ph. D. National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (2010)
Current project: Development and application of microfluidic technologies
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Dr. Zhibin Ning
Ph.D. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of
Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological
Sciences.
I am working on technology developments for lipidomics and proteomics. I am intersted in HPLC and microfluidic techniques related methods.These methods coupled with mass spectrometry could fractionate or enrich the target molecules and therefore greatly help the identification and quantification of lipid as well as proteins.I am also interested in studying the changes in specific family of lipids that occur during diseases using newly developed methods.
Tel:613-562-5800 X 6422
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Dr Amanda Starr
Ph.D. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada (2010)
M.Sc. Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Canada (2001)
B.Sc. Biology, University of Guelph, Canada (1998)
I am interested in understanding the mechanisms that regulate lipoprotein parameter, which contribute to cardiovascular disease. I am investigating the hormonal regulation of these, and I am developing a mass spectrometry-based assay to quantify lipoprotein parameters, distinguishing between natural variants and functional states. |
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Dr Shelby Steele
Ph.D. Biology, University of Ottawa (2011)
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Dr. Ted
Wright
Ph.D. Pathology and Molecular Medicine. Queen's Univ, Canada (2006)
M.Sc. Biochemistry. Queen's Univ, Canada (2001)
B.Sc. Biochemistry. Mount Allison Univ. Canada (1997)
I am interested in the protein-protein interactions contributing to the
onset and progression of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Using a tagged
protein expression system, coupled with mass spectrometry, I hope to
identify novel interactions leading to an in depth protein interaction
map for AD.
Tel: 613-562-5800 X 6422
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Dr. Hongbin Xu
Ph.D. Biochemistry. University of Ottawa, Canada
B.Sc. Biochemistry. Nanjing University, China
My current research is geared towards the understanding of how bioactive lipid mediators, specifically platelet activating factor (PAF, 1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine), contribute to amyloid-beta (A-beta)-induced neuronal death and synaptic failure in an experimental Alzheimer’s disease (AD) mouse model. I am also interested in studying how dietary lipid composition (e.g. high-fat diet and omega-3 fatty acid supplement) affects AD progression.
Tel: 613-562-5800 ext.8246
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Dr. Hu Zhou
Ph.D. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of
Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological
Sciences, (2007)
B.Sc. Biology, Nankai University , Tianjin, (2001)
I am working on technology
developments for proteomics
and lipidomics. I am interested in using proteomic and
lipidomic
approaches to study protein and lipid complexes and
protein-lipid interactions.
Tel: 613-562-5800 X 6422 |
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Staff
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Shelley Deeke, Technician
B.Sc Honours Biochemistry, University of Ottawa, (2008) M.Sc Biochemistry, University of Ottawa, (2011)
I study the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexins (PCSKs) with focus on PCSK9 and it role in homeostasis, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal health. My main project involves identifying proteins at the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix that interact with PCSK9 and are affected by gain-of function and loss-of-function PCSK9 mutants.
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Fred Elisma, Bioinformatician
D.E.S.S. Bioinformatics, Universite du Quebec A Montreal, Canada (2003)
M.Sc. Biology, Universite du Quebec A Montreal, Canada (2002)
B.Sc Biochemistry, Universite du Quebec A Montreal, Canada (1999)
Fred's main project is a software called Spectra Search Engine
Integrator. This software integrates results from different search
engines and supports an integrated identification scores of the
individual search engines. This software is available on the OISB site.
Fred is also involved on data mining and a GO Ontology Project.
Tel: 613-562-5800 ext.8214
Webmaster contact: felisma@uottawa.ca
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Jenny Noad, Technician |
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Heather Palmer-Smith, Technician
I study the proprotein
convertase subtilisin/kexins (PCSKs) with focus on PCSK9 and it role in homeostasis,
cardiovascular and gastrointestinal health.
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Angela Raymond, Technician
I study the proprotein
convertase subtilisin/kexins (PCSKs) with focus on PCSK9 and it role in homeostasis,
cardiovascular and gastrointestinal health.
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Deeptee Seebun, Technician
B. Sc Hounors Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Carleton University,
(2008)
Managing the cellular culture
and molecular biology labs. I
am also involved in the Lipin project. Lipin proteins are a class of
proteins
that participate in glycerolipid biosynthesis in the cell. They have
dual
functions as phosphatidate phosphatase-1(PAP1) enzymes and also as
transcriptional regulators. My work constitutes of genes expression
studies by
using microarray technology and quantitative RT-PCR to elucidate the
molecular
mechanisms by which the lipin proteins regulate gene expression. This
will help
us to understand how the lipin proteins work and the pathways involved
between
lipin-derived lipid ligands and transcriptional regulation.
