Dr. Maria Ugalde

Biography

Maria Vera Ugalde is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at McGill University. She earned her PhD in 2004 from the University of Navarra, located in Pamplona, Spain. Her research focuses on gene and protein expression, specifically investigating the molecular mechanisms that enable eukaryotic cells to survive adverse conditions. Dr. Ugalde studies the unique regulation of genes activated in response to stress using single-molecule imaging approaches. Her work aims to decipher how cells produce stress response components, particularly heat shock proteins (HSPs), and the consequences of shutting down specific general functions. HSPs, which are families of molecular chaperones with cytoprotective properties, recognize denatured proteins to prevent toxic aggregation. Once protein homeostasis is restored, cells cease the production of HSPs. An unbalanced expression of HSPs is associated with a variety of diseases, including cancer and neurodegeneration. Her research develops single-cell single-molecule fluorescence microscopy technologies to interrogate individual HSP mRNAs' life cycles and defines modulators of the heat shock response to provide therapeutic means for age-related diseases. Additionally, she utilizes model organisms such as yeast and primary neuronal cultures to study adaptability to environmental hazards. Dr. Ugalde combines novel imaging tools with molecular, biochemical, and genetic approaches to address the evolution of tailored components of stress responses.

Research Interests