Robert Haché

Senior Scientist, Hormones, Growth & Development, Ottawa Health Research Institute

Vice -Dean (Research) Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa

Professor, Departments of Medicine, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa

Member, School of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Ottawa

Research Interests:

The research interests of my laboratory extend broadly from a curiosity about the molecular mechanisms of steroid hormone action and the mechanism of action of the Ku autoantigen and the Ku-associated DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). In steroid action our work focuses primarily on the molecular basis for the signaling by glucocorticoid hormones through the glucocorticoid receptor. Glucocorticoids play important roles in the body in controlling the maturation of cells of the immune system and in controlling inflammation. They are also important for controlling glucose homeostatis and in the bodies responses to stress. We are interested in understanding the events that follow steroid binding to receptor that confer the potential to alter gene transcription. In particular we are interested in defining how the glucocorticoid receptor interacts with other transcription factors within the complex transcriptional regulatory regions that flank glucocorticoid responsive genes.