معرفی
François Robert is a tenured Professor at the Department of Medicine (with accreditation in Molecular Biology) of the Faculty of Medicine at Université de Montréal. He is also a Full Research Professor at the Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), directing the Chromatin and Gene Expression Research Unit and the IRCM’s Biomedical Systems Biology and Medicinal Chemistry Research Axis. He holds an associate professorship at Université de Sherbrooke’s Biology Department. His research focuses on chromatin dynamics and transcription regulation by RNA polymerase II, particularly exploring the interplay between chromatin structure and transcriptional processes in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), human cells, and mice.
His expertise includes genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics, with a focus on understanding how chromatin remodeling influences gene expression. Key research areas include Mediator complex functions, RNA polymerase II CTD phosphorylation, H2A.Z histone variant roles, and cryptic transcription in cancer. He has led numerous grants from agencies like CIHR, NSERC, and FRQS, and trained many students and postdocs.
Grants & Projects:
- 2024-2030: IRSC-funded project on IDR roles in Cdk8 function
- 2018-2025: NSERC grant on Mediator’s post-initiation roles
- 2015-2019: FQRNT grant for proteomic analysis of genomic loci
Awards: 2008 Maud Menten Prize for New Principal Investigators (IRSC).
Labs & Teams: His lab at IRCM uses advanced genomic and proteomic tools (ChIP-Seq, RNA-Seq, mass spectrometry) to study transcription-chromatin dialogue. Collaborations include McGill University and international teams exploring epigenetic plasticity and therapeutic applications in cancer and hematopoiesis.
