Frank Beier , PhD
Children’s Health Research Institute
Scientist, Developmental Biology Program
Lawson Health Research Institute
Scientist, Children's Health Research Institute
University of Western Ontario
Associate Professor, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology
Contact Information
Tel: (519) 661-2111 Ext. 85344
E-mail: fbeier@uwo.ca
Brief Biography
Dr. Frank Beier attended the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany where he received his Ph.D in Biology in 1995. In 1996, he joined the laboratory of Dr. Phyllis LuValle at the University of Calgary as postdoctoral fellow, working on cell cycle control in chondrocytes.
Dr. Beier was appointed an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology & Pharmacology at The University of Western Ontario in 2001. In 2002 he was appointed an Associate Scientist of Children's Health Research Institute in the Developmental Biology program and in 2008 was appointed to Scientist. Dr. Beier also teaches in Western's Graduate Program in Developmental Biology and was awarded the Dean's Award of Excellence for Graduate Student Teaching in 2008. Dr. Beier holds a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Musculoskeletal Health
Research Interests
• Cell biology and functional genomics related to the musculoskeletal system.
• Skeletal development
• Osteoarthritis
Research Activities
Dr. Beier ’s lab works on the signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms that regulate the biology of cartilage cells (chondrocytes) and other skeletal cells. Chondrocytes direct the growth of most of our bones through their coordinated rates of proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. The Beier lab uses a combination of gene expression profiling and in-depth studies of identified genes to characterize the signaling and transcriptional networks regulating chondrocyte physiology. Current pathways of interest include Rho GTPases, the kinases Akt and GSK3beta, and several nuclear receptors.
Cartilage is also one of the major tissues affect in osteoarthritis. A second line of research in Dr. Beier’s lab is exploring the molecular mechanisms involved in onset and progression of osteoarthritis, using similar approaches as above in combination with surgical models in mice and rats. Interestingly, chondrocytes in osteoarthritic cartilage often acquire a phenotype reminiscent of that in developing cartilage, providing a potential target for disease intervention as well as a link between the two major research areas in Dr. Beier’s laboratory.
Awards and Recognition
Dean's Award of Excellence - Awarded by University of Western Ontario
Premier's Research Excellence Award - Awarded by Ministry of Research and Innovation
Funding in support of "“Rac1 function in endochondral ossification" - Awarded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Funding in support of “Transforming growth factor alpha in a rodent model of osteoarthritis” - Awarded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Funding in support of “Regulation of endochondral bone development by glucocorticoid signalling” - Awarded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research
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