Our research laboratory was created in January 2014 at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research on Ste-Catherine Road in Montreal. We are part of the Jewish Montreal Hospital and McGill University Division of Urology, Department of Surgery.
Our first main axis focuses on physiology and pharmacology of the lower urinary tract, in relation to benign prostatic disease and voiding dysfunction. Our team develops translational science projects using laboratory techniques (cell culture, CrisprCas9, microRNAs, confocal microscopy…) and clinical studies on cohorts of patients with these conditions.
Our second axis is centered on prostate cancer. In partnership with the head of the Urology department, we use CODEX immune-histochemistry and SOMAscan to analyze the inflammatory pattern of prostate biopsies from male patients before and after treatment by focal therapy. This project aims to improve prognosis of prostate cancer
The main source of funding is the Canadian Urological Association, the Quebec Network for the Research on Aging (RQRV) and the JGH Foundation.
From left to right: Chantal Autexier, Jian Qin, Adrian Young, Patrick Lambert-Lanteigne, Linda Pallotto, Alexandre Garus.
Over the years, we have developed an expertise in basic and clinical science, developing many different techniques applied to the study of the urogenital tract.
Laboratory research involved animal handling (physiological recordings and surgeries) and bench protocols. Models of voiding dysfunction have been developed in the animal quarters using colonies of rats (Sprague-Dawley) and mice (TallyHo, SWR, Streptozotocin-treated). Surgeries include insertion of a polyethylene catheter inside the bladder for cystometry and partial urethral obstruction. Cystometry provides information on bladder characteristics in vivo during miction and is associated to organ baths that allow to measure contractile properties of bladder strips in a control environment (Krebs-Ringer medium under oxygen saturation). Besides commonly used protocols (immunoblotting, confocal immunohistochemistry, qPCR…), we have developed biomolecular tools, including isolation and characterization of microRNAs, genomic deletion by CrisprCas9 that we performed both on primary cell cultures and in vivo. Translational clinical research is performed using urine and blood samples for metabolomics, proteomics and miRNAs characterization.
Our second area of research is centered on prostate cancer. Patients at the Urology Department of the Jewish Hospital undergo focal therapy to treat prostate cancer cells. Biopsies before and after the treatment are analyzed by multiplex immune-histochemistry (CODEX) using oligonucleotide-conjugated antibodies to measure up to 60 markers and SOMAscan to analyze the proteomic profile of biopsies. The analysis focuses on immune cells, myeloid derived suppressor cells and tumor-associated macrophages, cells that promote bladder cancer. These techniques allow better prognosis after therapy.
Contemporary research has uncovered a role for environmental copper in the development and progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Previous research implicated non-ceruloplasmin bound copper in the aggravation of neurodegenerative phenotypes. Our research explores the role of copper in ALS progression through monitoring of copper biomarkers and analyses of copper metabolism gene expression.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Maxime mollitia, molestiae quas vel sint commodi repudiandae consequuntur voluptatum laborum numquam blanditiis harum quisquam eius sed odit fugiat iusto fuga praesentium optio, eaque rerum! Provident similique accusantium nemo autem. Veritatis obcaecati tenetur iure eius earum ut molestias architecto voluptate aliquam nihil, eveniet aliquid culpa officia aut! Impedit sit sunt quaerat, odit, tenetur error, harum nesciunt ipsum debitis quas aliquid. Reprehenderit, quia. Quo neque error repudiandae fuga? Ipsa laudantium molestias eos sapiente officiis modi at sunt excepturi expedita sint? Sed quibusdam recusandae alias error harum maxime adipisci amet laborum. Perspiciatis minima nesciunt dolorem! Officiis iure rerum voluptates a cumque velit quibusdam sed amet tempora. Sit laborum ab, eius fugit doloribus tenetur fugiat, temporibus enim commodi iusto libero magni deleniti quod quam consequuntur!
I obtained my BSc in pharmacology at University of Sherbrooke and graduated from University of Montreal with a MSc in pharmaceutical sciences in Prof. Huy Ong’s laboratory developing a ligand screening method for the CD36 receptor using SPR (surface plasmon resonance) biosensor. I then worked for Prof. Arnim Pause at McGill University trying to elucidate the interaction pattern between the folliculin protein with its binding partner AMPK. I then joined Prof. Chantal Autexier’s laboratory as a research assistant where I work in telomere biology, manage the lab and mentor undergraduate and graduate students. I helped characterize the binding pocket of two telomerase domain/motifs, IFD and TEN, with its binding partner TPP1, and I now focus on the telomerase-independent alternative lengthening of telomere mechanism.
I received a BSc in Molecular Biology & Genetics from McMaster University in 2017. I am currently studying how mutations of dyskerin, a telomerase-associated protein, affect its interaction with other proteins, subcellular localization, and telomerase RNA abundance.
I am a Belizean pursuing a PhD in Anatomy and Cell biology at McGill University in Montreal. I completed my BSc in Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology and my MSc in Biochemistry at Memorial University in Newfoundland Canada. My research interest involves increased understanding stem and cancer cell dynamics and redox biology to be applied to therapeutics for health span extension.
I come from Brazil, where I graduated in Biochemical Engineering at the Federal University of Paraná. I have more than four years of professional experience in manufacturing and quality assurance of reagents for molecular diagnostics. Now I’m interested in better understanding the role of the protein dyskerin and H/ACA ribonucleoprotein complexes in regulating telomere biology and cellular aging.
Linda completed her BSc in Biology at the University of Waterloo. During her undergraduate degree, she worked as a co-op student in the lab of Dr. Paul Mains where her project used C. elegans to describe gene variants that cause drug resistance in parasitic nematodes. After graduating, she worked for a year in the lab of Dr. Ryan Yuen at SickKids in Toronto investigating short tandem repeat expansions using Nanopore and Sanger sequencing. She is now pursuing her MSc in the Autexier lab and is interested in how a region of telomerase, known as the insertions in fingers domain (IFD), is involved in its localization and activity at the telomeres. When not in lab, Linda enjoys listening to music or watching movies while she knits.
Madelyn is a PhD student in the department of Experimental Medicine. She uses mouse modelling to study Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma. In particular, she has found that mutations in the transcription factor STAT6 are enriched at disease relapse, and I study how this contributes to remodeling of the tumour microenvironment.
Rowa is a PhD candidate in the department of Experimental Medicine. She completed her BSc in Microbiology and Immunology in Saudi Arabia, then completed two MScs in Genetics and Parasitology at McGill University. Her work investigates tungsten toxicity focusing on SLC2A2 as a transporter and the effects on mature B lymphocytes.
Vincenza is an MSc. Student in the Department of Pharmacology. She completed her BSc. in Pharmacology at McGill University. Her project aims to elucidate the role of e-cigarette use on the murine cardiopulmonary system. Specifically, she is focusing on metal deposition in the lungs, and the progression of atherosclerosis due to these exposures.
Nazli Zengin is an MSc. student in the Department of Pharmacology. She has a background in pharmacology and environment. Her work currently focuses on elucidating how sex and diet modulate arsenic toxicity and its immunological and cardiovascular consequences.
Andrew is an MSc. student in the Department of Pharmacology who graduated from the B.Sc. program in Biochemistry at McGill in 2021. He works on a proteomics project centred around Arsenic 3-Methyltransferase and the question about whether it serves an additional function.
Raymond is an MSc. Student in the Department of Pharmacology who completed his BSc. in Environmental Health Sciences from the UNC Chapel Hill as a as a Morehead-Cain Scholar. He received the McCall MacBain Scholarship in 2021. His project studies the mechanism of tungsten on mTORC1, a major regulator of cell growth and proliferation.
Nikola is an incoming MSc Student who completed his undergraduate degree in
Microbiology and Immunology at McGill University. He is currently working on an NSERC
summer project that assesses the functional characterization of macrophages exposed to arsenic using murine bone marrow-derived macrophages.
Roni is a second-year BSc student in Chemistry at McGill. As an undergraduate student, she works on various projects across the lab, but is currently focused elucidating the correlation between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and vaping.
Contemporary research has uncovered a role for environmental copper in the development and progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Previous research implicated non-ceruloplasmin bound copper in the aggravation of neurodegenerative phenotypes. Our research explores the role of copper in ALS progression through monitoring of copper biomarkers and analyses of copper metabolism gene expression.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Maxime mollitia, molestiae quas vel sint commodi repudiandae consequuntur voluptatum laborum numquam blanditiis harum quisquam eius sed odit fugiat iusto fuga praesentium optio, eaque rerum! Provident similique accusantium nemo autem. Veritatis obcaecati tenetur iure eius earum ut molestias architecto voluptate aliquam nihil, eveniet aliquid culpa officia aut! Impedit sit sunt quaerat, odit, tenetur error, harum nesciunt ipsum debitis quas aliquid. Reprehenderit, quia. Quo neque error repudiandae fuga? Ipsa laudantium molestias eos sapiente officiis modi at sunt excepturi expedita sint? Sed quibusdam recusandae alias error harum maxime adipisci amet laborum. Perspiciatis minima nesciunt dolorem! Officiis iure rerum voluptates a cumque velit quibusdam sed amet tempora. Sit laborum ab, eius fugit doloribus tenetur fugiat, temporibus enim commodi iusto libero magni deleniti quod quam consequuntur!
