Jonathan Rocheleau
PhD
Degrees: Ph.D. 2000
Affiliations: Scientist, UHN
Courses Taught : BME595, BME358, BME1460 (organizer)
Research Synopsis
Keywords: Diabetes, pancreatic islet, two-photon microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, microfluidics.
Detailed Description: Interaction between pancreatic islets and vascular endothelial cells is necessary for the maintenance of β-cell mass and function. Aside from acting as a conduit for molecular oxygen, vascular endothelial cells in vivo secrete the majority of islet extracellular matrix (ECM). This ECM likely provides a permissive signal for β-cell proliferation, contributing to the coordinated hyperplasia of these tissues during the early stages of Type 2 diabetes. This ECM also provides a reservoir for heparin binding growth factors that further modulate this hyperplasia, including fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A). We hypothesize that communication between β-cells and vascular endothelial cells directs the proliferation and function of both tissues.
METHODS USED
Cell and tissue culture: Pancreas cells.
Procedures: Western blot.
EQUIPMENT USED
Confocal microscope, culture incubators, dissecting microscope, fluorescence microscope.
PRESENT TRAINEES
Sankar, Krishana
Silva, Pamuditha
Ming, Aaron
Cameron, William
Fung, Winnie (co-supervised)
Chen Ian (co-supervised)
PRESENT COLLABORATIONS
Within the Department of Physiology:
Michael Wheeler
Outside the Department of Physiology:
Warren Chan IBBME
Michelle Bendeck LMP
Penney Gilbert IBBME
Scott Gray-Owen Molecular Genetics
PRESENT GRANT COMMITTEES SERVED ON
Agency: Canadian Diabetes Association
Committee: Islet Biology Panel
Recent Publications
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26185171
Appointments
Primary: Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering
Department of Medicine, Endocrinology