Sarah McFarlane, University of Calgary

Research

Zebrafish Cell Signaling In Vivo Imaging Neurogenesis Progenitor Regeneration Retina Semaphorin

Latest papers

A sensitive orange fluorescent calcium ion indicator for imaging neural activity.
Nature communications · 2026
Müller Glia Subtypes Define Neuro-Glial Associations and Spatial Morphogen Axes in the Zebrafish Retina.
Glia · 2026 · senior author
Pinopsin Regulates Melatonin Production and Daily Locomotor Activity: Functional Insights From Gene-Edited Xenopus Tadpoles.
Journal of pineal research · 2026 · senior author

All 54 publications

Latest funding

The melanophore as a hub for environmental regulation of organismal homeostasis
NSERC · 2024 · Principal investigator
$63,000
Oxytocinergic regulation of bi-directional social contagion and social buffering during stress recall
CIHR · 2023 · Supervisor
$123,750
Semaphorin regulation of retinal neurogenesis and regeneration
CIHR · 2021 · Nominated PI
$956,250

All 16 grants and awards

54 publications.

01

A sensitive orange fluorescent calcium ion indicator for imaging neural activity.

Aggarwal A, Baker HA, Dürst CD, Chen IW, de Chambrier P, Stine C, Gonzales JM, Marvin JS, Vandal M, Lundberg T, Brown-Panton CA, Sakoi K, Patel R, Wang CY, Visser F, Fouad Y, Sunil S, Wiens M, Terai T, Takahashi-Yamashiro K, Thompson RJ, Brown TA, Nasu Y, Nguyen MD, Gordon GRJ, McFarlane S, Podgorski K, Holtmaat A, Campbell RE, Lohman AW

Nature communications2026

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-74553-4 PMID: 42331843

02

Müller Glia Subtypes Define Neuro-Glial Associations and Spatial Morphogen Axes in the Zebrafish Retina.

Storey SS, Hehr CL, Standing S, McFarlane S

Glia2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1002/glia.70220 PMID: 42711659

03

Pinopsin Regulates Melatonin Production and Daily Locomotor Activity: Functional Insights From Gene-Edited Xenopus Tadpoles.

Heshami N, Romero RD, de Souza FSJ, Bertolesi GE, McFarlane S

Journal of pineal research2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1111/jpi.70114 PMID: 41589501

04

Evolutionary adaptations of TRPA1 thermosensitivity and skin thermoregulation in vertebrates.

Bertolesi GE, Heshami N, McFarlane S

iScience2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.113369 PMID: 40978134

05

Semaphorin 3f and post-embryonic regulation of retinal progenitors.

Kalifa A, Hehr CL, Shewchuk KL, Mori-Kreiner R, Standing S, Halabi R, McFarlane S

PLoS genetics2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011748 PMID: 40658724

06

Interplay of Light, Melatonin, and Circadian Genes in Skin Pigmentation Regulation.

Bertolesi GE, Debnath N, Heshami N, Bui R, Zadeh-Haghighi H, Simon C, McFarlane S

Pigment cell & melanoma research2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.13220 PMID: 39825699

07

Visual input regulates melanophore differentiation.

Atkinson-Leadbeater K, Bertolesi GE, McFarlane S

Frontiers in cell and developmental biology2024Senior author

DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1437613 PMID: 39228400

08

Plexina4 and cell survival in the developing zebrafish hindbrain.

Nurcombe ZW, Hehr CL, McFarlane S

Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists2023Senior author

DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.633 PMID: 37283310

09

Cell-type expression and activation by light of neuropsins in the developing and mature Xenopus retina.

Man LLH, Storey SS, Bertolesi GE, McFarlane S

Frontiers in cellular neuroscience2023Senior author

DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1266945 PMID: 37799826

10

Differential Eye Expression of Xenopus Acyltransferase Gnpat and Its Biochemical Characterization Shed Light on Lipid-Associated Ocular Pathologies.

Bertolesi GE, Chilije MFJ, Li V, Thompson CC, López-Villalobos A, Hehr CL, Atkinson-Leadbeater K, Zaremberg V, McFarlane S

Investigative ophthalmology & visual science2023Senior author

DOI: 10.1167/iovs.64.5.17 PMID: 37204785

The melanophore as a hub for environmental regulation of organismal homeostasis

Principal investigatorNSERC2024Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: McFarlane, Sarah

Keywords: skin pigmentation; sensory; neural circuits; melanophore; xenopus; opsins; pineal gland; environmental adaptation; innate immunity; thermoregulation

$63,000

Oxytocinergic regulation of bi-directional social contagion and social buffering during stress recall

SupervisorCIHR2023CIHR REDI Early Career Transition Award - Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment

Principal investigators: Akinrinade, Ibukun

Keywords: Buffering; Contagion; Corticotrophin Releasing Hormone; Hypothalamus; Lateral Septum; Neural Circuit; Oxytocin; Paraventricular Nucleus; Social Behaviour; Stress

