Ursula Stochaj

Ursula Stochaj is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology at McGill University. Her research focuses on the functional organization of the nucleus, particularly nuclear envelope proteins, nuclear transport mechanisms, and stress responses. She uses yeast and mammalian cell models to study chromatin organization, macromolecule trafficking, and cellular metabolism under stress conditions.

Education: Diploma and Ph.D. in Physiology from the University of Cologne, Germany.

Research Interests: Her work addresses how stress (e.g., oxidative, metabolic) impacts nuclear transport pathways, with implications for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Key areas include nuclear envelope dynamics, VCP protein function, and nanoparticle toxicity in cells.

Lab Activities: The Stochaj lab collaborates on projects like nanomaterials for glioblastoma treatment and has produced a public-facing podcast on VCP (2025). They were finalists in the NSERC Science Exposed contest.

Grants and Collaborations: Ongoing projects involve interdisciplinary collaborations (e.g., with Concordia University’s Capobianco lab) and funding from Canadian agencies. Her research bridges fundamental cell biology with translational applications in disease modeling.

Labs/Teams: Hosts a lab focused on nuclear transport and stress biology, with a strong emphasis on training graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in advanced microscopy and biochemical techniques.