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Tommy Alain

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Assistant ProfessorBiochemistry, Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Ottawa

Tommy Alain

Assistant 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.
37 publications in the last five years, latest in 2026.
Senior (last) author on 9 recent papers, a sign of leading a research group.
Principal investigator on 10 research grants (6 CIHR, 4 NSERC), most recently in 2025.
Supervised 1 trainee who won CIHR awards, most recently in 2020.

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

Publications

109

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

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Signals and details

Research

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

Immunotherapy 5'Leader Sequences Cancer Cells Codon Optimization Herpes Simplex Virus Mrna Stability Mrna Translation Promoter Regions

Latest papers

Estrogen-mediated NF-κB blockade enables breast cancer sensitivity to oncolytic VSV virotherapy.
Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy · 2026
Enhanced glioblastoma immunotherapy via SMAC mimetic dose escalation and TGFβ blockade.
Neuro-oncology advances · 2026
The 4EHP/GIGYF2 translation repressor complex is co-opted by the vaccinia virus K3L protein as a potential mechanism of immunoevasion.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026

All 84 publications

Latest funding

Unlocking T cell therapy for pediatric brain tumors
CIHR · 2026 · Co-investigator
$1,181,926
Small molecule enhancement of immune cell function to drive anti-cancer responses
CIHR · 2026 · Co-investigator
$1,178,100
Specialized mRNA translation regulates macrophage function in atherosclerosis
CIHR · 2025 · Co-investigator
$1,028,926

All 16 grants and awards

84 publications.

Estrogen-mediated NF-κB blockade enables breast cancer sensitivity to oncolytic VSV virotherapy.

Viens M, Geoffroy K, Meuriot E, Buccilli A, Mullins-Dansereau V, Myre ML, Paradisis S, Bardoul A, Kalin EM, Saraiva BA, Valencia J, Leclerc Desaulniers K, Hoang HD, Hassan S, Bell JC, Vanderhyden B, Alain T, Roy DG, Cook DP, Bourgeois-Daigneault MC

Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy2026

DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2026.04.061 PMID: 42093158

Enhanced glioblastoma immunotherapy via SMAC mimetic dose escalation and TGFβ blockade.

Malone K, Dugas M, Earl N, Alain T, Korneluk RG, LaCasse E, Beug ST

Neuro-oncology advances2026

DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdaf253 PMID: 41696491

The 4EHP/GIGYF2 translation repressor complex is co-opted by the vaccinia virus K3L protein as a potential mechanism of immunoevasion.

Ladak RJ, Pelin A, Zhuang H, Abboud C, Mahmood N, Blanchet J, Wu C, Hoang HD, McGirr T, Moshari A, Moustafa-Kamal M, Snell PH, Düsterhöft S, Berghuis AM, Trempe JF, Tremblay ML, Teodoro JG, Khoutorsky A, Alain T, Krogan NJ, Choi JH, Jafarnejad SM, Sonenberg N

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2026

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2618090123 PMID: 42709808

Effects of low-dose γ-radiation on skeletal muscle stem cells.

Sebastian S, Olowonyo O, Kavumkal J, Flegal M, Alain T, Klokov D

International journal of radiation biology2026

DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2026.2699713 PMID: 42617041

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

EBioMedicine2026

DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2026.106410

Oncolytic viruses in action: A successful unique case to be considered with caution.

Olagnier D, Alain T

Virologie (Montrouge, France)2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1684/vir.2025.1097 PMID: 40851539

The 16th Annual International Oncolytic Virotherapy Conference (IOVC) in Rotterdam: For the dreamers and doers of oncolytic virotherapy.

Olagnier D, Alain T

Virologie (Montrouge, France)2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1684/vir.2025.1077 PMID: 40186367

RSK1 and RSK2 modulate the translatome of glioblastoma cells in an isoform-specific and mTORC1 independent manner.

Roffé M, Nascimento DP, Nunes PB, Soares LC, Alves ADH, Hamraghani A, Almasi Y, Djaoud Z, Hajj GNM, Martins VR, Sonenberg N, Alain T

Neuro-oncology advances2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdaf144 PMID: 41122673

Ultrasound and Microbubble Mediated Delivery of Virus-Sensitizing Drugs Improves In Vitro Oncolytic Virotherapy Against Breast Cancer Cells.

Italiya KS, Mullins-Dansereau V, Geoffroy K, Gilchrist VH, Alain T, Bourgeois-Daigneault MC, Yu F

Ultrasound in medicine & biology2025

DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2025.03.010 PMID: 40234152

Antibiotic-mediated selection of randomly mutagenized and cytokine-expressing oncolytic viruses.

Rezaei R, Boulton S, Ahmadi M, Petryk J, Da Silva M, Kooshki Zamani N, Singaravelu R, St-Laurent G, Daniel L, Sadeghipour A, Pelin A, Poutou J, Munoz Zuniga AI, Choy C, Gilchrist VH, Khalid Z, Austin B, Onsu KA, Marius R, Ameli Z, Mohammadi F, Mancinelli V, Wang E, Nik-Akhtar A, Alwithenani A, Panahi Arasi F, Ferguson SSG, Hobman TC, Alain T, Tai LH, Ilkow CS, Diallo JS, Bell JC, Azad T

Nature biomedical engineering2025

DOI: 10.1038/s41551-024-01259-7 PMID: 39609558

Unlocking T cell therapy for pediatric brain tumors

Co-investigatorCIHR2026Project Grant

Principal investigators: Beug, Shawn T

Keywords: Adoptive Cell Therapy; Glioma; Iap Antagonists; Inhibitor Of Apoptosis; Pediatric Brain Tumor; Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocyte

$1,181,926

Small molecule enhancement of immune cell function to drive anti-cancer responses

