Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program

Administrative Assistant: Josephine Ha
Phone: (416) 480 – 6100 x63350
Email: josephine.ha@sri.utoronto.ca

Education:

• Post-doctoral fellowship, Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University 2002-2007
• PhD in Kinesiology, University of Western Ontario, Canada, 1997-2002
• MSc in Biology, Laurentian University, Canada, 1994-1997
• BSc in Kinesiology, Laurentian University, Canada, 1990-1994

Appointments and affiliations:

• Scientist, Biological Sciences, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
• Associate Professor, Department of Immunology, University of Toronto
• Adjunct Scientist, Women’s College Research Institute, Toronto
• Affiliate Scientist, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Toronto

Research Foci:

• Autoimmunity
• Multiple Sclerosis
• T-cells,
• Adaptive Immunity
• Innate Immunity

Research Summary:

The current focus of my research is to better understand the biology of how certain risk factors for multiple sclerosis impact the immune system to initiate autoimmunity. To understand the biology of risk, our lab takes the approach of better understanding how specific MS risk factors (including female sex, obesity, cigarette smoking, and head trauma) alter the immune system using lab models of MS. If we understand this biology, it will provide important insights into how the disease gets started, but also may reveal new ways of preventing MS.

Beyond this, we are interested in using animal models of MS as models to study neurological progression to find new ways to slow this process MS.

Selected Publications:

See current publications list at PubMed.

1. Dunn SE, Perry WA, Klein SL. Mechanisms and consequences of sex differences in immune responses. Nat Rev Nephrol. 2024 Jan;20(1):37-55. doi: 10.1038/s41581-023-00787-w. Epub 2023 Nov 22. PMID: 37993681.
2. Alvarez-Sanchez N, Dunn SE. Potential biological contributers to the sex difference in multiple sclerosis progression. Front Immunol. 2023 Apr 14;14:1175874. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1175874. PMID: 37122747; PMCID: PMC10140530.
3. Doroshenko ER, Drohomyrecky PC, Gower A, Whetstone H, Cahill LS, Ganguly M, Spring S, Yi TJ, Sled JG, Dunn SE. Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-δ Deficiency in Microglia Results in Exacerbated Axonal Injury and Tissue Loss in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis. Front Immunol. 2021 Feb 26;12:570425. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.570425. PMID: 33732230; PMCID: PMC7959796.
4. Cahill LS, Zhang MA, Ramaglia V, Whetstone H, Sabbagh MP, Yi TJ, Woo L, Przybycien TS, Moshkova M, Zhao FL, Rojas OL, Gomes J, Kuerten S, Gommerman JL, Sled JG, Dunn SE. Aged hind-limb clasping experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis models aspects of the neurodegenerative process seen in multiple sclerosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Nov 5;116(45):22710-22720. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1915141116. Epub 2019 Oct 22. PMID: 31641069; PMCID: PMC6842635.

Related Links:

• University of Toronto faculty profile