Education
PhD (McGill University)
Research interests
A eukaryotic cell is composed of many different compartments (eg. nucleus, mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, vacuole, endoplasmic reticulum). Each of these organelles is surrounded by a membrane, thus separating the inside of the organelle from the cytoplasm. Furthermore, each compartment contains its own unique protein and lipid composition. Material can be transferred between specific organelles by small vesicles that bud from one compartment and fuse with another compartment. Faulty sorting of this material leads to numerous human diorders and is a fundamental process in cell biology. The main question in our research is: how is the specificity in vesicle targeting ensured? We focus on a protein complex called TRAPP and are actively studying the functions of the components of this complex, several of which have been implicated in human disorders. Therefore, our work involves model systems as well as cells derived from patients with TRAPP subunit mutations.
Funding sources
CIHR, NSERC, Concordia University, TANGO2 Research Foundation
Awards and media
TANGO2 Foundation podcast (2021)
JIMD podcast on TANGO2 paper (2020)
CIHR New Investigator Award (2007-2012)
Maud Menten New Principal Investigator Prize (Biomedicine) 2007 (CIHR Institute of Genetics)
Dean's New Scholar Award (Article and introduction)
Arts and Science fetes Medical Researchers
Concordia Journal article: Decoding Cell Transport System.
