Office: Tupper 10M

What is your favourite enzyme and why?

The histone methyltransferase G9a is my favorite enzyme.  I started studying Drosophila G9a as a postdoc when it was still an un-named gene.  I have published 6 papers on G9a, so it basically built my career.  While its biochemical function is well described, its biological role is elusive and complex.  It seems to be involved in maintaining transcription homeostasis during periods when cells or organisms need to adapt to their environment.

 

What is your favourite book?

I don't have a favorite book, but my favorite genre is epic fantasy. Anything by Robin Hobb, Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time.

 

What is the most recent book you’ve read?

Malazan Book of the Fallen, by Steven Erikson.  A very dark and complex fantasy story.

 

What is your favourite amino acid and why?

I like lysine, because it is the amino acid that is methylated by G9a. G9a and other histone methyltransferases build the epigenome by methylation of lysine residues in histone proteins, which are wrapped by DNA to form chromatin. Amazingly, we can tell whether genes are expressed or silent by looking at the histone lysine methylation pattern near promoters and in gene bodies.

 

What are some of your hobbies?

I spend almost all of my free time with my kids. I like hiking, camping, video games, guitar. I recently started curling.

 

What is your dream vacation?

Sun, beach, Margarita!

 

What is the coolest project you’ve ever worked on?

This is a tough call.  Right now I am working on a paper about G9a and its role in stress response.  We think that it buffers stress response through an epigenetic mechanism.  We found out that keeping the attenuation of stress response is a really important factor in allowing organisms to survive harsh conditions.  I like this project because of the way it developed.  We never set out to study stress response, we just followed unbiased genomic data and found something really cool. This affirmed my belief in the power of an unbiased non-hypothesis driven approach to uncover novel biology.

 

What is the biggest mistake you’ve made in lab?

When I was an honours student, I accidentally let a protein purification column run dry.  The PhD student that made the column had to rebuild it.  She was so nice about it, but I am sure she was furious.  I felt so bad.

 

Do you have any advice or anything else you’d like to say?

Nobody at the end of their life ever said “I wish I had spent more time working”. I love my job, but work life balance is so important for mental health.  In academia there is a perception that one must work 24/7 to be successful. It’s not true. Take time for yourself and don’t feel guilty about it.