Mara Schvarzstein
Academic Appointments
- Basic Life Science Research Associate, Developmental Biology
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Professional Overview
Professional Interests
My research is aimed at understanding mechanisms that ensure accurate transmission of the genome from one generation to the next. This is important for human reproduction and health, since aneuploidy is the main cause of miscarriage and congenital birth defects, and is a contributing factor to tumor progression. Either defective centrosome or chromosome inheritance result in aneuploidy. Using the C. elegans nematode model system, I have discovered new roles for the conserved meiotic HORMA proteins (known to localize on chromosomes and regulate early events in meiosis) in chromosome and centrosome inheritance. In addition, my work has shown that C. elegans meiosis is a powerful system for evaluating how chromosomal abnormalities can elicit defects in chromosome structure and spindle organization. I am continuing to use this system to investigate genome maintenance in the context of reproduction, development and cancer biology.
Education and Certifications
| PhD.: | University of Toronto, Canada, Molecular Genetics and Developmental Biology (2005) |
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Honors and Awards
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) (2008-2011)
- DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics, Genetics Society of America (2007)
- Dean's Postdoctoral Fellowship, Stanford University (2006-2008)
- Ontario Graduate Scholarship, Province of Ontario, Canada (1999-2002)
- Ontario Graduate Student Award in Science and Technology., Private industry of Ontario, Canada (1999-2000)
Professional Affiliations and Activities
- member, ASCB (2008 - present)
- member, GSA (2000 - present)
Presentations
- 2011 - Meiotic chromosome structural proteins influence spindle organization during male meiosis. 20th International C. elegans Meeting
- 2012 - Chromosome and centrosome inheritance during C. elegans male meiosis. Gordon Research Seminars: Meiosis
- 2011 - Meiotic proteins regulate centriole dynamics and spindle organization during the spermatocyte meiotic divisions in C. elegans. Gordon Research Conference: Motile and Contractile Systems.
Publications
- Meiotic HORMA domain proteins prevent untimely centriole disengagement during C. elegans spermatocyte meiosis PNAS. 2013
- Meiotic HORMA domain proteins prevent untimely centriole disengagement during Caenorhabditis elegans spermatocyte meiosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013; (10): E898-907
- An asymmetric chromosome pair undergoes synaptic adjustment and crossover redistribution during Caenorhabditis elegans meiosis: implications for sex chromosome evolution. Genetics. 2011; (3): 685-99
- Coordinating cohesion, co-orientation, and congression during meiosis: lessons from holocentric chromosomes. Genes Dev. 2010; (3): 219-28
- A Caenorhabditis elegans RNA-directed RNA polymerase in sperm development and endogenous RNA interference. Genetics. 2009; (4): 1297-314
- Crossovers trigger a remodeling of meiotic chromosome axis composition that is linked to two-step loss of sister chromatid cohesion. Genes Dev. 2008; (20): 2886-901
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