Julie Brill
PhD
Phosphatidylinositol phosphates (PIPs) are membrane lipids with roles in cell growth, signaling and morphogenesis. Alterations in the levels of PIPs are associated with human developmental disorders and diseases such as cancers, yet little is known about the normal roles of PIPs during animal development.
My lab investigates the roles of PIPs using powerful molecular genetic approaches available in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. For example, we have recently uncovered novel roles for PIPs and PIP pathway enzymes in sperm development, secretory granule maturation and tissue integrity. Our current research seeks to determine how PIPs and PIP pathway enzymes control these processes and to identify upstream regulators and downstream targets of PIP signalling.
In the second area of research, we have recently begun to study mechanisms of post-transcriptional regulation and roles of long noncoding RNAs in sperm development. Because PIPs and RNA regulation play crucial roles in all eukaryotes, we anticipate that our results will reveal conserved cellular mechanisms that are fundamental to human development and disease.
Courses taught
- MGY340, Molecular Genetic Analysis
Awards
- 2017 Recipient, Excellence in Undergraduate Laboratory Teaching in Life Sciences Award, Faculty of Medicine, U of T
- 2015 Elected AAAS Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Cross-affiliations
- Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children