William Pastor
Associate Professor
A.B. Harvard 2005, Ph.D. Harvard 2011
I earned my Ph.D. in the lab of Professor Anjana Rao. I was part of the team that discovered that Tet enzymes oxidize the epigenetic mark 5-methylcytosine to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, and I subsequently invented a method to map 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in the genome. As a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Professor Steven Jacobsen at UCLA, I established a role for the GHKL ATPase Morc1 in directing DNA methylation of transposons in murine germ cell development. I then studied DNA methylation maintenance and gene regulation in naive and primed human pluripotent cells and demonstrated loss of imprint methylation upon culture in naive conditions. I also discovered an unexpected role for the transcription factor TFAP2C in regulating human pluripotency.
I started as an Assistant Professor at McGill in January, 2018. The core focus of our lab is to study transcription regulation and DNA methylation patterning during early embryonic and placental development. We also collaborate on bioinformatic projects and assist others in implementing projects that require human stem cells.
Google scholar citations
E-mail: william.pastor [at] mcgill.ca
Phone: 514-398-8350
Jacinthe Sirois
Research Assistant
B.Sc. UQAM 1997, M.Sc. UQAM 2000
I did my M.Sc. at UQAM in molecular biology in the lab of Professor Eric Rassart. I studied the role of a lipocaline, apolipoprotein D, in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. I worked on the development of a knockout mouse model using homologous recombination of a targeting vector inserted by electroporation in embryonic stem cells. Following this degree, I started working as a research assistant at McGill University in the lab of Professor Michel L. Tremblay who studies tyrosine phosphatases, mainly in cancer. I worked on the enzyme PTP-PEST, which has an essential role in embryonic development. At the same time, I worked for McGill Transgenic Core Facility, doing the culture of stem cells, micro-injections of embryos and Crispr-Cas9 genetic modifications. In January 2018, I left the transgenic core and joined the team of Professor William Pastor to manage the lab and study DNA methylation regulation in embryonic and placental stem cells. I split my time between the Pastor and Tremblay labs.
Jessica Cinkornpumin
Ph.D. student
B.Sc. and B.A. University of California, Santa Barbara 2007, M.S. CSU Northridge 2014
After receiving my undergraduate degree at the University of California, Santa Barbara in Biology and Fine Arts, I completed a UCLA/CSUN Stem Cell CIRM program and a Master’s in Molecular Biology. My research interests primarily focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating cell fate decisions during development. I am currently in a Biochemistry PhD program to study development and disease modeling of the placenta. During my free time, I had been exploring entrepreneurship with MedTech Innovation and the Business of Science at UCLA, and I am currently volunteering my time with a youth outreach program, iSpeakScience, designing and teaching science modules at grade schools.
Ishtiaque Hossain
Ph.D. student
B.Sc. McGill University 2018
I did my undergraduate studies at McGill University, where I earned a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Biochemistry in the Spring of 2018. During my time as an undergraduate student I have had the opportunity to train and gain research experience in the labs of Dr. Morag Park and Dr. Vahab Soleimani. During my undergraduate research project in the lab of Dr. Soleimani, I studied the role of NEDD4L, an E3 ubiquitin ligase in regulation of muscle stem cells function and lineage progression. For my Honours research project in the lab of Dr. Morag Park, I studied how ubiquitin targets MET for proteolysis through alternative degradative pathways. Now, as a Ph.D. student in Dr. Pastor’s lab, my project involves studying how DNMT3B is transcriptionally regulated during early embryonic development.
Deepak Saini
Ph.D. student
B.Sc. Concordia 2014, M.Sc. McGill 2018
I completed my undergraduate degree at Concordia University in Cell and Molecular Biology, with a minor in Science College. During this time, I was privileged to be able to be work under various scientific researchers such as Drs. Jim Pfaus, Yves Gelinas and Patrick Gulick. Those experiences pushed me to pursue a career in science. I then got my master’s degree in Human Genetics studying the development of the early mouse embryo under Dr. Yamanaka. My project involved identifying the changes in the distribution patterns of the actomyosin network and the E-cadherin-catenin-complex during compaction of the pre-implantation mouse embryo. Currently, I have joined the Pastor laboratory as a PhD student in the Biochemistry Department. I am studying the role genomic imprinting plays on placental development and gestational trophoblastic diseases such as Hydatidiform moles.
Brenda Lynn Koborsy
Master's student
B.Sc. Biochemistry, McGill University, 2022
I obtained my BSc from McGill University in May 2022 where I majored in Biochemistry and minored in Psychology. During my four years at McGill as an undergraduate student, I had the chance to work in the labs of Dr Andrew Hendry (Biology), Dr Caroline Palmer (Psychology), Dr Maureen McKeague (Chemistry, Pharmacology and Therapeutics), and Dr William Pastor (Biochemistry). I pursued undergraduate research projects in Psychology, Chemistry and Biochemistry and co-authored a
systematic review on EEG and ADHD subtype(s) identification. I also volunteered at the Montreal Neurological Institute for close to two years. As a master’s student in Dr Pastor's lab, I will attempt to determine the consequences of knocking out GREB1L (Growth Regulation by Estrogen in Breast Cancer 1 Like) in trophoblast stem cells on self-renewal and differentiation and identify GREB1L's molecular role in the cell.
Megan Katz
Master's student
B.Sc. Biochemistry, McGill University, 2023
I completed my undergraduate studies at McGill University in Spring 2023, having majored in Biochemistry. During these three years, I was fortunate enough to participate in undergraduate research in the Pastor lab, contributing to the study of the role of transcription factor ZMYM2 in early embryonic development. This experience has encouraged me to pursue graduate studies in epigenetics, joining the lab as a master’s student for Fall 2023. Under the co-supervision of Dr Vincent Giguere, I hope to be able apply the study of epigenetics within the context of cancer research. My master’s project will continue to study epigenetic events mediated by ZMYM2 and other repressive factors in mammalian development as well as in prostate cancer development.