Dr. Deivid Rodrigues, Research Associate, 2016-2023
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2012-2016
Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Deivid Rodrigues obtained his PhD in 2009 from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Throughout his scientific life, he has been interested in the intricate cellular mechanisms that regulate the metabolism of RNAs. During his PhD, he discovered new cis-acting heat-shock responsive elements in the HSP70 mRNA of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. In 2009, he started to work with iPS cells establishing alternative and more efficient cell sources for iPS cell generation.
In the Ellis lab Deivid studied the post-transcriptional mechanisms that modulate neurodevelopment. One of his areas of focus was to understand how the transcriptional modulator gene MECP2 is post-transcriptionally regulated during neuronal differentiation from ES/iPSC lines. Rodrigues was also interested in genomic scale studies to uncover common mechanisms that regulate the differential translation of proteins in neurons and pluripotent cells.
As an appreciator of concert music, he takes advantage of his stay in Toronto to attend all the concerts of the Toronto and Ontario Symphony Orchestras.
Next Position: Senior Scientist in RNA Biology, Takeda.
Selected Publications:
Rodrigues D.C+, M. Mufteev+, K. Yuki, A. Narula, W. Wei, A. Piekna, J. Liu, P. Pasceri, O. Rissland, M.D. Wilson and J. Ellis. 2023. Buffering of transcription rate by mRNA half-life is a conserved feature of Rett syndrome models. +Co-first authors. Nature Communications,14:1896.
Rodrigues D.C., M. Mufteev, R.J. Weatheritt, U. Djuric, K.C.H. Ha, P.J. Ross, W. Wei, A. Piekna, M.A. Sartori, L. Byres, R.S.F. Mok, K. Zaslavsky, P. Pasceri, P. Diamandis, Q. Morris, B.J. Blencowe and J. Ellis. 2020. Shifts in Ribosome Engagement Impact Key Gene Sets in Neurodevelopment and Ubiquitination in Rett Syndrome Neurons. Cell Reports 30:4179-96.
Rodrigues D.C., E. Harvey, R. Suraj, S. Erickson, L. Mohammad, S. Erickson, M. Ren, H. Liu, G. He, D. Kaplan, J. Ellis, and G. Yang. 2020. Methylglyoxal couples metabolic and translational control of Notch signalling in mammalian neural stem cells. Nature Communications 11: 2018.
Rodrigues D.C., D.-S. Kim, G. Yang, K. Zaslavsky, K.C.H. Ha, R.S.F. Mok, P.J. Ross, M. Zhao, A. Piekna, W. Wei, B.J. Blencowe, Q. Morris and J. Ellis. 2016. MECP2 is post-transcriptionally regulated during human neurodevelopment by combinatorial action of RNA-binding proteins and miRNAs. Cell Reports 17: 720-734.
Scientific contributions