Karen Mossman, PhD - McMaster Biochemistry Graduate Program

Karen Mossman, PhD Associate Member

Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Associate Vice-President, Research Professor, Department of Pathology and Molecular Biology McMaster University
Gilmour Hall - 208
Tel: 905-525-9140 ext. 21590
Email: mossk@mcmaster.ca
Visit Karen Mossman's Homepage

Research

Cell Biology and Regulation

The focus of our research is to understand how viruses evade host immune defenses. When a virus infects a host, the host mounts an impressive immune response aimed at preventing the virus from multiplying and spreading. Viruses have evolved strategies to block this response in order to ensure their survival. Probably the most important aspect of the host immune response to virus infection is the production of an immune modulator called interferon. Interferon has a great impact on host defense mechanisms and as a result viruses have evolved multiple strategies to overcome its activities. We are currently studying the mechanisms of interferon inhibition and the countermeasures taken by different viruses. These studies have led us to developing viruses for use in gene therapy and cancer therapy. The virus that we focus on is herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) which is a human pathogen that causes cold sores. We have found that by disabling the virus through removal of particular genes, the virus can grow in cancer cells and kill these cells while having no effect on healthy cells. Such viruses, called "oncolytic viruses" are currently being tested as a novel approach to cancer therapy in the hopes of eliminating tumors without the toxic side effects associated with many current treatments. HSV-1 is also being studied as a tool for gene therapy, since it is easy to manipulate, it can be targeted to specific tissues and it can house several therapeutic genes in a single vector. Thus, overall, our goal is to understand how viruses and their hosts interact with each other so that we can use viruses as tools for the treatment of multiple diseases.

Sara Andres, PhD Faculty

Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

CLINTON CAMPBELL, MD, PhD, FRCPC Associate Member

Assistant Professor, Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

MANALI MUKHERJEE, PhD Associate Member

Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

JON STOKES, PhD Faculty

Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Stephanie Atkinson, PhD Associate Member

Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

TOBIAS BERG, MD, PHD Associate Member

Associate Professor, Department of Oncology, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Paul Berti, PhD Joint Member

Professor, Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Mick Bhatia, PhD Faculty

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Canada Research Chair

Russell Bishop, PhD Faculty

Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Jonathan Bramson, PhD Associate Member

Professor, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

John Brennan, PhD Associate Member

Professor, Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences,
Canada Research Chair

Eric D. Brown, PhD Faculty

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences,
Canada Research Chair in Chemical Biology

Lori Burrows, PhD Faculty

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences,
Joint Member, Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine,
Acting Director of IIDR

Brian Coombes, PhD Faculty

Professor and Chair, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Canada Research Chair

Marie Elliot, PhD Associate Member

Professor, Department of Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Cecile Fradin, PhD Joint Member

Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences,
Canada Research Chair

Radhey S. Gupta, PhD Faculty

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Thomas Hawke, PhD Associate Member

Professor, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Paul G. Higgs, PhD Joint Member

Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences,
Canada Research Chair

Stephen Hill, PhD Associate Member

Associate Professor, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Alison Holloway, PHD Associate Member

Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Kristin Hope, PhD Part-Time Member

Associate Professor (part-time) Department of Biochemistry; Associate Professor, University of Toronto

Alexander Hynes, PhD  Associate Member

Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine,  Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

CHARU KAUSHIC, PhD Associate Member

Professor, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine , Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Mark Larché, PhD Associate Member

Professor, Department of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences,
Canada Research Chair

Yingfu Li, PhD Joint Member

Professor, Department of Chemistry,
Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences,
Acting Director BDC,
Canada Research Chair in Nucleic Acids Research

Lesley T. MacNeil, PHD Faculty

Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences,
Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute

Nathan Magarvey, PhD Faculty

Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences,
Canada Research Chair

Jakob Magolan, PhD Faculty

Associate Professor, Department f oBiochemistry and Biomedical Sciences,
Canada Research Chair

Andrew McArthur, PhD Faculty

Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Director, Biomedical
Discovery & Commercialization Program

Giuseppe Melacini, PhD Joint Member

Professor, Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Matthew Miller, PhD Faculty

Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Associate Chair & Assistant Dean, Biochemistry Graduate Program

Karen Mossman, PhD Associate Member

Associate Vice-President (Research), Professor, Department of Pathology and Molecular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Ishac Nazy, PhD Associate Member

Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

GUILLAUME PARÉ, MD, MSc, FRCPC Associate Member

Associate Professor, Department of Pathology and Molecular  Medicine (primary), Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics,  Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Hendrik Poinar, PhD Joint Member

Professor, Department of Anthropology, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Canada Research Chair

Sandeep Raha, PhD Associate Member

Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Jonathan D. Schertzer, PhD Faculty

Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences,
Canada Research Chair

Karun Singh, PhD Part-Time Member

Associate Professor (part-time) Department of Biochemistry; Associate Professor, University of Toronto

Sheila Singh, MD, PhD, FRCSC Associate Member

Professor, Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery,
Canada Research Chair

Deborah Sloboda, PhD Faculty

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences,
Associate Chair of Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences,
Canada Research Chair

Jennifer Stearns, PhD Associate Member

Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Gregory Steinberg, PhD Joint Member

Professor, Department of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences,
Canada Research Chair

Michael Surette, PhD Joint Member

Professor, Department of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Bernardo Trigatti, PhD Faculty

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Ray Truant, PhD Faculty

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

Jeffrey Weitz, FRCP(C)-FACP Associate Member

Professor, Department of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences
Director, Thrombosis & Atherosclerosis Research Institute (TaARI),
Canada Research Chair

Geoff Werstuck, PhD Joint Member

Professor, Department of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences

John Whitney, PhD Faculty

Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Michael DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery (MDCL)

Gerard D. Wright, PhD Faculty

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences
Director, Michael DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research
Canada Research Chair in Antimicrobial Biochemistry

Daniel S.-C. Yang, PhD Faculty

Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences