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null Anna Naumova, M.Sc., PhD

Scientist, RI-MUHC, Glen site

Child Health and Human Development Program

Centre for Translational Biology

Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University

 

Keywords

complex genetic traits • epigenetics • developmental genetics

Research Focus

My research focuses on two major aspects of epigenetic regulation: the way the epigenetic state of a gene in germ cells may alter the functioning of this gene in the offspring (trans-generational epigenetic effects), and how genetic changes lead to changes in epigenetic regulation (genetics of epigenetics). In living cells, DNA exists in a packaged form: it is wrapped in proteins. Depending on the packaging, DNA is either easily accessible for transcription factors (proteins that help reading the information stored in DNA) and actively functioning, or is not accessible and is silent. Such a regulation of access to the information stored in DNA is termed "epigenetic regulation". Abnormal epigenetic regulation may silence an important gene, and thereby cause disease.

Selected Publications

Click on Pubmed to see my current publications list

  • Naumova AK, Fayer S, Leung J, Boateng KA, Camerini-Otero RD, Taketo T. Dynamics of response to asynapsis and meiotic silencing in spermatocytes from Robertsonian translocation carriers. PLoS One. 2013 Sep 16;8(9):e75970. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0075970. Collection 2013. PMID: 24066189.

  • Naumova AK, Al Tuwaijri A, Morin A, Vaillancourt VT, Madore AM, Berlivet S, Kohan-Ghadr HR, Moussette S, Laprise C. Hum Genet. Sex- and age-dependent DNA methylation at the 17q12-q21 locus associated with childhood asthma. 2013 Jul;132(7):811-22. doi: 10.1007/s00439-013-1298-z. Epub 2013 Apr 2. Erratum in: Hum Genet. 2013 Jul;132(7):823. Vaillancout, Vanessa T [corrected to Vaillancourt, Vanessa T]. PMID: 23546690.

  • Sorge RE, LaCroix-Fralish ML, Tuttle AH, Khoutorsky A, Sotocinal SG, Austin JS, Melmed K, Labialle S, Schmidt JV, Wood JN, Naumova AK, Mogil JS. The Yin and Yang of pain: variability in formalin test nociception and morphine analgesia produced by the Yin Yang 1 transcription factor gene. Genes Brain Behav. 2013 Jun;12(4):405-13. doi: 10.1111/gbb.12030. Epub 2013 Mar 19. PMID: 23433317.

  • Berlivet S, Moussette S, Ouimet M, Verlaan DJ, Koka V, Al Tuwaijri A, Kwan T, Sinnett D, Pastinen T, Naumova AK. Interaction between genetic and epigenetic variation defines gene expression patterns at the asthma-associated locus 17q12-q21 in lymphoblastoid cell lines. Hum Genet. 2012 Jul;131(7):1161-71. doi: 10.1007/s00439-012-1142-x. Epub 2012 Jan 24. PMID: 22271045.

  • Saferali A, Berlivet S, Schimenti J, Bartolomei MS, Taketo T, Naumova AK. Defective imprint resetting in carriers of Robertsonian translocation Rb (8.12). Mamm Genome. 2010 Aug;21(7-8):377-87. doi: 10.1007/s00335-010-9271-9. Epub 2010 Jun 25 PMID: 20577743.