Co-investigatorCIHR2026Project Grant

Principal investigators: Beug, Shawn T

Keywords: Breast Cancer; Cancer Cell Death; Smac Mimetics; Tumor Infiltrating Lymphoctes; Tumor Microenvironment

$1,178,100

Specialized mRNA translation regulates macrophage function in atherosclerosis

Co-investigatorCIHR2025Project Grant

Principal investigators: Rayner, Katey

Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Cholesterol; Inflammation; Rna

$1,028,926

A System to Monitor Molecular Mechanisms of Translation Control and Immunophenotyping

Principal investigatorNSERC2025Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Alain, Tommy

Keywords: translatome; transcriptome; messenger rna; protein; virology; polysome profiling; ribosome profiling; transgene expression; translation motif; vertebrate immunology

$149,636

RNA Canada ARN 2024 Meeting

Co-investigatorCIHR2024Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Principal investigators: Côté, Jocelyn

Keywords: Gene Expression; Ribonucleic Acids; Transcription; Translation

$15,000

Molecular Mechanisms of Translation Control for Viral-Delivered Transgenes

Principal investigatorNSERC2024Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Alain, Tommy

Keywords: translatome; transcriptome; messenger rna; protein; virology; polysome profiling; ribosome profiling; transgene expression; translation motif; biochemistry

$47,000

Development of Reovirus-based, orally administered, colon cancer vaccines.

Nominated PICIHR2024Project Grant

Principal investigators: Alain, Tommy

Keywords: Colon Cancer; Mouse Models; Oncolytic Viruses; Orally Administered; Polyps And Pre-Malignant Lesions; Prevention; Recombinant Viruses; Reovirus; Reverse Genetics; Tumour Antigens

$818,550

Viralyzing transgenes to improve oncolytic immunotherapy.

Nominated PICIHR2024Project Grant - PA: Breast Cancer Research

Principal investigators: Alain, Tommy

Keywords: 5'Leader Sequences; Cancer Cells; Codon Optimization; Herpes Simplex Virus; Immunotherapy; Mrna Stability; Mrna Translation; Promoter Regions; Transgene Expression; Vaccinia Virus

$100,000

Viralyzing transgenes to improve oncolytic immunotherapy.

Nominated PICIHR2023Project Grant - PA: Breast Cancer Research

Principal investigators: Alain, Tommy; Graber, Tyson

Keywords: 5'Leader Sequences; Cancer Cells; Codon Optimization; Herpes Simplex Virus; Immunotherapy; Mrna Stability; Mrna Translation; Promoter Regions; Transgene Expression; Vaccinia Virus

$100,000

Viralyzing transgenes to improve oncolytic immunotherapy

Nominated PICIHR2022Project Grant - PA: Breast Cancer Research

Principal investigators: Alain, Tommy; Graber, Tyson

Keywords: 5'Leader Sequences; Cancer Cells; Codon Optimization; Herpes Simplex Virus; Immunotherapy; Mrna Stability; Mrna Translation; Promoter Regions; Transgene Expression; Vaccinia Virus

$100,000

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.

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Tommy Alain

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Estrogen-mediated NF-&#x3ba;B blockade enables breast cancer sensitivity to oncolytic VSV virotherapy.

Enhanced glioblastoma immunotherapy via SMAC mimetic dose escalation and TGF&#x3b2; blockade.

The 4EHP/GIGYF2 translation repressor complex is co-opted by the vaccinia virus K3L protein as a potential mechanism of immunoevasion.

Effects of low-dose &#x3b3;-radiation on skeletal muscle stem cells.

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

Oncolytic viruses in action: A successful unique case to be considered with caution.

The 16th Annual International Oncolytic Virotherapy Conference (IOVC) in Rotterdam: For the dreamers and doers of oncolytic virotherapy.

RSK1 and RSK2 modulate the translatome of glioblastoma cells in an isoform-specific and mTORC1 independent manner.

Ultrasound and Microbubble Mediated Delivery of Virus-Sensitizing Drugs Improves In Vitro Oncolytic Virotherapy Against Breast Cancer Cells.

Antibiotic-mediated selection of randomly mutagenized and cytokine-expressing oncolytic viruses.

A System to Monitor Molecular Mechanisms of Translation Control and Immunophenotyping

Molecular Mechanisms of Translation Control for Viral-Delivered Transgenes

Frequent collaborators

Nahum Sonenberg

Jean-Simon Diallo

Maritza Jaramillo

Louis-Philippe Leroux

Rongtuan Lin

Arkady Khoutorsky

Robert Delatolla

Daniel Figeys

Anne-Claude Gingras

Karen Mossman

Marie-Claude Bourgeois-Daigneault

Lisheng Wang

Taha Azad

Tyson Graber

Suresh Gadde

Abolfazl Nik-Akhtar

Dmitry Klokov

Seung-Hwan Lee

Ruth McPherson

Mary-Ellen Harper

Barbara Vanderhyden

Lee-Hwa Tai

Thomas Duchaine

Martin Holcik

Mamatha Bhat

Yojiro Yamanaka

Miroslava Cuperlovic-Culf

Julien Van Grevenynghe

Zakia Djaoud

Peter Metrakos

Harold Atkins

Alexandre Blais

Xiang-Jiao Yang

Shimon Amir

Jerry Pelletier

Kai-Florian Storch

Masha Prager-Khoutorsky

Arnim Pause

Michael Pollak

Estrogen-mediated NF-κB blockade enables breast cancer sensitivity to oncolytic VSV virotherapy.

Enhanced glioblastoma immunotherapy via SMAC mimetic dose escalation and TGFβ blockade.

Effects of low-dose γ-radiation on skeletal muscle stem cells.