Benjamin Blencowe
Profile: Banbury Chair in Medical Research, Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research
Department: Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto
Lab: Blencowe Lab
Research Interests:
Our research focuses on mechanisms underlying the regulation of gene expression and how these mechanisms go awry in human diseases. Most of our research is directed at understanding how alternative splicing is regulated and integrated with other layers of gene expression to control fundamental biological processes. For example, we have recently discovered alternative splicing “switches” that play fundamental roles in the control of embryonic stem cell pluripotency and in the differentiation of neurons from neural precursor cells. Our research encompasses a wide range of approaches, from bioinformatics to focused molecular and biochemical methods. We have pioneered the development and application of methods for the genome-wide quantitative profiling of transcriptomes, and these efforts have uncovered a remarkable landscape of new regulation that awaits further investigation.