Michael Czubryt, Associate Professor
Our laboratory is interested in how gene expression is controlled in individual tissues, specifically cardiac and smooth muscle. The pattern of normal gene expression becomes altered in disease states, such as heart failure and atherosclerosis, due to altered activation or repression of different signaling pathways in the cell. By studying how these expression patterns and signaling pathways change during the progression of these diseases, we hope to gain insights that will direct us to new therapies and treatments. To carry out these studies, we use a wide variety of molecular biological, biochemical and physiological techniques, including the generation of transgenic animals, genome-wide expression microarrays and histological analysis.
Academic Achievements
- B.Sc. (Biotechnology), University of Manitoba, 1990
- Ph.D. (Physiology), University of Manitoba, 2000
- Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 2000-2003
- Assistant Professor (Physiology), University of Manitoba, 2003-present
Research Interests
My laboratory investigates the transcriptional control of gene expression in cardiac and smooth muscle. We are interested in how muscle-specific genes are activated and repressed in these tissues, as well as how gene expression patterns are altered in disease. Current projects include:
- The identification and characterization of genes regulated by the MEF2 family of muscle-enriched transcription factors.
- Examining the genetic regulation of mitochondrial function in cardiac muscle using a unique drug-regulatable transgenic mouse model.
- The determination of MEF2 function in smooth muscle, in both healthy and diseased blood vessels.