Ray Lu, University of Guelph

Research

animal stress gene regulation metabolism cellular stress response animal models transcription factor

Latest papers

Establishment of immortalized porcine intramuscular preadipocytes for the study of lipid metabolism.
Biochemistry and cell biology = Biochimie et biologie cellulaire · 2025 · senior author
CREB3 mediates the transcriptional regulation of PGC-1α, a master regulator of energy homeostasis and mitochondrial biogenesis.
FEBS letters · 2024 · senior author
ER stress-associated transcription factor CREB3 is essential for normal Ca2+, ATP, and ROS homeostasis.
Mitochondrion · 2023 · senior author

All 16 publications

Latest funding

Genes and genomics in mammalian unfolded protein responses and animal stress
NSERC · 2024 · Principal investigator
$40,000
A stress susceptibility-targeted approach for genetic improvement of pork meat quality
NSERC · 2019 · Principal investigator
$100,000
Axio Zoom Imaging System for 2D and 3D Analysis of Large Tissue Samples
NSERC · 2018 · Co-investigator
$148,774

All 3 grants and awards

16 publications.

01

Establishment of immortalized porcine intramuscular preadipocytes for the study of lipid metabolism.

Locke B, Lu R

Biochemistry and cell biology = Biochimie et biologie cellulaire2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1139/bcb-2024-0174 PMID: 40127467

02

CREB3 mediates the transcriptional regulation of PGC-1α, a master regulator of energy homeostasis and mitochondrial biogenesis.

Locke B, Campbell E, Lu R

FEBS letters2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14897 PMID: 38697949

03

ER stress-associated transcription factor CREB3 is essential for normal Ca2+, ATP, and ROS homeostasis.

Smith BS, Hewitt T, Bakovic M, Lu R

Mitochondrion2023Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2023.01.001 PMID: 36627030

04

Genetic alterations in CREBRF influence prostate cancer survival and impact prostate tissue homeostasis in mice.

Pascal LE, Frahm KA, Skalitzky KO, DeFranco DB, Rigatti LH, Lu R, Liu TT

American journal of clinical and experimental urology2023

PMID: 36923723

05

Transcription factor CREB3 is a potent regulator of high-fat diet-induced obesity and energy metabolism.

Smith BS, Diaguarachchige De Silva KH, Hashemi A, Duncan RE, Grapentine S, Bakovic M, Lu R

International journal of obesity (2005)2022Senior author

DOI: 10.1038/s41366-022-01128-w PMID: 35637262

06

A murine model of the human CREBRFR457Q obesity-risk variant does not influence energy or glucose homeostasis in response to nutritional stress.

Kanshana JS, Mattila PE, Ewing MC, Wood AN, Schoiswohl G, Meyer AC, Kowalski A, Rosenthal SL, Gingras S, Kaufman BA, Lu R, Weeks DE, McGarvey ST, Minster RL, Hawley NL, Kershaw EE

PloS one2021

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251895 PMID: 34520472

07

Loss of CREBRF Reduces Anxiety-like Behaviors and Circulating Glucocorticoids in Male and Female Mice.

Frahm KA, Williams AA, Wood AN, Ewing MC, Mattila PE, Chuan BW, Guo L, Shah FA, O'Donnell CP, Lu R, DeFranco DB

Endocrinology2020

DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqaa163 PMID: 32901804

08

LUMAN/CREB3 Plays a Dual Role in Stress Responses as a Cofactor of the Glucocorticoid Receptor and a Regulator of Secretion.

Penney J, Taylor T, MacLusky N, Lu R

Frontiers in molecular neuroscience2018Senior author

DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00352 PMID: 30337854

09

LUMAN/CREB3 is a key regulator of glucocorticoid-mediated stress responses.

Penney J, Mendell A, Zeng M, Tran K, Lymer J, Turner PV, Choleris E, MacLusky N, Lu R

Molecular and cellular endocrinology2017Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2016.10.022 PMID: 27789393

10

Characterization of nuclear foci-targeting of Luman/CREB3 recruitment factor (LRF/CREBRF) and its potential role in inhibition of herpes simplex virus-1 replication.

