Dr. Bonnie Deroo, PhD
Children’s Health Research Institute
Scientist, Molecular Genetics Program
Lawson Health Research Institute
Scientist, Children's Health Research Institute
The University of Western Ontario
Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry
Contact Information
Tel: (519) 685-8500 Ext. 55988
Fax: (519) 685-8186
E-mail: bderoo2@uwo.ca
Web: http://www.deroo.org
Brief Biography
Dr. Bonnie Deroo completed her doctoral studies in the Department of Biochemistry at The University of Western Ontario in 2002. She then trained at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in North Carolina as a Postdoctoral Fellow. She joined the Department of Biochemistry at The University of Western Ontario in July 2007.
Research Interests
• The role of estrogens in development of the human ovary.
• Mechanisms of transcriptional regulation by Estrogen Receptor
beta in the ovary.
• Estrogen receptor beta mutations and female infertility.
Research Activities
Infertility affects one in six Canadian couples, and in many cases is due to female infertility caused by infrequent or no ovulation. The goal of Dr. Deroo’s laboratory is to understand the role of estrogen in the developing ovary and to understand how an abnormal ovarian response to estrogen results in infertility. To study this role, mice which produce smaller litters and ovulate less frequently than normal mice are used. These mice lack the gene for Estrogen Receptor beta, an estrogen-binding transcription factor that is highly expressed in the ovary. There is genetic evidence suggesting that variants of the gene for Estrogen Receptor beta lead to ovulatory defects and infertility in women. Our goal is to understand what role ERbeta plays in normal ovulation to better understand causes of infertility in women.
Awards and Recognition
Funding in support of "Regulation of the Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein gene by Estrogen Receptor Beta and Follicle Stimulating Hormone" - Awarded by Children's Health Research Institute
Funding in support of "Dysregulation of extracellular matrix and cell adhesion gene expression in Estrogen Receptor beta-null ovarian follicles" - Awarded by Lawson Health Research Institiute
Funding in support of "Molecular and functional characterization of the thioredoxin/thioredoxin interacting protein complex" - Awarded by Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Funding in support of "Characterization of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein expression and regulation in mouse ovary and testis" - Awarded by University of Western Ontario
Funding in support of "The role of Tbx3 in ovarian function" - Awarded by Sick Kids Foundation and Canadian Institute of Health Research
Click here to see Publications
