Amra Saric

Dr. Amra Saric joined the Neurosciences and Mental Health Program at the SickKids Research Institute as Scientist in September 2023. Her lab studies the molecular underpinnings of rare neurological disorders using approaches in advanced microscopy, molecular biology and biochemistry. Saric trained at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) within the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Research

The Saric Lab studies membrane trafficking and how sub-cellular compartments called organelles are generated, remodeled and transported to support metabolism. Projects are currently focused on inter-organelle crosstalk and membrane contact sites, autophagy and tubular lysosome biogenesis.

Education and experience

• 2016–2022: Postdoctoral Fellowship, Neurosciences and Cellular and Structural Biology Division, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (NICHD/NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
• 2010–2016: Doctoral Degree (PhD), Molecular Science Program, Dept of Chemistry and Biology, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON, Canada
• 2004–2009: Bachelor Degree (B.Sc.), Department of Chemistry and Biology, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON, Canada

1. Saric A, Freeman SA, Williamson CD, Jarnik M, Guardia CM, Fernandopulle MS, Gershlick DC, Bonifacino JS. SNX19 restricts endolysosome motility through contacts with the endoplasmic reticulum. Nat Commun. 2021 Jul 27;12(1):4552. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-24709-1.  
2. Keren-Kaplan T, Sarić A, Ghosh S, Williamson CD, Jia R, Li Y, Bonifacino JS. RUFY3 and RUFY4 are ARL8 effectors that promote coupling of endolysosomes to dynein-dynactin. Nat Commun. 2022 Mar 21;13(1):1506. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-28952-y.  
3. Saric A, Freeman SA. Solutes as controllers of endomembrane dynamics. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2021 Apr;22(4):237-238. doi: 10.1038/s41580-021-00334-0. 
4. Saric A, Freeman SA. Endomembrane Tension and Trafficking. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021 Jan 8;8:611326. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2020.611326.  
5. Freeman SA*, Uderhardt S*, Saric A*, Collins RF, Buckley CM, Mylvaganam S, Boroumand P, Plumb J, Germain RN, Ren D, Grinstein S. Lipid-gated monovalent ion fluxes regulate endocytic traffic and support immune surveillance. Science. 2020 Jan 17;367(6475):301-305. doi: 10.1126/science.aaw9544.