Dr Al Batran has extensive expertise in the areas of obesity and energy metabolism, as well as animal models of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. His ongoing research program primarily focusing on how obesity-induced alterations in energy metabolism, and how targeting energy metabolism may be a novel approach to counteract obesity-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

PhD Position in Energy Metabolism

About the Lab

The Al Batran lab is looking for an enthusiastic and highly motivated PhD candidate who has a degree in Molecular Biology and/or Biotechnology. The laboratory is located at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Montreal, and the Lab offers an attractive and friendly research environment, provides state-of-the-art instrumentation and techniques.

Project Description

This position is available in the laboratory headed by Dr. Rami Al Batran. The project goal is focused on understanding how alterations in ketone body metabolism at the cellular and molecular levels contribute to obesity-related metabolic disorders including insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and diabetic kidney disease.

Qualification Requirements

• Applicants must hold a master’s degree in Molecular Biology and/or Biotechnology.
• To have obtained at least 3.3 out of 4 GPA of during his/her undergraduate studies.
• Background and experience in some of the following areas is required: biochemistry, animal studies and cell culture.
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English and French.

Personal skills

The successful candidate will be:

• Highly motivated to do world class research.
• Self-driven and enthusiastic.
• Able to work independently and in a structured manner.
• Willing to learn new skills.
• Proactive in solving problems.

How to apply

The application must include

• Cover letter statement of motivation and research interests.
• CV (summarizing education and list of laboratory experience).
• Copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only).
• A complete list of publications and academic works.
• List of reference persons: 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, and e-mail).

These documents must be submitted before September 1, 2021. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted during September 2021.

Contact information

Applicants should submit their files in one PDF to Dr. Rami Al Batran for further details.

Faculty of Pharmacy

University of Montreal 

E-mail: rami.al.batran@umontreal.ca

Website: https://www.albatranlab.com

Selected Publications:

Al Batran R, Gopal K, Capozzi ME, Chahade JJ, Saleme B, Tabatabaei-Dakhili SA, Greenwell AA, Niu J, Almutairi M, Byrne NJ, Masson G, Kim R, Eaton F, Mulvihill EE, Garneau L, Masters AR, Desta Z, Velázquez-Martínez CA, Aguer C, Crawford PA, Sutendra G, Campbell JE, Dyck JRB, and Ussher JR. Pimozide Alleviates Hyperglycemia in Diet-Induced Obesity by Inhibiting Skeletal Muscle Ketone Oxidation. Cell Metabolism. 2020 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2020.03.017

Eshreif A, Al Batran R, Jamieson KL, Darwesh AM, Gopal K, Greenwell AA, Zlobine I, Aburasayn H, Eaton F, Mulvihill EE, Campbell JE, Seubert JM, Ussher JR. L-citrulline supplementation improves glucose and exercise tolerance in obese mice. Exp Physiol. 2019 Dec 5. doi: 10.1113/EP088109.

Uddin GM, Zhang L, Shah S, Fukushima A, Wagg CS, Gopal K, Al Batran R, Pherwani S, Ho KL, Boisvenue J, Karwi QG, Altamimi T, Wishart DS, Dyck JRB, Ussher JR, Oudit GY, Lopaschuk GD. Impaired branched chain amino acid oxidation contributes to cardiac insulin resistance in heart failure. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2019 Jul 5;18(1):86.

Ho KL, Zhang L, Wagg C, Al Batran R, Gopal K, Levasseur J, Leone T, Dyck JRB, Ussher JR, Muoio DM, Kelly DP, and Lopaschuk GD. Increased ketone body oxidation provides additional energy for the failing heart without improving cardiac efficiency. Cardiovasc Res. 2019 Feb 18. pii: cvz045.

Al Batran R, Gopal K, Aburasayn H, Eshreif A, Almutairi M, Greenwell AA, Campbell SA, Saleme B, Court EA, Eaton F, Light PE, Sutendra G, Ussher JR. The antianginal ranolazine mitigates obesity-induced hepatic steatosis and increases hepatic dehydrogenase activity. JCI Insight. 2019 Jan 10;4(1). pii: 124643.

Al Batran R, Gopal K, Martin MD, Ho KL, Almutairi M, Aburasayn H, Eaton F, Campbell JE, Ussher JR. Skeletal muscle-specific Cre recombinase expression, controlled by the human α-skeletal actin promoter, improves glucose tolerance in mice fed a high-fat diet. Diabetologia. 2018 Aug;61(8):1849-1855.

Gopal K, Almutairi M, Al Batran R, Eaton F, Gandhi M, Ussher JR. Cardiac-specific deletion of pyruvate dehydrogenase impairs glucose oxidation rates and induces diastolic dysfunction. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2018 Mar 6; 5:17.

Al Batran R, Almutairi M, Ussher JR. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor mediated control of cardiac energy metabolism. Peptides. 2018 Feb;100:94-100.

Aburasayn H, Al Batran R, Gopal K, Almutairi M, Eshreif A, Eaton F, Ussher JR. Female offspring born to obese and insulin-resistant dams are not at increased risk for obesity and metabolic dysfunction during early development. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2018 Jan;96(1):97-102.

Al Batran R, & Ussher JR. Revisiting protein acetylation and myocardial fatty acid oxidation. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2017 Sep 1;313(3):H617-H619

Gopal K, Saleme B, Al Batran R, Aburasayn H, Eshreif A, Ho KL, Ma WK, Almutairi M, Eaton F, Gandhi M, Park EA, Sutendra G, Ussher JR. FoxO1 regulates myocardial glucose oxidation rates via transcriptional control of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 expression. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2017 Sep 1;313(3):H479-H490.  

Aburasayn H, Al Batran R, Ussher JR. Targeting ceramide metabolism in obesity. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2016 Aug 1;311(2):E423-35.