Benjamin Blencowe, University of Toronto

Research

Alternative Splicing Gene Regulation Functional Genomics Rna Binding Proteins Rna-Seq Transcriptomics Bioinformatics Human Disease

Latest papers

RNA-binding proteins that lack canonical RNA-binding domains are rarely sequence-specific.
Scientific reports · 2023
Publisher Correction: Nuclear compartmentalization of TERT mRNA and TUG1 lncRNA is driven by intron retention.
Nature communications · 2021
Nuclear compartmentalization of TERT mRNA and TUG1 lncRNA is driven by intron retention.
Nature communications · 2021

All 5 publications

Latest funding

Discovery, characterization and rescue of defective alternative polyadenylation in human neuronal aging
CIHR · 2025 · Supervisor
$140,000
Systematic discovery and characterization of alternative splicing regulatory mechanisms
CIHR · 2024 · