Daniel Goldowitz, PhD
Currently, I am a co-Director of the CIHR-funded Strategy for Patient Oriented Research (SPOR) Chronic Disease Network, CHILD-BRIGHT, and a Professor Emeritus of Medical Genetics at the University of British Columbia where I am a member of the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics. I have had a lifetime interest in brain development and bring content expertise in developmental psychobiology (my PhD) and the genetics of neurodevelopment (my postdoctoral work). I have had a long track record in the development and leadership of collaborative research consortia; starting with being the PI of the Tennessee Mouse Genome Consortium to understand the role of genes in brain development and function which led to the development of the Centre of Excellence in Genomics and Bioinformatics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. In Canada, I held a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Developmental Neurogenetics and maintain funded programs in the genetics of neurodevelopmental disorders such as fetal alcohol spectrum, autism spectrum, and developmental co-ordination disorders. This work entails the development of mouse models (at the bench) and the human population (at the curb). I led a successful integration of clinical and basic sciences network by creating NeuroDevNet (now called KidsBrainHealth Network), a Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE). This effort evolved to our currently funded SPOR Network in brain-based disability (CHILD_BRIGHT). A premise that I am unabashed to put forward is that all disorders of aging can be mitigated if proper steps are taken during development. I have found experimental evidence for this in Huntington’s Disease and other single gene disorders that would normally cause perinatal lethality.
Email: dang@cmmt.ubc.ca