Assistant Professor, Neurodegenerative disorders, McGill University
As an assistant professor at the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) and McGill University, my research focus is on applying patient-derived stem cells towards the development of phenotypic discovery assays and 3D mini-brain models for both neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders. As group leader of the iPSC platform at the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), I oversee a team of 30 research staff and students and growing, committed to applying novel stem cell technology, combined with CRISPR genome editing, mini-brain models and new microfluidic technologies towards elucidating the underlying causes of these complex disorders. Leading the SGC tissue platform, NeuroSGC; I oversee a team committed to assay development, in parallel with leading the establishment of NeuroCDRD, towards the automation of our open assays for small molecule screens. In addition, I am also part of antibody validation efforts between the MNI, Oxford and the Karolinska to generate CRISPR KO cell-lines for validating commercial antibodies against high-value ALS targets. Combined with new approaches in the group towards building multiomic profiles on the patient-derived IPSC cells within the group, the long-term strategy over the coming years is to identify new personalized precision therapies that can be applied towards building clinical trials on a dish.
To cure brain diseases, neuroscientists must collaborate: That's why I'm giving my data away
Jul 07, 2019 15:11 pm UTC| Insights & Views Technology
Since watching Jurassic Park for the first time as a kid, Ive been fascinated by the biology of cells and DNA, and the potential to make a dinosaur for real. While this particular dream is a long way off, my life as a...
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