Overview
Dr. André Bédard is a Professor in the Department of Biology at McMaster University. Trained as a molecular biologist, Dr. Bédard completed his doctoral studies at McGill University and post-doctoral training at Harvard University. He is an expert in the study of gene expression with a particular focus on cells transiting between different states of proliferation or transformation. As a post-doctoral fellow, Dr. Bédard identified the first gene product regulated by the viral Src oncoprotein and went on to demonstrate that cells entering reversible growth arrest (cellular quiescence) express novel quiescence-specific proteins. More recently, his laboratory demonstrated that these quiescence-specific proteins are required for cell survival and the ability of cells to re-enter the cell cycle. The study of quiescence-specific proteins led to the first description of regulatory mechanisms controlling the expression of these genes in non-dividing cells and the identification of trans-acting factors involved in this process. His transcriptomic analyses revealed the existence of a novel pathway ensuring lipid and membrane integrity, a pathway required for cell homeostasis and the survival of quiescent cells. His laboratory relies on transcriptomic, proteomic and lipidomic techniques to define novel biological processes ensuring the survival of cells in a state of reversible growth arrest.
