People
Bernard Jasmin
Research
Dr. Jasmin obtained his PhD in 1988 from the Université de Montréal studying the impact of activity on the plasticity of the neuromuscular system and, in particular, on the axonal transport of proteins in motor neurons. Subsequently, he carried-out postdoctoral work in the laboratories of Dr. Jean Cartaud and Prof. Jean-Pierre Changeux in Paris, France. There, his work focused on the cellular mechanisms involved in the development, maintenance and plasticity of the postsynaptic apparatus of the neuromuscular junction. During that time, he developed an interest for studying the basic events regulating the localization of a specific subset of mRNAs encoding synaptic proteins and the sorting and targeting of these proteins to the postsynaptic membrane. In 1990, he then moved to the University of Miami School of Medicine to further develop his expertise into the mechanisms regulating mRNA and protein expression within the postsynaptic compartment of muscle fibers but this time, by focusing on the important contributions of molecular events operating at the level of gene transcription.
Since establishing his laboratory at the University of Ottawa, Dr. Jasmin has been able to combine his wide expertise ranging from detailed molecular studies to thorough analyses of physiological properties, to the study of the neuromuscular system. Today, his work focuses mainly on deciphering the regulatory cascades and signaling pathways involved in controlling expression of synaptic proteins in both neuronal and skeletal muscle cells with an emphasis on studying questions that are relevant for our understanding of the physiopathology and eventual treatment of various neuromuscular and neurological diseases/conditions such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, myotonic dystrophy, muscle atrophy and axonal regeneration.
Over the years, the excellence of Dr. Jasmin's work has been recognized by invitations to present at prestigious scientific meetings and institutions, and by several awards including a Scholarship Award from the Medical Research Council of Canada in 1994, a Young Investigator Award form the University of Ottawa in 1997, an Investigator Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in 1999 and, more recently, a Scientist of the Year Award from the Ontario Chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Canada. Dr. Jasmin' work has consistently been well funded over the years trough several grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Muscular Dystrophy Association of America, the Association Francaise contre les Myopathies and the Ontario Neurotrauma of Foundation.