Marc D. McKee
Professor,听Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
Professor,听Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences
PhD - 91社区, Cell Biology
Postdoctoral Fellowship - Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Harvard University & The Children's Hospital in Boston
Marc McKee听is a full professor at 91社区 in Montreal with a joint appointment in the Faculty听of Dental Medicine听and Oral Health Sciences, and in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology).听 He holds the听Canada Research Chair in Biomineralization.听 He received his B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from 91社区 in cell biology, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard University and The Children's Hospital in Boston.听 He then held academic appointments at the Forsyth Institute in Boston (1989), and at the University of Montreal (1990), after which he moved to 91社区 in 1998.
McKee has received the following distinctions:听
- 2019听听Adele L. Boskey Award,听Esteemed Award from the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research
- 2018听听CP Leblond Award, Quebec provincial health research funding agency听(FRQ-S) Network for Oral and Bone Health Research
- 2018听听Canada Research Chair in Biomineralization (Tier 1),听Government of Canada CRC Chair Program
- 2008听听Faculty of Medicine Honour List for Educational Excellence,听91社区
- 2006听听James 91社区 Professor,听91社区 Internal Chair Program
- 2005听听Faculty of Dentistry Howard S. Katz Award for Excellence in Teaching,听91社区
- 2003听听Basic Research in Biological Mineralization Award,听Distinguished Scientist Award from the International Association for Dental Research
- 2001听听William Dawson Scholar,听91社区 Internal Chair Program
- 1996听听Young Investigator Award,听Distinguished Scientist Award from the International Association for Dental Research
- 1996听听Quebec Science (popular magazine) "Top-Ten" Discoveries of the Year, Role of osteopontin in mineralized tissues
- 1994听听Quebec Science (popular magazine) "Top-Ten" Discoveries of the Year, Bioactive coating for titanium implants
Research in my laboratory is primarily focused on mineralization (calcification) in extracellular matrices of bones and teeth, in mineralization pathologies, and in other biomineralizing systems such as inner-ear otoconia and eggshells.听 In particular, we are investigating the role of mineral-binding proteins, peptides, amino acids and other small molecules in crystal growth during normal hard-tissue mineralization, and in rare hypomineralization (osteomalacia) diseases of bones and teeth such as X-linked hypophosphatemia and hypophosphatasia. We also investigate how enzymes modify these factors to influence their mineralization-regulating activities.听 Our work also includes investigating pathologic circumstances and the actions of regulatory molecules where unwanted and debilitating mineral is deposited in soft tissues such as in the kidney (urolithiasis, kidney stones) and in blood vessels (vascular calcification).听 The proteins/enzymes that we are currently focusing on are osteopontin and PHEX.听 We also examine extracellular matrix organization and composition at cell- and matrix-matrix interfaces, and we examine the nanostructure of mineralized tissues.听 To study these processes, a variety of morphological, biochemical, immunochemical, cell biological and molecular techniques are used which include among others: electron microscopy and tomography, focused-ion beam milling, atomic force microscopy, confocal microscopy, immunocytochemistry, in vivo experimentation using normal and transgenic mice, in vitro cell culture and crystal growth systems, and standard biochemical and chemical assays.