Audas TE, Hardy-Smith PW, Penney J, Taylor T, Lu R

European journal of cell biology2016Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2016.10.006 PMID: 28029379

Genes and genomics in mammalian unfolded protein responses and animal stress

Principal investigatorNSERC2024Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Lu, Ray

Keywords: animal stress; gene regulation; metabolism; cellular stress response; animal models; transcription factor

$40,000

A stress susceptibility-targeted approach for genetic improvement of pork meat quality

Principal investigatorNSERC2019Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Principal investigators: Lu, Ray

$100,000

Axio Zoom Imaging System for 2D and 3D Analysis of Large Tissue Samples

Co-investigatorNSERC2018Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Jones, Nina

$148,774

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

Pathobiology
Psychology
Molecular and Cellular Biology
Human Health and Nutritional Sciences
Biomedical Sciences

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

Neil MacLusky

Biomedical Sciences

2 shared papers, latest 2018

Marica Bakovic

Human Health and Nutritional Sciences

2 shared papers, latest 2023

Claire Jardine

Pathobiology

1 shared papers, latest 2015

Shayan Sharif

Pathobiology

1 shared papers, latest 2016

Dorothee Bienzle

Pathobiology

1 shared papers, latest 2009

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: animal stress Dear Professor Lu, 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 "Establishment of immortalized porcine intramuscular preadipocytes for the study of lipid metabolism." (2025), 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 "Genes and genomics in mammalian unfolded protein responses and animal stress" (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]

Ray Lu

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Establishment of immortalized porcine intramuscular preadipocytes for the study of lipid metabolism.

CREB3 mediates the transcriptional regulation of PGC-1α, a master regulator of energy homeostasis and mitochondrial biogenesis.

ER stress-associated transcription factor CREB3 is essential for normal Ca2+, ATP, and ROS homeostasis.

Genetic alterations in CREBRF influence prostate cancer survival and impact prostate tissue homeostasis in mice.

Transcription factor CREB3 is a potent regulator of high-fat diet-induced obesity and energy metabolism.

A murine model of the human CREBRFR457Q obesity-risk variant does not influence energy or glucose homeostasis in response to nutritional stress.

Loss of CREBRF Reduces Anxiety-like Behaviors and Circulating Glucocorticoids in Male and Female Mice.

LUMAN/CREB3 Plays a Dual Role in Stress Responses as a Cofactor of the Glucocorticoid Receptor and a Regulator of Secretion.

LUMAN/CREB3 is a key regulator of glucocorticoid-mediated stress responses.

Characterization of nuclear foci-targeting of Luman/CREB3 recruitment factor (LRF/CREBRF) and its potential role in inhibition of herpes simplex virus-1 replication.

Genes and genomics in mammalian unfolded protein responses and animal stress

A stress susceptibility-targeted approach for genetic improvement of pork meat quality

Axio Zoom Imaging System for 2D and 3D Analysis of Large Tissue Samples

Frequent collaborators

Elena Choleris

Neil MacLusky

Marica Bakovic

Claire Jardine

Shayan Sharif

Martin Kavaliers

Dorothee Bienzle

Ray Lu

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Establishment of immortalized porcine intramuscular preadipocytes for the study of lipid metabolism.

CREB3 mediates the transcriptional regulation of PGC-1&#x3b1;, a master regulator of energy homeostasis and mitochondrial biogenesis.

ER stress-associated transcription factor CREB3 is essential for normal Ca2+, ATP, and ROS homeostasis.

Genetic alterations in CREBRF influence prostate cancer survival and impact prostate tissue homeostasis in mice.

Transcription factor CREB3 is a potent regulator of high-fat diet-induced obesity and energy metabolism.

A murine model of the human CREBRFR457Q obesity-risk variant does not influence energy or glucose homeostasis in response to nutritional stress.

Loss of CREBRF Reduces Anxiety-like Behaviors and Circulating Glucocorticoids in Male and Female Mice.

LUMAN/CREB3 Plays a Dual Role in Stress Responses as a Cofactor of the Glucocorticoid Receptor and a Regulator of Secretion.

LUMAN/CREB3 is a key regulator of glucocorticoid-mediated stress responses.

Characterization of nuclear foci-targeting of Luman/CREB3 recruitment factor (LRF/CREBRF) and its potential role in inhibition of herpes simplex virus-1 replication.

Genes and genomics in mammalian unfolded protein responses and animal stress

A stress susceptibility-targeted approach for genetic improvement of pork meat quality

Axio Zoom Imaging System for 2D and 3D Analysis of Large Tissue Samples

Frequent collaborators

Elena Choleris

Neil MacLusky

Marica Bakovic

Claire Jardine

Shayan Sharif

Martin Kavaliers

Dorothee Bienzle

CREB3 mediates the transcriptional regulation of PGC-1α, a master regulator of energy homeostasis and mitochondrial biogenesis.