Michael Kobor

Associate Professor

Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics

http://cmmt.ubc.ca/research/investigators/kobor/lab

Michael Kobor is a medical geneticist whose research focuses on the epigenetic regulation of gene expression and genome function. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding the mechanistic nature of these processes and their modulation by environmental exposures.

Kobor’s research team takes an interdisciplinary approach, with investigations spanning the spectrum from model organisms to human populations. Through a variety of research approaches, ongoing work in Kobor’s laboratory touches on some of the fundamental questions in chromatin biology. These queries include how distinct chromosomal neighbourhoods are established; how they function and interact with enzymes involved in DNA metabolism; what the functional differences are between histone variants and canonical histones; and how chromatin-remodelling complexes are regulated. Most recently, working with his research team and interdisciplinary collaborators, Kobor has begun investigating epigenetic variation in humans, with a focus on the effects of social environment on lifelong health and aging. These studies aim to decipher the mechanisms by which environmental exposures and life experiences can ‘get under the skin’ to regulate the activity of genes and contribute to human physiology and behaviour during the life course of an individual.

Primary Recipient Awards

International Research Roundtables, Michael Kobor, 2020

Primary Recipient Michael Kobor

Co-principal Investigator Danielle van Jaarsveld

Program International Research Roundtables

The Social Exposome in Child Health and Development: Advancing Research and Partnerships to Reduce Inequalities in Canada

Despite being the 5th most prosperous country in the world, when compared to other developed countries, Canada’s rankings are alarmingly low on key measures of children’s health and safety, as well as child poverty. These conditions have resulted in large and growing inequalities in the development and health of Canadian children. We are proposing to host a roundtable workshop that will bring together researchers, experts in policy, and relevant NGOs and community groups with the goals to: 1) review and synthesize current research on the social determinants of child health and development and current policies and interventions to address them; 2) catalyse research collaborations to facilitate new, interdisciplinary research directions that will advance the field and lead to new funding opportunities, 3) identify interventions and policies that should be the priority for advancement and make concrete next steps towards implementation; 4) with the help of knowledge dissemination experts, outline a plan for knowledge translation aimed at raising awareness and support for policy change.