Our laboratory possesses the equipment for the process of histology and histochemistry and has access to the LDI Cell Imaging Facility under the supervision of Marie-Lyne Fillion (confocal microscope and LSM800 Airyscan). RT-qPCR for the quantitation of RNA and microRNAs is carried out at the Segal Cancer Center and we have developed CrisprCas9 expertise for genomic edition. More traditional techniques are also present in our laboratory, immunoblotting, RTPCR, primary cell cultures… We possess two organ baths allowing measurements of bladder strip contractility (2 machines in total). We have developed several models of bladder dysfunction in rats (partial bladder obstruction) and mice (streptozotocin induced type 1 diabetes, TallyHo) and the animal quarters of the LDI provide support and expertise on animal handling and surgeries.
For prostate cancer research, we have access to immune-histochemistry CODEX apparatus and SOMAscan for sensitive proteomic analysis inside the LDI.
Contemporary research has uncovered a role for environmental copper in the development and progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Previous research implicated non-ceruloplasmin bound copper in the aggravation of neurodegenerative phenotypes. Our research explores the role of copper in ALS progression through monitoring of copper biomarkers and analyses of copper metabolism gene expression.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Maxime mollitia, molestiae quas vel sint commodi repudiandae consequuntur voluptatum laborum numquam blanditiis harum quisquam eius sed odit fugiat iusto fuga praesentium optio, eaque rerum! Provident similique accusantium nemo autem. Veritatis obcaecati tenetur iure eius earum ut molestias architecto voluptate aliquam nihil, eveniet aliquid culpa officia aut! Impedit sit sunt quaerat, odit, tenetur error, harum nesciunt ipsum debitis quas aliquid. Reprehenderit, quia. Quo neque error repudiandae fuga? Ipsa laudantium molestias eos sapiente officiis modi at sunt excepturi expedita sint? Sed quibusdam recusandae alias error harum maxime adipisci amet laborum. Perspiciatis minima nesciunt dolorem! Officiis iure rerum voluptates a cumque velit quibusdam sed amet tempora. Sit laborum ab, eius fugit doloribus tenetur fugiat, temporibus enim commodi iusto libero magni deleniti quod quam consequuntur!
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
Uri Saragovi, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Indra Gupta, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Jeremy Burton, Western University, London, Canada
Stephane Bolduc, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
Lori Lerner, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
Gilles Karsenty, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
Dr. Brandon Pearson, Columbia University, New York
Dr. John Wise, University of Louisville, Kentucky
Dr. Wilson Miller, Lady Davis Institute, Montreal
Dr. Sonia del Rincon, Lady Davis Institute, Montreal
Dr. Carolyn Baglole, RI-MUHC, McGill University, Montreal
Dr. Jun Ding, RI-MUHC, McGill University, Montreal
Dr. Susan Gaskin, Dep’t of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal
Dr. Bernard Robaire, Dep’t of Pharmacology McGill University, Montreal
Dr. Brandon Pearson, Columbia University, New York
Dr. John Wise, University of Louisville, Kentucky
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Maxime mollitia, molestiae quas vel sint commodi repudiandae consequuntur voluptatum laborum numquam blanditiis harum quisquam eius sed odit fugiat iusto fuga praesentium optio, eaque rerum! Provident similique accusantium nemo autem. Veritatis obcaecati tenetur iure eius earum ut molestias architecto voluptate aliquam nihil, eveniet aliquid culpa officia aut! Impedit sit sunt quaerat, odit, tenetur error, harum nesciunt ipsum debitis quas aliquid. Reprehenderit, quia. Quo neque error repudiandae fuga? Ipsa laudantium molestias eos sapiente officiis modi at sunt excepturi expedita sint? Sed quibusdam recusandae alias error harum maxime adipisci amet laborum. Perspiciatis minima nesciunt dolorem! Officiis iure rerum voluptates a cumque velit quibusdam sed amet tempora. Sit laborum ab, eius fugit doloribus tenetur fugiat, temporibus enim commodi iusto libero magni deleniti quod quam consequuntur!
