Faculty profile

Mary-Ellen Harper

Back to faculty

Full ProfessorBiochemistry, Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Ottawa

Mary-Ellen Harper

Full Professor

Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology

Faculty of Medicine

University of Ottawa

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Supervision signals

Professors usually supervise graduate students in their department's programs.
29 publications in the last five years, latest in 2026.
Senior (last) author on 12 recent papers, a sign of leading a research group.
Principal investigator on 14 research grants (8 NSERC, 6 CIHR), most recently in 2023.
Supervised 7 trainees who won CIHR awards, most recently in 2025.

These signals come from public records, including CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions. Ask the professor or the graduate program whether they are taking new students.

Academic metrics

148

Publications

292

Citations

h-index

Collaborators

Grants

Publications by year

Counts cover the works listed on the university profile; citation counts come from Dimensions.

Profiles and links

University Profile Search on Google Scholar

Find them onX · LinkedIn · Bluesky · YouTube

Signals and details

Research

Read how they describe their research on their University of Ottawa profile.

Mitochondria Obesity Exercise Metabolic Programming Energy Metabolism Micro Rna Rna Expression Crc

Latest papers

Functional and metabolomic analyses of brown adipose tissue during cold-deacclimation reveal rapid N-acetylated amino acid adaptations.
iScience · 2026 · senior author
Skeletal muscle reprogramming of metabolic, ribosomal and developmental pathways contributes to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass-induced adaptation in women
EBioMedicine · 2026 · senior author
High-Quality Weight Loss in Obesity: Importance of Skeletal Muscle.
Diabetes · 2025 · first author

All 148 publications

Latest funding

Functional and integrative omics analysis of xCT inactivation in cardiac ischemia reperfusion injury
CIHR · 2025 · Supervisor
$120,000
Canada Research Chair - Tier 1
CIHR · 2023 · Nominated PI
$1,400,000
Skeletal Muscle Energetics & Metabolic Reprogramming in Obesity: Effects of Bariatric Surgery
CIHR · 2023 · Supervisor
$105,000

All 27 grants and awards

148 publications.

Functional and metabolomic analyses of brown adipose tissue during cold-deacclimation reveal rapid N-acetylated amino acid adaptations.

Pileggi CA, McIlroy E, Hamilton LMK, Kuksal N, Kennedy LS, Vasilyeva V, Kanaan MN, El Hankouri Z, Burelle Y, Cuperlovic-Culf M, Harper ME

iScience2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.115146 PMID: 41869569

Skeletal muscle reprogramming of metabolic, ribosomal and developmental pathways contributes to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass-induced adaptation in women

Pileggi CA, Mohottalage D, Kennedy LS, Nikpay M, Hamilton LMK, Roffe M, Kanaan MN, Jarrar A, Kolozsvari N, Wang D

EBioMedicine2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2026.106410

High-Quality Weight Loss in Obesity: Importance of Skeletal Muscle.

Harper ME, Dent RRM, McPherson R

Diabetes2025First author

DOI: 10.2337/dbi25-0003 PMID: 40627348

Computational approaches to enzymatic reaction assignment: a review of methods, validations, and future directions.

Kennedy L, Harper ME, Cuperlovic-Culf M

Briefings in bioinformatics2025

DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbaf635 PMID: 41319045

Impaired xCT-mediated cystine uptake drives serine and proline metabolic reprogramming and mitochondrial fission in skeletal muscle cells.

Kanaan MN, Karam CY, Kennedy LS, Pileggi CA, Hamilton L, Cuperlovic-Culf M, Harper ME

Redox biology2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2025.103839 PMID: 40876441

Complexome profiling identifies changes in mitochondrial supercomplexes in murine heart failure.

Fong-McMaster C, McIlroy E, Levesque MM, Myers S, Pulente SM, Gahla G, Lorenzen-Schmidt I, Cuperlovic-Culf M, Haqqani AS, Mulvihill EE, Harper ME

American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00278.2025 PMID: 40588349

A hybrid machine learning framework for functional annotation of mitochondrial glutathione transport and metabolism proteins in cancers.

Kennedy L, Sandhu JK, Harper ME, Cuperlovic-Culf M

BMC bioinformatics2025

DOI: 10.1186/s12859-025-06051-1 PMID: 39934670

Integrated bioinformatic and in vivo analysis confirms the cardioprotective role of OPA1.

Fong-McMaster C, Pulente SM, Kennedy LS, Smith TKT, Myers S, Kanaan MN, Karam CY, Cope M, Levesque MM, McIlroy E, Lorenzen-Schmidt I, Goergen CJ, Fullerton MD, Cuperlovic-Culf M, Mulvihill EE, Harper ME

BMC cardiovascular disorders2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1186/s12872-025-05413-0 PMID: 41366320

Intestinal adaptation to cold-induced metabolic demand and feeding requires GLP-1R and GLP-2R signalling.

Morrow NM, Hanson AA, Fong-McMaster C, Livingston DBH, Osman H, Hamilton L, Trzaskalski NA, Locatelli CAA, Bellefleur MN, Messika-Zeitoun E, Cino SM, Pulente SM, Abramchuk I, Zhao X, Lorenzen-Schmidt I, Morissette A, Power KA, Harper ME, Mulvihill EE

Communications biology2025

DOI: 10.1038/s42003-025-09281-4 PMID: 41345787

AMPK-mediated regulation of endogenous cholesterol synthesis does not affect atherosclerosis in a murine Pcsk9-AAV model.

