Christopher Pearson

Title: Senior Scientist, Genetics & Genome Biology

Designations: PhD

Phone: 416-813-8256

Email: christopher.pearson@sickkids.ca

Alternate Contact Name: Sharu Raveendran

Alternate Phone: 416-813-7654 ext. 309429

Alternate Email: sharu.raveendran@sickkids.ca

U of T Positions: Professor, Department of Molecular Genetics

Chair Positions: Canada Research Chair in Disease-associated Genome Instability

Biography

The Pearson lab research program builds upon the theme initiated over two decades ago to understand the disease-causing mutations of trinucleotide repeat expansions, that lead to diseases like Huntington’s disease and myotonic dystrophy. In the past 15 years, the lab has focused more upon disease-relevant animal models (transgenic mice), DNA repair/replication systems using human cells, human cell extracts or human recombinant proteins. We have also been increasing the relevance and significance of our understanding by assessing instability in true human embryonic stem cells, human fetuses (terminations) and human autopsies, with a focus upon both tissue-specificity and developmental staging of the mutation. In the last two years we have been developing a program of translational research; attempting to harness what we have learned to identify drugs that may be of benefit for affected families. This is crucial toward attaining the lab’s long-term goal of being able to arrest or reverse repeat expansions with the ultimate aim of clinical benefit for the affected individual.

Education and experience

2016–Present: Full Professor, Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
2004–Present: Senior Scientist, Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
1999–2004: Assistant Professor, Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
1998–2004: Scientist, Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON
1994–1997: Lecturer, Institute of Bioscience and Technology, Texas A&M, Texas
1994–1998: Postdoctoral Fellow, Texas Medical Center
1992–1994: Lecturer, Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QB
1989–1994: Ph.D., Department of Medicine, McGill Cancer Center, McGill University, Montréal, QB
1986–1989: Bachelor of Science, Cellular & Molecular Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, ON

Achievements

2019: Canada Research Chair, "Chair of Repeat Instability Diseases"
2006–2007: International Opportunities Program Award, Canadian Institutes of Health
2001–2004: Fragile X Research Foundation of Canada Partnership, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
2001–2003: Dean's Fund Award for New Staff Grant, University of Toronto
2001: Premier’s Research Excellence Award, Government of Ontario
2001–2005: Scholar of the Canadian Genetic Disease Network, Canadian Network Centres of Excellence
1999–2004: Scholarship Award, Medical Research Council of Canada
1999: Connaught New Staff Matching Grant, University of Toronto
1999: Medical Research Council of Can/CIHR Scholarship
1999: Human Frontiers Scientific Program Fellowship
1997: Member of International Myotonic Dystrophy Consortium, since inception
1993: Defi Corporatif Canderel Scientific Exchange Award, Max Plank Institut fur Biochemie
1993: Defi Corporatif Canderel Travel Award, Cold Springs Harbor, New York
1992–1994: Faculty of Medicine Internal Graduate Studentship, McGill University, Quebec

Professional associations

1988: Present member, American Society of Human Genetics

Editorial boards

2011: Associate Editor, Human Genetics
2009: Associate Editor, Journal of Medical Genetics
2008: Associate Editor, PLoS Genetics

