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Dr.
Katherine Siminovitch
SENIOR
INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Siminovitch has a long-standing interest in characterizing
signaling pathways that regulate immune cell function. Her lab played
seminal roles in defining the functions of the SHP-1 tyrosine
phosphatase in autoimmune responses and the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome
protein (WASp) actin regulator in immune deficiency, and her group
continues to generate new mouse models that can be used to delineate
the contributions of these and other tyrosine phosphatases and
cytoskeletal modulatory proteins to immune cell function.
Dr. Siminovitch is also an acclaimed leader in genomic medicine.
Working with other physicians at the Rebecca MacDonald Centre for
Arthritis and Autoimmune Disease, Dr. Siminovitch has discovered some
of the key gene variants conferring risk for rheumatoid arthritis and
primary biliary cirrhosis.
By coupling her studies of human patient cohorts with the
generation of unique mouse models, she is characterizing the genes that
regulate normal immune responses, defining the mechanisms whereby
certain proteins contribute to immune system function, and identifying
the molecular pathways whereby such variants evoke cell dysfunction and
disease. Dr. Siminovitch also directs a core facility that provides
genotyping and sequencing services as well as guidance for design of
genomics projects aimed at delineating the genetic factors modulating
disease risk and outcome.
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