Haissi Cui

Haissi Cui is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on understanding RNA maturation and decoding processes in disease contexts, combining chemical tools, protein engineering, and cell biology. She leads the Cui Lab, which explores how RNA and protein localization impact inflammation, neurological diseases, and developmental disorders.

• Education: PhD (Dr. rer. nat.) in Experimental Medicine from Technical University of Munich, with postdoctoral training at Scripps Research Institute and Technical University of Munich.
• Affiliations: Principal Investigator at University of Toronto, Department of Chemistry.

Research interests include aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, tRNA regulation, and nuclear organization. Her lab has developed chemical tools to study mRNA splicing and metabolic pathways linked to disease. Recent work highlights the role of arginyl-tRNA synthetase in inflammatory processes and RNA splicing.

Key achievements include a Nature Cell Biology paper on arg-tRNA synthetase’s role in inflammation, and a cover article on metabolic regulation of mRNA splicing. Awards include Human Frontiers Science Program and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft fellowships.

• Scientific Awards: CIHR Postdoc Fellowship, Paul Schimmel Scholarship, Ontario Graduate Scholarship, NSERC USRA.
• Lab Members: Includes PhD students (Noha, Santiago, Samuel, Qingyu, Colette), postdocs (Jamie), and undergraduates across multiple projects.
• Grants & Funding: Supported by fellowships and institutional grants for interdisciplinary research initiatives.

Collaborative efforts include work on non-viral mRNA delivery and structural biology. The lab emphasizes diversity and outreach through initiatives like ChemClub and Women in Science programs.