Researchers
Michael Rudnicki

Michael Rudnicki

OC, PhD, FRS, FRSC

Senior Scientist, Regenerative Medicine

Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Director, Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research

Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Professor, Department of Medicine and Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine

Faculty of Medicine

Scientific Director

Stem Cell Network

Contact

mrudnicki@ohri.ca

613-739-6740

Research Administrative Assistant Sandy Martino | smartino@ohri.ca

ORCID 0000-0002-3866-5249

Bio

Dr. Michael Rudnicki is a Senior Scientist and Director of the Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. He is Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Dr.Rudnicki is Scientific Director of the Canadian Stem Cell Network (SCN) and Chief Discovery Officer and Founder of Satellos Bioscience. Dr. Rudnicki’s achievements have been recognized by numerous honours including being named a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, an International Research Scholar of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute for two consecutive terms, a Fellow of the Royal Society (London), a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and an Officer of the Order of Canada. Dr. Rudnicki is an internationally recognized thought leader in molecular genetics and regenerative medicine whose research has transformed our understanding of muscle development and regeneration, and fueled the development of novel molecular and stem cell based approaches to the treatment of muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular disorders. Dr. Rudnicki’s key discovery was the identification and characterization of muscle stem cells. This work pivoted the field towards the study of adult regenerative myogenesis and set the stage for novel molecular and stem cell based approaches to the treatment of muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular disorders.

Research Goals and Interests

Stem Cell Biology, Myogenesis, Satellite Cells, Molecular Biology, Transcriptional Regulation, Transcriptional Networks, Gene Expression, Signal Transduction, Differentiation, Molecular Genetics.

Dr Rudnicki's laboratory works to understand the molecular mechanisms that regulate the determination, proliferation, and differentiation of stem cells during embryonic development and during tissue regeneration. The lab has conducted leading studies into both embryonic myogenesis and the function of muscle stem cells (satellite cells) in adult regenerative myogenesis. In particular, they have worked extensively to understand the molecular mechanisms that regulate the function of satellite cells in skeletal muscle. Towards this end, the lab employs molecular genetic and genomic approaches to determine the function and roles played by regulatory factors. They identified Pax7 as a transcription factor required for the specification of satellite cells, and identified Wnt7a signaling as playing an important role in muscle stem cell function. Research has led to the publication of over 200 peer reviewed articles in scientific journals that include Cell, Nature, Nature Cell Biology, Cell Stem Cell, Genes & Development, and PLoS Biology.

For further information on Dr. Rudnicki's research projects please visit: http://rudnickilab.ca

Current Lab Members

Graduate Students
Ohanes Ashekyan, PhD candidate, CMM
Ehsan Javandoost, PhD candidate, CMM

Visiting Graduate Student
Jaeho Han
 
Postdoctoral Fellows
Marie Catenacci, PhD
Corentin Guilhot, PhD
Derek Hall, PhD
Wen Pan, PhD

Senior Research Associate
Shanti Rayagiri, PhD

Lab Manager
Johnathan Smid, PhD

Technicians
Dallas Bennett
Haripriya Gurunathaswamy
Lisa Hubers                                                                      
Charis McPherson
Hong Ming
Jacob Monast
Fan Xiao

Undergraduate Students
Ines Achour
Tony Lin
 

News

Publications

Control of glioblastoma tumorigenesis by feed-forward cytokine signaling

2016-01-01

Concise Review: Epigenetic regulation of myogenesis in health and disease

2016-01-01

Satellite Cells in Muscular Dystrophy - Lost in Polarity

2016-01-01

Efficacy of mesenchymal stromal cell therapy for acute lung injury in preclinical animal models: A systematic review

2016-01-01

Satellite cells and skeletal muscle regeneration

2015-01-01
View More on ORCiD

Current Operating Funding

Canadian Institutes of Health Research
"Muscle Stem Cell Dysfunction in Cancer Cachexia"

Canadian Institutes of Health Research
"Muscle Stem Cell Function in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy"

National Institutes of Health, USA
"Genetic regulation of skeletal muscle repair"


 

Related Research at The Ottawa Hospital