Smith TKT, Ghorbani P, LeBlond ND, Nunes JRC, O'Dwyer C, Ambursley N, Fong-McMaster C, Minarrieta L, Burkovsky LA, El-Hakim R, Trzaskalski NA, Locatelli CAA, Stotts C, Pember C, Rayner KJ, Kemp BE, Loh K, Harper ME, Mulvihill EE, St-Pierre J, Fullerton MD

Atherosclerosis2024

DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2024.117608 PMID: 38880706

Functional and integrative omics analysis of xCT inactivation in cardiac ischemia reperfusion injury

SupervisorCIHR2025DRA : Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Doctoral Program (CGRS D)

Principal investigators: McIlroy, Ella C

Keywords: Bioinformatics; Heart Failure; Metabolism; Oxidative Stress; Proteomics

$120,000

Canada Research Chair - Tier 1

Nominated PICIHR2023Canada Research Chairs - CIHR Funded - Tier 1

Principal investigators: Harper, Mary-Ellen

Keywords: Crc

$1,400,000

Skeletal Muscle Energetics & Metabolic Reprogramming in Obesity: Effects of Bariatric Surgery

SupervisorCIHR2023Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Principal investigators: Mohottalage, Dhanuddara N

Keywords: Bariatric Surgery; Epigenomics; Metabolomics; Obesity; Skeletal Muscle Energetics; Type 2 Diabetes

$105,000

Skeletal muscle energetics and metabolic programming in treatment -sensitive and -resistant obesity

Nominated PICIHR2022Project Grant

Principal investigators: Harper, Mary-Ellen

Keywords: Bariatric Surgery; Bioinformatics; Exercise; Metabolic Programming; Metabolism; Metabolomics; Mitochondria; Obesity; Skeletal Muscle

$902,700

Mitochondrial supercomplex formation in the prevention of heart failure

SupervisorCIHR2021Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Principal investigators: Fong-McMaster, Claire

Keywords: Bioenergetics; Heart; Heart Failure; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells; Microscopy; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial Supercomplexes; Optic Atrophy Protein-1; Oxidative Stress; Respirometry

$105,000

Novel thermoregulatory mechanisms in brown adipose tissue

Principal investigatorNSERC2020Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Harper, Mary-Ellen

$390,000

Identification of molecular mechanisms involved in the biological response to implant wear and corrosion

Co-investigatorCIHR2019Project Grant

Principal investigators: Catelas, Isabelle

Keywords: Animal Models; Biomaterials; Cell Culture; Implants; Inflammatory Response; Medical Devices; Metal Ions; Molecular Mechanisms; Wear Particles

$826,200

Metabolomics Advanced Training and International Exchange (CREATE-MATRIX)

Principal investigatorNSERC2018Collaborative Research and Training Experience

Principal investigators: Harper, MaryEllen

$1,650,000

Identification of molecular mechanisms involved in the biological response to implant wear and corrosion

Co-investigatorCIHR2018Project Grant - PA: MSK, Skin and Oral Health: Clinical Research - MSK Health

Principal investigators: Catelas, Isabelle

Keywords: Animal Models; Biomaterials; Cell Culture; Implants; Inflammatory Response; Medical Devices; Metal Ions; Molecular Mechanisms; Wear Particles

$100,000

Saltin International PhD Course in Clinical and Exercise Physiology

Co-investigatorCIHR2017Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Principal investigators: Wright, David

Keywords: Adipose Tissue; Aging; Cardiovascular Disease; Diabetes; Exercise; Maternal Health; Nutrition; Obesity; Sex Differences; Skeletal Muscle

$20,000

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

Profile data last refreshed on September 25, 2026 from the university directory, publication records and CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding.

Something wrong or missing on this profile? Suggest a correction

Mary-Ellen Harper

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Functional and metabolomic analyses of brown adipose tissue during cold-deacclimation reveal rapid N-acetylated amino acid adaptations.

Skeletal muscle reprogramming of metabolic, ribosomal and developmental pathways contributes to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass-induced adaptation in women

High-Quality Weight Loss in Obesity: Importance of Skeletal Muscle.

Computational approaches to enzymatic reaction assignment: a review of methods, validations, and future directions.

Impaired xCT-mediated cystine uptake drives serine and proline metabolic reprogramming and mitochondrial fission in skeletal muscle cells.

Complexome profiling identifies changes in mitochondrial supercomplexes in murine heart failure.

A hybrid machine learning framework for functional annotation of mitochondrial glutathione transport and metabolism proteins in cancers.

Integrated bioinformatic and in vivo analysis confirms the cardioprotective role of OPA1.

Intestinal adaptation to cold-induced metabolic demand and feeding requires GLP-1R and GLP-2R signalling.

AMPK-mediated regulation of endogenous cholesterol synthesis does not affect atherosclerosis in a murine Pcsk9-AAV model.

Novel thermoregulatory mechanisms in brown adipose tissue

Metabolomics Advanced Training and International Exchange (CREATE-MATRIX)

Frequent collaborators

Ruth McPherson

Miroslava Cuperlovic-Culf

Yan Burelle

Mireille Khacho

Jean Michaud

Pranesh Chakraborty

Baptiste Lacoste

Wenbin Liang

Alexandre Blais

Tommy Alain

Julie St-Pierre

Jean-Marc Renaud

Martin Holcik

Denis Prud'homme

Olga Jarinova

Kristin Baetz

Keir Menzies

Jacek Majewski

Mona Nemer

Gregory Steinberg

Isabelle Catelas

Dongdong Wang

Siegfried Hekimi

Subash Sad

Hsiao-Huei Chen

Peter Liu

Marie-Claude Bourgeois-Daigneault

Lisheng Wang

Mannix Auger-Messier

Alain Stintzi

Kristi Adamo

George Wells

David Dyment

Guillaume Pare

Rashmi Kothary

Katey Rayner

Jason Brophy

Seung-Hwan Lee

Robert deKemp

Rémi Rabasa-Lhoret