Christopher Nelson

Dr. Christopher Nelson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology at the University of Victoria (UVic). He holds a BSc and PhD from British Columbia (Brit.Col.). His research focuses on how chromatin regulatory pathways control transcription in eukaryotic cells, using Saccharomyces cerevisiae (budding yeast) and human cultured cells. Central to his work is the study of peptidyl-proline isomerases (PPIs), enzymes that modulate histone structure and function to regulate chromatin dynamics. His lab investigates the molecular mechanisms of histone proline isomerization and its role in transcription, DNA repair, and disease.

Education:

• BSc (Brit.Col.)
• PhD (Brit.Col.)

Research Interests:

Dr. Nelson’s lab explores how PPI enzymes dynamically alter chromatin structure to influence gene expression. Key areas include:

• Proline isomerization of histones as a novel chromatin modification
• Functional consequences of histone modifications on nucleosome stability
• Role of PPIs in transcriptional regulation and signal transduction
• Implications of chromatin dysregulation in diseases like cancer

Labs/Teams: The Nelson Lab employs molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, genomics, and proteomics to study chromatin dynamics in yeast and human cells.