Dr. Michelle French

Teaching Area:
Physiology, Regenerative Medicine, Scientific Communication

Research Interests:
Enhancing student learning and engagement. Developing student critical thinking and communication skills.

Publications:
French, MB, Loeb, MB, Richardson, C and Singh, B (2009) Research preparedness paves the way to respond to pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza virus. Can. J. Infect. Dis. Med. Microbiol. 20:e63-e66. (Principal Author)

French, MB, Koch, U, Shaye, R.E., McGill, MA, Dho, SE, Guidos, C, and McGlade, CJ (2002) Transgenic expression of Numb inhibits Notch signaling in immature thymocytes, but does not alter T cell fate specification. J. Immunol. 168:3173-3180. (Principal Author)

Dho*, SE, French*, MB, Woods, SA, and McGlade, CJ (1999) Characterization of four mammalian numb protein isoforms. Identification of cytoplasmic and membrane-associated variants of the phosphotyrosine binding domain. J. Biol. Chem. 274:33097-33104. *(First and second authors contributed equally to the work). (Principal Author)

Dho, SE, Jacob, S, Wolting, CD, French, MB, Rohrschneider, LR and McGlade CJ (1998) The mammalian numb phosphotyrosine-binding domain. Characterization of binding specificity and identification of a novel PDZ domain-containing numb protein, LNX. J. Biol. Chem. 273:9179-8187. (Co-principal Author)

French, MB, Allison, J, Cram, DS, Thomas, HE, Dempsey-Collier, M, Silva, A, Georgiou, HM, Kay, TW, Harrison, LC and Lew, AM (1997) Transgenic expression of mouse proinsulin II prevents diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice. Diabetes 46:34-39. (Principal Author)

Rudy, G, Stone, N, Harrison, LC, Colman, PG, McNair, P, Brusic, V, French, MB, Honeyman, MC, Tait, B and Lew, AM (1995) Peptides with sequence similarity from two beta cell autoantigens, proinsulin and glutamic acid decarboxylase, stimulate T cells from individuals at risk for insulin-dependent diabetes. Molecular Medicine 1:625-633. (Co-principal author)

De Aizpurua, HJ, French, MB, Chosich, N and Harrison, LC (1994) Autoantibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice: relationship with diabetes incidence. J. Autoimmunity 7:643-653. (Principal Author)

French, MB, Moor, BC, Lussier, BT and Kraicer, J (1991) Growth hormone-releasing factor does not activate protein kinase C in somatotrophs. Mol. Cell. Endocrinol. 79:139-146. (Principal Author)

Kraicer, J, French, MB, Lussier, BT, Moor, BC and Brazeau, P (1991) A comparison of the biological activities of authentic rat GRF(1-43)OH with the analogue, rat GRF(1-29)NH2. Can. J. Physiol. Pharmacol. 69:181-184. (Co-principal Author)

Lussier, BT, French, MB, Moor, BC and Kraicer, J (1991) Free intracellular Ca2+ concentration and growth hormone release from purified rat somatotrophs. III. Mechanism of action of GH-releasing factor and somatostatin. Endocrinology 128:592-603. (Co-principal Author)

Lussier, BT, Wood, DA, French, MB, Moor, BC and Kraicer, J. (1991) Free intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and growth hormone release from purified rat somatotrophs. II. Somatostatin lowers [Ca2+]i by inhibiting Ca2+ influx. Endocrinology 128:583-591. (Co-principal Author)

Lussier, BT, French, MB, Moor, BC and Kraicer, J (1991) Free intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and growth hormone release from purified rat somatotrophs. I. GH-releasing factor-induced Ca2+ influx raises [Ca2+]i. Endocrinology 128:570-582. (Co-principal Author)

French, M., Lussier, BT, Moor, BC and Kraicer J (1990) Effect of growth hormone-releasing factor on phosphoinositide hydrolysis in somatotrophs. Mol. Cell. Endocrinol. 72:221-226. (Principal Author)

French, MB, Moor, BC, Lussier, BT and Kraicer, J (1989) Protein kinase C is not essential for growth hormone-releasing factor-induced growth hormone release from rat somatotrophs. Endocrinology 124:2235-2244. (Principal Author)

Narayanan, N, Lussier, B, French, M, Moor, B and Kraicer, J (1988) GH-releasing factor sensitive adenylate cyclase system of purified somatotrophs: effects of guanine nucleotides, somatostatin, calcium and magnesium. Endocrinology 124:484-495. (Collaborator)

Lussier, BT, Moor, BC, French, MB and Kraicer, J (1988) Release of growth hormone from purified somatotrophs: effects of the calcium channel antagonists diltiazem and nifedipine on release induced by growth hormone-releasing factor. Can. J. Physiol. Pharm. 66:1373-1380. (Co-principal Author)

French, MB, Vaitkus, P, Cukerman, E, Sirek, A and Sirek, OV (1987) Secretory pattern of canine growth hormone. Am. J. Physiol. 252(Endocrinol. Metab. 15):E268-E272. (Principal Author)

* Authors contributed equally to the paper

Awards, Affiliations, Personal Interests, etc.:
Excellence in Life Sciences Award – Undergraduate Teaching, 2012, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

Undergraduate Large Class Teaching Award, 2010-11, Department of Physiology, University of Toronto

University of Toronto Students’ Union and the Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students (UTSU/APUS) Teaching Award (2008-09) for HMB301H “Biotechnology”

JJB Smith Award of Excellence, 2006, (“in recognition of excellence in teaching for the Human Biology Programs”), Human Biology Alumni Association, University of Toronto

Excellence in Teaching in the Large Survey Courses Award, 2003-04, Department of Physiology, University of Toronto