Paul Robson, Ph.D.
Professor and Director, Single Cell Biology
Areas of expertise include single cell transcriptomics, primate/human early embryonic development, maternal-fetal medicine, fetal programming, pluripotent cell biology, regulatory networks, tumor heterogeneity, circulating tumor cells.
We are a cellomics lab using advanced technologies to understand the cellular composition of tissues, their development, and progression to disease. We have a specialized research interest in human early embryonic development and how the biology at this stage may provide insight into and/or impact later in life biology (e.g., cancer, immunology) through the pleiotropic effect of genes undergoing natural selection at these early post-fertilization stages.
Education and experience
Education:
- 1998: PhD, Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- 1999: B.Sc. (Hons), Genetics & Molecular Biology, University of Guelph, ON, Canada
Postdoctoral Training
- 1999-2002: Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of H. Scott Baldwin, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- 1999-2002: Visiting Scientist, Laboratory of Richard Schultz, Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Research Fellowship
- 2000-2002: American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship
Experience:
- 2017-current: Associate Professor, The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA.
- 2014-current: Director, Single Cell Biology Laboratory, The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA
- 2011-2014: Senior Group Leader, Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore, A*Star, Singapore
- 2007-2011: Group Leader, Stem Cell & Developmental Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore.
- 2002-2007: Senior Research Scientist, Stem Cell & Developmental Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore.
- 1989-1992: Research Technician, Division of Cardiovascular Research, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Honors, awards and accomplishments
- Honorary Lifetime Member, Stem Cell Society Singapore
- President's Science Award (Singapore) 2011
- the highest honour bestowed on exceptional research scientists and engineers in Singapore. Awarded to Bing Lim, Paul Robson, Huck Hui Ng, Lawrence Stanton for “their team effort in ground breaking work in elucidating the regulatory fabrics of stem cells and their outstanding contribution in positioning Singapore at the cutting edge of biomedical research.”
- American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship (2000-2002)
- T-Holder Academic Excellence Award, University of Toronto
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Research HighlightJuly 21, 2022Investigating endometriosis, cell by cell
Many women worldwide are affected by endometriosis, though there has been relatively little research into causes or possible therapies. Elise Courtois, associate director of the Single Cell Biology group at The Jackson Laboratory, is a leading proponent for increasing awareness of and funding for endometriosis. -
Press ReleaseApril 01, 2019Premature cellular aging and multiple sclerosis
Research led by the UConn School of Medicine and JAX shows that senescence, a cellular aging process, is associated with an aggressive form of multiple sclerosis (MS). The finding explains a mechanism for MS disease progression as well as indicating a promising avenue for therapy development. -
Press ReleaseMarch 05, 2019JAX receives grant to learn why flu vaccines are less effective in the elderly
$2.8 million federal grant to The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) to understand the aging-related genomic changes in immune cells that affect responses to flu vaccines. -
Research HighlightNovember 06, 2017Mouse lung progenitor cells differentiate along all epithelial lineages using new 3D culture method
A research team finds a better way to culture mouse lung progenitor cells so that they can differentiate along all epithelial lineages.
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Tech CornerJune 23, 2021Single-cell research fuels discovery
Recent advances in single-cell methods and technology have had profound effects on research, leading to the discovery of new cell types, differential gene expression signatures within tissues, disease biomarkers, and more. -
Press ReleaseMarch 11, 2019Exploring the hypothalamus one neuron at a time
A collaborative team from UConn and The Jackson Laboratory have characterized neuron diversity in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), a critical coordinator of fundamental behaviors in the brain. The results provide important clues for understanding LHA neural circuits and the potential development of targeted neuropsychiatric therapies. -
Research HighlightJuly 17, 2018New retinal ganglion cell subtypes emerge from single-cell RNA sequencing
UConn, JAX researchers classify 40 subtypes of RGCs and identify additional subtypes, markers and transcription factors. -
Press ReleaseMarch 20, 2017Single-cell analysis reveals subtypes of colorectal tumors
Single-cell signatures of colorectal tumors can provide more targeted diagnosis and treatment