Tel: 613-562-5800 ext.8721 |
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Veronique Tremblay, Technician
M.Sc Molecular and Cellular biology, Laval University, Quebec, Canada.
My current research focuses on the regulatory factors controlling post-transcriptional modifications (PTMs), which include ubiquitinylation, phosphorylation and methylation. These modifications, when deposited on the same proteins, create a complex network of signals and play important roles in various biological processes and implicated in a plethora of diseases. In applying molecular and cellular biology to these important questions, my work will provide the fundamental basis controlling PTMs depositions and a starting point to develop novel therapeutic strategies aiming at modulating disease-state related PTMs. |
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Graduate
Students
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Alexandre
Blanchard
Profiling changes
in glycerophosphocholine second messenger metabolism in a transgenic
model of Alzheimer Disease
Enhanced cytosolic
phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) activity in Alzheimer disease (AD) results in
aberrant metabolism of structural choline-containing membrane lipids
associated with accelerated cognitive decline. To date,
investigation of glycerophospholipid changes in AD has been restricted
primarily to “macro” analyses of subclasses, defined
by: polar head groups (e.g. phosphocholine, phosphoethanolamine,
phosphoserine), total number of carbons, and/or type of linkage to the
glycerol backbone. The identity and impact of downstream metabolites on
neuronal function have yet to be elucidated at the molecular
level. New advances in mass spectrometry have significantly
enhanced our capacity to resolve discrete molecular species within
glycerophospholipid subclasses. In this study, using nanoflow
HPLC electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS), we are
investigating whether discrete glycerophosphocholine isoforms are
altered or generated de novo over the course of normal aging and over
the course of disease progression in the TgCRND8 AD mouse model
overexpressing a double mutant form of the human amyloid precursor
protein.
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Rui Chen (PhD Student; Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics)
Profiling changes
in proteins and glycoproteins in a transgenic
model of Alzheimer Disease
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Brett Hawley (MSc Student)
Glycerophospholipids, and more
precisely a family of them
known as platelet-activating factors (PAF), have be shown in previous
studies
that it is implicated in neurodegenerative injuries such as stroke,
Alzheimer’s
disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other neuroinflammatory
diseases. PAF can
trigger apoptosis in cells, causing neuronal death to affected regions
of the
brain. At least one of the subtypes of PAF is also able to promote
neuronal
survival in the presence of its receptor, the PAF Receptor (PAFR). PAF
and PAFR
levels becomes even more important following a stroke or an injury:
when PAF
concentrations increase in cells, and PAFR expression is
down-regulated,
allowing the PAF lipids to trigger apoptosis in the neuron, and because
of this
the PAF receptor has become a hot topic in the neurodegeneration field.
In my project, we wish to
identify the protein and lipid
molecules that interact with the transmembrane PAF receptor and
determine the
mechanism by which interactors are able to promote neuronal survival or
trigger
cell death by testing with different interactors and/or PAF receptor
mutants.
Determining how the cell is able to protect itself from apoptosis could
provide
a pathway or mechanism that can be further studied to identify a
treatment for
the apoptosis caused by stroke or other neurodegenerative diseases.
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David Hou (PhD Student)
M.Sc. Physics, University of Ottawa
His current research is focusing
on developing MS-based
methodologies for the study of complex biological samples. One project
he is
currently working on is the development of a novel sample preparation
approach,
the “proteomic reactor”, for the identification and
quantification of complex
proteomic sample using mass spectrometry. Another project he is
involved is the
set up of an analytical method on the basis of nano-LC/MS to identify
and
quantify platelet activated factor (PAF) and PAF-like species following
lipid
extraction from cells or tissues.
Tel: 613-562-5800 ext.8242
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Undergraduate
Students
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Simon Laplante
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Former
Members
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| André Bourgeois |
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Martin Ethier |
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Nadia Sherstyuk |
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Ragunath Singaravelu |
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Tao Wang |
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Nathalie Major |
Marc Duchesne |
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| Jeffrey C. Smith |
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Bara'ah Khubieh |
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Mehmet Selim Asmer |
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Adelaida Neata |
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Ghadi Antoun |
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Danielle
Dewar-Darch |
Julian Vasilescu |
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| Houjiang Zhou |
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Ruijun Tian |
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Jean-Philippe Lambert |
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Thilina Dewpura |
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Maroub Bou-Khalil |
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Fangjun Wang |
Nick Denis |
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| Mohamed Abu-Farha |
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