Dr. Jocelyn Côté
Dr. Jocelyn Côté was appointed Vice-Dean of Research and Innovation at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Medicine in 2019 and reappointed for a second term in January 2025. A long-time researcher, educator and leader in the Faculty, Dr. Côté has served as Vice-Dean of the portfolio since May 2019, building on his experience as Assistant Dean of Research & Special Projects (2014–2019) and Director of the Common Equipment & Technical Services Core Facility (2012–2014). Since taking on this role, Dr. Côté has led the development of new programs and initiatives to support the continued growth and visibility of the Faculty’s research and innovation portfolios.
Highlights of Dr. Côté’s first term include the Faculty’s growing successes in research outputs and in securing highly competitive external funding, accounting for close to 60% of all uOttawa research revenues and > 90% of all CIHR Project Grant funding. His leadership also contributed to the Faculty and Affiliated Research Institutes securing more than $250M in large-scale research grants, thus achieving national and international recognition and consistently ranking among the top 5 Faculties of Medicine in Canada for research impact and intensity and top 100 worldwide (Times Higher Education, 2024). Faculty Members were also recognized globally as leaders in medical research, as demonstrated through leadership on more than 15 major national/international research networks and more than 120 research prizes and awards from prestigious organizations such as The Royal Society of Canada, Physicians Services Incorporated and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.
Dr. Côté completed his PhD in microbiology at the Université de Sherbrooke in 1998, followed by postdoctoral fellowships at Washington University in St. Louis and McGill University's Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research. His research focuses on the role of arginine methylation, a post-translational modification of RNA-binding proteins, in regulating gene expression and its dysregulation in diseases such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), myotonic dystrophy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and cancer.
His lab investigates three key areas: (i) how arginine methylation regulates RNA-binding protein function in health and disease, (ii) the role of Tudor domain-containing proteins as ‘readers’ of methylation marks, and (iii) the contribution of arginine methylation to cancer progression. His work on the SMN protein revealed its role in assembling RNA-protein complexes essential for motor neuron function, providing crucial insights into SMA pathophysiology and potential therapies. His studies on TDRD3 demonstrated its role in selective protein translation and breast cancer progression. Additionally, he leads projects on the impact of protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMT1v2, PRMT6, and PRMT7) in breast cancer, with potential therapeutic applications.
Dr. Côté has received numerous accolades, including the CIHR New Investigator Award (2005), the Distinguished Young Professor Award (2008), and the Canada Research Chair in RNA Metabolism in Health and Disease (2005-2015). His research, funded by CIHR, NSERC, the Cancer Research Society, and CureSMA, continues to drive discoveries that inform novel therapeutic strategies for neuromuscular diseases and cancer.