2023
Kathryn Rolph Award: In recognition of her outstanding achievements and leadership, contributing to the advancement of the Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University
2019
Jian Qin
Deanna MacNeil
CIHR CGS-M, CIHR Doctoral Award, Cole Foundation Studentship
Tsz Wai (Josephine) Chu
Johanna Mancini
FRQS doctoral award, Cole Foundation Studentship
Yasmin D’Souza
May Shawi
CIHR Doctoral Award, Cole Foundation Studentship
Marie Eve Brault
Johans Fakhoury
McGill University Faculty of Medicine Internal Studentship
Maria Antonietta Cerone
Tara Moriarty
CIHR Doctoral Award
Sylvain Huard
François Bachand
CIHR Doctoral Award
2022
Best ePoster at the Société Internationale d’Urolgie 42nd Congress November 9-13 2022
2022
2022
Best basic science abstract – Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction Annual meeting Annual Meeting 2022
2021
Best abstract in the Translational Science category at the 6th Annual Multidisciplinary Benign Urology Research Symposium April 29, 2021
2020
2018
Spinal Cord Best Review Paper Award for papers published in 2017, Spinal Cord (Nature Journal)
2018
2017
International Continence Society Annual Meeting 2017: Best Abstract in category
2017
Johans Fakhoury
McGill University Faculty of Medicine Internal Studentship
Hannah Chui
NSERC USRA recipientCIHR CGS-M Award
Dominique Rinfret
Michelle Shen
NSERC USRA recipient
Ricky Kwan
McGill University Faculty of Medicine Internal Studentship
Yasmin D’Souza
May Shawi
CIHR Doctoral Award, Cole Foundation Studentship
Marie Eve Brault
Johans Fakhoury
McGill University Faculty of Medicine Internal Studentship
A few interesting links related to Chantal Autexier, her laboratory and herresearch themes:
Dr. Wilson Miller, Lady Davis Institute, Montreal
Dr. Sonia del Rincon, Lady Davis Institute, Montreal
Dr. Carolyn Baglole, RI-MUHC, McGill University, Montreal
Dr. Jun Ding, RI-MUHC, McGill University, Montreal
Dr. Susan Gaskin, Dep’t of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal
Dr. Bernard Robaire, Dep’t of Pharmacology McGill University, Montreal
Dr. Brandon Pearson, Columbia University, New York
Dr. John Wise, University of Louisville, Kentucky
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Maxime mollitia, molestiae quas vel sint commodi repudiandae consequuntur voluptatum laborum numquam blanditiis harum quisquam eius sed odit fugiat iusto fuga praesentium optio, eaque rerum! Provident similique accusantium nemo autem. Veritatis obcaecati tenetur iure eius earum ut molestias architecto voluptate aliquam nihil, eveniet aliquid culpa officia aut! Impedit sit sunt quaerat, odit, tenetur error, harum nesciunt ipsum debitis quas aliquid. Reprehenderit, quia. Quo neque error repudiandae fuga? Ipsa laudantium molestias eos sapiente officiis modi at sunt excepturi expedita sint? Sed quibusdam recusandae alias error harum maxime adipisci amet laborum. Perspiciatis minima nesciunt dolorem! Officiis iure rerum voluptates a cumque velit quibusdam sed amet tempora. Sit laborum ab, eius fugit doloribus tenetur fugiat, temporibus enim commodi iusto libero magni deleniti quod quam consequuntur!
Dr. Wilson Miller, Lady Davis Institute, Montreal
Dr. Sonia del Rincon, Lady Davis Institute, Montreal
Dr. Carolyn Baglole, RI-MUHC, McGill University, Montreal
Dr. Jun Ding, RI-MUHC, McGill University, Montreal
Dr. Susan Gaskin, Dep’t of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal
Dr. Bernard Robaire, Dep’t of Pharmacology McGill University, Montreal
Dr. Brandon Pearson, Columbia University, New York
Dr. John Wise, University of Louisville, Kentucky
Our research was supported by a grant from the Fonds de Recherche Québec Santé, the Canadian Urological Association Scholarship Foundation, from the Quebec Network for the Research on Aging (RQRV) and student scholarships from the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, CIHR and FRQS.
The prostate cancer research is supported through the JGH Foundation.
3755 Côte Ste-Catherine Road
Montreal, Quebec H3T 1E2
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