Josée Hébert

TITLE

• Hematologist and Cytogeneticist
• Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Montreal
• Director, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital’s Cytogenetics Laboratory 
• Director, Quebec Leukemia Cell Bank, CRHMR
• Director, Molecular Cytogenetics Facility, IRIC-HMR
• Holder of the Research Chair in leukemia supported by Industrial Alliance 

EDUCATION

• M.D., University of Montreal (1984).
• Internal Medicine, University of Montreal (1990).
• Hematology, FRCP(c), University of Montreal (1991).
• INSERM University Fellowship 301, Molecular Hematology Laboratory, St-Louis Hospital, Paris, (1992 to 1994).

RESEARCH INTERESTS

The Quebec Leukemia Cell Bank’s laboratory conducts research studies mainly on two types of leukemia with the aim of finding new genes linked to leukemogenesis: acute myeloid leukemia without maturation and chronic myeloid leukemia in blastic transformation.

We used standard high resolution cytogenetic techniques and molecular cytogenetic techniques (spectral karyotyping or SKY, BACs/PACs kits) to enhance chromosomal analysis of leukemia. This strategy serves to identify new chromosome rearrangements (often not detected in standard or “cryptic” cytogenetics).

These rearrangements will then be characterized on a molecular level, and studied on a functional level thereafter. Using this approach, we expect to identify new molecular targets for treating leukemia.
We are also collaborating in two research areas: study on molecular mechanisms linked to leukemogenesis and evaluation of new approaches for treating leukemia.

The Quebec Leukemia Cell Bank also offers a training program in two following areas:
1. Advanced training in morphological diagnostics and cytogenetics of blood cancers.
2. Study of genetic mechanisms linked to myeloid leukemia.

The Molecular Cytogenetic Facility (HMR-IRIC) provides investigators with cytogenetic analysis services (standard and molecular cytogenetics) for human and mouse specimens. It is the only facility that offers spectral karyotyping services (SKY) in Quebec. It also provides specialized professional training in this field.

RESEARCH TEAM

Administrative and Technical Coordinator

• Claude Rondeau

Morphology and Immunophenotyping

• Giovanni D'Angelo

Technicians

• Sylvie Lavallée
• Marie-Claude Frenette
• Annie Bilodeau
• Lorraine Forest
• Barbara Gaudreault

Clinical Research Nurses

• Suzanne Nadeau
• Francine Habel

Databases

• Ginette Trottier

Ph.D. Students

• Sawcène Hazourli
• Amélie Giguère
• Hend Chaker  

Master Students

• Marie-Noelle Séguin-Grignon

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Selected papers

Hazourli S., Chagnon P., Sauvageau M., Fetni R., Busque L., Hébert J. Overexpression of PRDM16 in the presence and absence of the RUNX1/PRDM16 fusion gene in myeloid leukemias. Genes Chromosomes Cancer. 2006;45(11):1072-1076.

Mes-Masson A.-M., Champoux L., Hébert J., Batist G., Lespérence B. The reseau de recherche sur le cancer : favoring a multidisciplinary approach. Bull Cancer 2006 ;93(9) :831-834.

Bilodeau M., Girard S., Hébert J. and Sauvageau G. A retroviral strategy that efficiently creates a broad diversity of chromosomal deletions in mammalian stem cells. Nature Methods 2007;4(3):263-268.

Demers M., Biron-Pain K., Hébert J., Lamarre A., Magnaldo T. and St-Pierre Y. Galectin-7 in lymphoma: elevated expression in human lymphoid ma-lignancies and decreased lymphoma dissemination by antisense strategies in experimental model. Cancer Research 2007;67(6): 2824-2829.

Guzman M.-L., Li X., Corbett C.-A., Rossi R.-M., Bushnell T., Liesveld J.-L., Hébert J., Young F., Jordan C.-T. Rapid and selective death of leukemia stem and progenitor cells induced by the compound 4-benzyl, 2-methyl, 1,2,4-thiadiazolidine, 3,5 dione (TDZD-8). Blood 2007; 110(13): 4436-4444.

Sauvageau M., Miller M., Lemieux S., Lessard J., Hébert J., Sauvageau G. Quantitative expression profiling guided by common retroviral insertion sites reveals novel and cell type-specific cancer genes in leukemia. Blood 2008;111(2):790-799.

Jamal R, Bélisle C, Lessard MC, Hébert J, Roy DC, Levine R, Busque L.Evidence suggesting the presence of a stem cell clone anteceding the acquisition of the JAK2-V617F mutation. Leukemia 2008;22(8):1472-1474.

Ouellet V, Zietarska M, Portelance L, Lafontaine J, Madore J, Puiffe ML, Shen Z, Arcand S, Hébert J, Tonin PN, Provencher DM, Mes-Masson AM. Characterization of three new serous epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines. BMC Cancer 2008;8:152.    

Pappas J, Toulouse A, Hébert J, Fetni R, Bradley E. Allelic Methylation Bias of the RARB2 Tumor Suppressor Gene Promoter in Cancer.Genes, Chromosomes and Cancer 2008;47(11):978-993.

Yu Z, Chen T, Hébert J, Li E, Richard A mouse PRMT1 null allele defines an essential role for arginine methylation in genome   maintenance and cell proliferation. Mol Cell Biol. 2009 Jun;29(11):2982-96

Complete list of Dr. Hébert's publications (PubMed)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Grants

• Réseau-Cancer FRSQ 2007-2011 (QLCB).

QLCB and the Molecular Cytogenetics Facility IRIC-HMR are part of the Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR in treatment discoveries, Network of Centres of Excellence of Canada(bringing together the IRIC, HMR and the Groupe de Recherche Universitaire sur le Médicament (GRUM)).

Awards

• Amélie Giguère : COLE Foundation (2008 competition)
• Sawcène Hazourli : FRSQ (2007 competition)
• Marie-Noelle Séguin-Grignon: FRSQ (2009 competition)

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