Dr. Robert Sladek, MD

Academic title(s): 

Associate Professor, Department of Human Genetics

Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Experimental Medicine

Dr. Robert Sladek, MD
Contact Information
Address: 

McGill University and Genome Quebec Innovation Centre
740 Penfield, Room 6214, Montreal, H3A 0G1

Email address: 
robert.sladek [at] mcgill.ca
Phone: 
514-398-5458
Department: 
Human Genetics
Area(s): 
Bioinformatics and Genomics
Degree(s): 

MD, University of Toronto, 1985

Clinical fellowship (Endocrinology), University of Toronto, 1990

Biography: 

Rob Sladek is Associate Professor of Human Genetics and Medicine (Endocrinology) at the McGill University and Génome Québec Innovation Centre. He completed undergraduate degrees in Engineering Science and Medicine and a clinical fellowship in Endocrinology, all at the University of Toronto. His postdoctoral training explored the role of the Estrogen-related receptors in the regulation of fat metabolism (Err-alpha) and trophoblast formation (Err-beta); as well as and the application of high-throughput genomics technologies to study complex traits. He leads the Diabetes Gene Discovery Group – a project to identify risk loci for Type 2 diabetes that was sponsored by Genome Canada and Génome Québec. Rob's current research centers on developing and applying new technologies to study gene transcription networks and protein function in living cells in order to understand how genetic risk loci influencing T2D risk or the host response to tumors exert their effects.

Current research: 

Research in the Sladek lab focuses on learning how genetic mutations cause diabetes and other complex diseases. To do this, his group has developed new approaches to identify genetic changes across the whole human genome that are associated with Type 2 Diabetes and also to identify the effects of genetic variation on RNA splicing and gene activation in mouse strains and human populations. Current projects in the lab center on developing new experimental techniques to learn how genetic changes within individual genes and proteins can impair cell metabolism and cause diabetes. Reflecting the increasing impact of diabetes and obesity on global health, much of the group's research in the genetics of diabetes takes place as part of research teams that involve scientists in America, Europe and Asia.

Projects: 

1. Functional studies of type 2 diabetes risk loci identified by genome-wide association studies (using 'omics approaches, cell and mouse models).
2. Development of single cell assays to identify transcription factor networks implicated in metabolic diseases.
3. Genome-wide approaches to identify and characterize genetic variants that improve metabolic fitness in individuals and communities.

Selected publications: 
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