Publications

Mätlik K, Baffuto M, Kus L, Deshmukh AL, Davis DA, Paul MR, Carroll TS, Caron MC, Masson JY, Pearson CE, Heintz N. Cell Type Specific CAG Repeat Expansions and Toxicity of Mutant Huntingtin in Human Striatum and Cerebellum. bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2023 Jun 8:2023.04.24.538082. doi: 10.1101/2023.04.24.538082. PMID: 37333326; PMCID: PMC10274669.
Gall-Duncan T, Sato N, Yuen RKC, Pearson CE, 2022, Advancing genomic technologies and clinical awareness accelerates discovery of disease-associated tandem repeat sequences. GenomeRes, 32:1-27.
Deshmukh AL, Caron MC, Mohiuddin M, Lanni S, Panigrahi GB, Khan M, Engchuan W, Shum N, Faruqui A, Wang P, Yuen RKC, Nakamori M, Nakatani K, Masson JY, Pearson CE, 2021, FAN1 exo- not endo-nuclease pausing on disease-associated slipped-DNA repeats: A mechanism of repeat instability. Cell Reports, 37:110078.
*Porro A, *Mohiuddin M, Zurfluh C, Spegg V, Dai J, Iehl F, Ropars V, Collotta G, Fishwick KM, Mozaffari NL, Guérois R, Jiricny J, Altmeyer M, Charbonnier JB, *Pearson CE, *Sartori AA, 2021, FAN1-MLH1 interaction affects repair of DNA interstrand cross-links and slipped-CAG/CTG repeats. Science Advances, 7:eabf7906. *co-Sr. authors. N&V in Cell Reports, 7:eabf7906, *co-first and co-senior authors.
Nakamori M, Panigrahi GB, Lanni S, Gall-Duncan T, Hayakawa H, Tanaka H, Luo J, Otabe T, Li J, Sakata A, Caron MC, Joshi N, Prasolava T, Chiang K, Masson JY, Wold MS, Wang X, Lee MYWT, Huddleston J, Munson KM, Davidson S, Layeghifard M, Edward LM, Gallon R, Santibanez-Koref M, Murata A, Takahashi MP, Eichler EE, Shlien A, Nakatani K, Mochizuki H, Pearson CE. (2020) A slipped-CAG DNA-binding small molecule induces trinucleotide-repeat contractions in vivo. Nature Genetics. 52(2), doi: 10.1038/s41588-019-0575-8, PMID:32060489.
(Cover illustration, cover feature, and News & Views: Nature Genetics, 2020, 52:136-137).

See a full list of Dr. Pearson's publications on PubMed.

2021–2023: Modulating the ALS-associated C9orf72 Repeat Expansion and Expression, Principal Investigator, Brain Canada, Operating Grant
2020–2025: DNA repair proteins as modifiers of CAG repeat instability in Huntington's disease, Principal Investigator, Canadian Institute of Health Research
2019–2020: Automated Epifluorescent Metaphase & Tissue Microscope, Principal Investigator, Canadian Foundation for Innovation, Equipment
2019–2022: Somatic DNA mosaicism of the ADNP gene in cells, ADNP-mouse tissues and issues of a post-mortem ADNP individual: An indication of how this may affect disease, Principal Investigator, Canadian Institute of Health Research, Operating Grant
2016–2021: Nucleic acid-binding ligands as modulators of repeat instability for therapeutic benefit against neurological and neuromuscular diseases, Principal Investigator, Canadian Institute of Health Research, Project Scheme Operating Grant
2015–2022: Formation and biological functions of unusual DNA/RNA structures formed by repeat Sequences, Principal Investigator, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Discovery Grant
2017–2019: The Genetic Factors of CTG/CAG Repeat Contraction in Repeat Instability Families, Principal Investigator, The University of Toronto McLaughlin Centre
2016–2017: Unusual nucleic acid structures in C9orf72-related ALS/FTD repeat instability, Principal Investigator, ALS Society of Canada, Bridging Grant
2016–2018: Modulating HD CAG repeat instability for clinical benefit, Principal Investigator, Huntington Society of Canada, NAVIGATOR
2016–2017: Myotonic dystrophy and congenital form: genetic and epigenetic marks associated with CTG/CAG repeat instability, Principal Investigator, Canadian Institute of Health Research, Bridge Fund
2016–2019: Gozes (Co-PI), Kooy (Co-PI); Team Grant: European Research Projects on Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Modelling syndromic autism caused by mutations in the ADNP gene, Principal Investigator, Canadian Institute of Health Research - Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (CIHR-INHMA)
2015–2016: Unusual nucleic acid structures in C9orf72-related ALS/FTD repeat instability, Principal Investigator, ALS Society of Canada, Bridging Grant
2015–2018: Nucleic acid-binding ligands as modulators of repeat instability for therapeutic benefit, Principal Investigator, Canadian Institute of Health Research, Bridge Fund
2015–2018: Stabilization of ALS/FTD hexanucleotide repeats via modulation of a repair protein interaction to reverse disease progression, Principal Investigator, Weston Brain Institute

Staff Profile - Department of Molecular Genetics, U of T