$123,750

Semaphorin regulation of retinal neurogenesis and regeneration

Nominated PICIHR2021Project Grant

Principal investigators: McFarlane, Sarah

Keywords: Cell Signaling; In Vivo Imaging; Neurogenesis; Progenitor; Regeneration; Retina; Semaphorin; Zebrafish

$956,250

Uncovering the origin and role of ultra-weak bio-photons using quantum measurement technology

Co-investigatorSSHRC2020New Frontiers in Research Fund - Exploration

Principal investigators: Oblak, Daniel

$250,000

BRAIN CREATE: Interdisciplinary Training Program for New Neurotechnologies

Co-investigatorNSERC2019Collaborative Research and Training Experience

Principal investigators: Poulin, Marc

$1,649,235

Environmental control of neural crest cell migration and proliferation

Principal investigatorNSERC2018Discovery Grants Program - Accelerator Supplements

Principal investigators: McFarlane, Sarah

$120,000

Environmental control of neural crest cell migration and proliferation

Principal investigatorNSERC2018Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: McFarlane, Sarah

$348,000

Identification and testing of novel inhibitors of pathological eye angiogenesis

Nominated PICIHR2016Project Grant

Principal investigators: McFarlane, Sarah

Keywords: Angiogenesis; Cell Guidance; Development; Eye; Model Organism; Neuron; Photoreceptor; Retinopathy; Semaphorins; Zebrafish

$738,225

Lipid biosynthesis and the control of morphogenesis

Principal investigatorNSERC2012Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: McFarlane, Sarah

$200,000

FGF signaling in the developing zebrafish visual system

SupervisorCIHR2010CIHR Fellowship

Principal investigators: Ebert, Alicia M

Keywords: Development; Fgf; Isl2b:Gfp; Morpholino; Neuroscience; Optic Tract; Retina; Retinal Gangion Cells; Semaphorin; Zebrafish

$90,000

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Developmental and Stem Cell Biology
Biology
Cell Biology and Anatomy
Neurosciences
Cell and Systems Biology
Medicine
Other

Co-authors at University of Calgary, colored by department. Thicker lines mean more shared papers; select anyone to open their profile and their own map.

Carol Schuurmans

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

2 shared papers, latest 2007

Sarah Childs

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

1 shared papers, latest 2016

Rhain Louis

Faculty

1 shared papers, latest 2016

Vincent Tropepe

Cell and Systems Biology

1 shared papers, latest 2016

Xiao-Yan Wen

Medicine

1 shared papers, latest 2016

Ian Scott

Developmental and Stem Cell Biology

1 shared papers, latest 2016

Pierre Drapeau

Neurosciences

1 shared papers, latest 2016

Joanna Wilson

Biology

1 shared papers, latest 2016

Peng Huang

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

1 shared papers, latest 2016

Marc Ekker

Biology

1 shared papers, latest 2016

Brian Ciruna

Developmental and Stem Cell Biology

1 shared papers, latest 2016

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their NSERC grant from 2024

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Zebrafish Dear Professor McFarlane, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "A sensitive orange fluorescent calcium ion indicator for imaging neural activity." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your NSERC-funded project "The melanophore as a hub for environmental regulation of organismal homeostasis" (2024), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]

Sarah McFarlane

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

A sensitive orange fluorescent calcium ion indicator for imaging neural activity.

M&#xfc;ller Glia Subtypes Define Neuro-Glial Associations and Spatial Morphogen Axes in the Zebrafish Retina.

Pinopsin Regulates Melatonin Production and Daily Locomotor Activity: Functional Insights From Gene-Edited Xenopus Tadpoles.

Evolutionary adaptations of TRPA1 thermosensitivity and skin thermoregulation in vertebrates.

Semaphorin 3f and post-embryonic regulation of retinal progenitors.

Interplay of Light, Melatonin, and Circadian Genes in Skin Pigmentation Regulation.

Visual input regulates melanophore differentiation.

Plexina4 and cell survival in the developing zebrafish hindbrain.

Cell-type expression and activation by light of neuropsins in the developing and mature Xenopus retina.

Differential Eye Expression of Xenopus Acyltransferase Gnpat and Its Biochemical Characterization Shed Light on Lipid-Associated Ocular Pathologies.

The melanophore as a hub for environmental regulation of organismal homeostasis

Oxytocinergic regulation of bi-directional social contagion and social buffering during stress recall

Semaphorin regulation of retinal neurogenesis and regeneration

Uncovering the origin and role of ultra-weak bio-photons using quantum measurement technology

BRAIN CREATE: Interdisciplinary Training Program for New Neurotechnologies

Environmental control of neural crest cell migration and proliferation

Environmental control of neural crest cell migration and proliferation

Identification and testing of novel inhibitors of pathological eye angiogenesis

Lipid biosynthesis and the control of morphogenesis

FGF signaling in the developing zebrafish visual system

Frequent collaborators

Carol Schuurmans

Sarah Childs

Rhain Louis

Vincent Tropepe

Xiao-Yan Wen

Ian Scott

Pierre Drapeau

Joanna Wilson

Peng Huang

Marc Ekker

Brian Ciruna

Müller Glia Subtypes Define Neuro-Glial Associations and Spatial Morphogen Axes in the Zebrafish Retina.