Senior Scientist

Translational Medicine Program, SickKids Research Institute

Associate Professor

Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto

Translational Medicine, SickKids Research Institute

Dr. Chi enormously contributes in multiple aspects to all the projects in our lab. In addition, Dr. Chi is investigating the function of histone methyltransferases that form part of epigenetic silencing complexes in the development of cardiovascular precursor cells and their descendants.

Translational Medicine, SickKids Research Institute

Jielin is investigating the link between chromatin structure and gene expression dynamics during cardiac maturation. By generating and cross-referencing multiple transcriptomics and epigenomics datasets from mouse cardiomyocytes with mutations in various chromatin modifiers, Jielin aims to uncover the basis of the heart’s adaptation during the fetal to postnatal transition.

Department of Molecular Genetics, U of T

Amalia is investigating how obesity during pregnancy affects gene expression in the early developing embryo. Amalia employs single-cell genome wide approaches to uncover regulatory mechanisms of disease programming.

Department of Molecular Genetics, U of T

Adar is delving into the interplay between transcription factors and chromatin modifiers that control cardiac metabolism. Adar is applying multiple epigenomics approaches to map transcription factor occupancy and chromatin structure in regulatory elements controlling cardiac metabolism in homeostasis and heart failure.

Biochemical Sciences. Fellow student co-supervised with Dr. Mayra Furlan-Magaril at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Amaury is focused on deciphering the elements that make it possible for regulatory elements located far apart in the DNA, to come together and regulate gene expression in developing endothelial cells and cardiomyocytes. Amaury applies chromatin conformation capture approaches to endothelial cells in mutant mouse models to reveal mechanisms of cardiovascular development.

Department of Molecular Genetics, U of T

Daniel is investigating the consequences of ectopic activation of a family of RNA binding proteins in the heart. Daniel is developing gain-of-function systems to identify mRNAs bound by these proteins and reveal their effect on translation. Daniel’s work will provide insight into the post-transcriptional control of cardiomyocyte growth in both health and in response to pathological stimuli.

Honors Bachelor of Science, Health & Disease, Animal Physiology at Woodsworth College, U of T

Hamna is characterizing the cardiac phenotype of mouse embryos in which the histone methyltransferase Ezh2 is inactive in a subpopulation of cardiac progenitor cells. Hamna also uses genetic tools to label and isolate mutant cardiac progenitors and their descendants to analyze gene expression and chromatin structure at single cell resolution.

Honors Bachelor of Science, Neuroscience, Immunology, Physiology, U of T

Bei is developing a loss-of-function model to investigate the consequences of abnormal activation of transcription factors upon the deletion of epigenetic repressors in cardiomyocytes. Bei is testing the efficiency of morpholino oligonucleotides to knock down suppressors of cardiac metabolism, aiming to prevent cardiac deterioration and progression toward heart failure.

Translational Medicine, SickKids Research Institute

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