Lochmüller Lab

This August we welcomed our international colleagues of the ProDGNE consortium to Ottawa as we hosted the annual meeting of ProDGNE, the three-year transnational pre-clinical research project.  

Welcoming colleagues from around the world

From the from the 4th to the 5th of August we had the pleasure of hosting project investigators Drs. Fabrizio Pertusati (Lecturer, Cardiff University, UK), Paula Videira (Assistant Professor, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Portugal), Pierluigi Caboni (Professor, University of Cagliari, Italy) and Rüdiger Horstkorte (Professor, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany), patient representative Michela Onali (Gli Equilibristi HIBM, Italy), and several students and postdocs involved with ProDGNE. The group met over two days on the University of Ottawa campus to discuss the project deliverables, and share updates in the field of research and therapy development for GNE myopathy. 

Members of the ProdGNE consortium gathered in Ottawa for a working meeting.

Full agenda for both days of the meeting

Renowned researchers Drs Stella Mitrani-Rosenbaum (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) and David Wishart (University of Alberta, Edmonton) presented keynote talks to begin each day of the conference. Dr Mitrani-Rosenbaum presented past and current challenges of modeling GNE myopathy in zebrafish and mice, and Dr Wishart spoke on targeted metabolomics as a method to uncover biomarkers of rare diseases, covering his recent findings in GNE myopathy patient samples. After project updates from all work package leaders, collaborator Dr Andreas Roos delivered a presentation on biomarker research and proteins. Flash presentations were given by young investigators Mariana Barbosa (FCT NOVA), James Morewood (Cardiff University), Rebecca Rosenstengel, Elfrun Meyer and Linus Weilepp (MLU), and Alexa Derksen, Jarred Lau and Stephen Holland (Lochmüller Lab).

Exploring Ottawa

Following each day’s productive sessions, we had the chance to showcase Ottawa as Canada’s capital city. The group toured the parliament buildings and historic Byward Market and explored the Gatineau Park’s rolling hills and Pink Lake.

Michela Onali and Hanns Lochmüller explore the beautiful Gatineau park.

Looking ahead to the next project meeting

This meeting marks the end of ProDGNE’s second year. The consortium will reconvene for its final meeting in in April 2024 in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy.  

Project funders

ProDGNE is funded under the European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases (EJP RD) Joint Transnational Call 2020 “Pre-Clinical Research to Develop Effective Therapies for Rare Diseases”. The project receives funding from the European Commission (EC) under the Horizon 2020 EJP-COFUND action and from national funding organisations. The Canadian contribution is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research – Institute of Genetics.