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Jayne Danska

Professor

Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Department of Immunology

  • Professor
    Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Department of Immunology
  • (416) 813-6450 (Work)
  • 416-813-8810 (Work)
  • The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, Room 15-9713, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada

BIO

Dr. Danska was raised in New York City and educated in the United States at Kenyon College, Cornell University, Cold Spring Harbor Labs and Stanford University. Her research is focused on defining the mechanisms underlying immune system diseases and the application of this knowledge to improve their diagnosis, prevention and treatment. Her lab works on the genetic and environmental causes of autoimmune disease, particularly Type 1 diabetes (T1D), the molecular mechanisms of acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL), and innate immune surveillance of leukemia and leukemia stem cells.

She has led multi-disciplinary projects applying genetic, genomic and immunological analysis to identify T1D-risk genes and to determine how these variants control autoimmune pathogenesis. An evolving focus is the roles of environmental factors in the rising rates of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, specifically the role of the intestinal microbiome in modifying the inherited risk of autoimmunity in rodent models and in longitudinal studies in children with high genetic risk for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This work is also investigating the impact of sex as a key determinant of autoimmune diseases, many of which are far more prevalent in females.

Media availability: TV, Radio, Print/Online

MEDIA

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ACADEMIC POSITIONS

  • Professor
    University of Toronto, Department of Immunology and Department of Medical Biophysics, Toronto, Canada2003 - present
  • Associate Professor
    University of Toronto, Department of Immunology and Department of Medical Biophysics, Toronto, Canada1997 - 2003
  • Assistant Professor
    University of Toronto, Department of Immunology and Department of Medical Biophysics, Toronto, Canada1991 - 1997

NON-ACADEMIC POSITIONS

  • Associate Chief of Research
    Hospital for Sick Children, Faculty Development and Diversity, Toronto, Canada2018 - present
  • Senior Scientist
    Hospital for Sick Children, Program in Genetics & Genome Biology, Toronto, Canada1997 - present
  • Scientist
    Hospital for Sick Children, Program in Genetics & Genome Biology, Toronto, Canada1991 - 1997

DEGREES

  • Post-doctoral Fellow, Immunology (Supervisors: Drs. Hugh McDevitt and C. Garrison Fathman)
    Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States1991
  • PhD
    Cornell University, Ithaca, United States1985
  • B.Sc. Magna cum Laude in Biology, Magna cum Laude in Genetics
    Kenyon College, Gambier, United States1977

POSTGRADUATE TRAINING

  • Scientist, Program in Genetics & Genome Biology
    Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada1991 - 1997

LANGUAGES

  • English

AVAILABILITY

  • Media enquiries

AFFILIATED INSTITUTIONS

  • Hospital for Sick Children

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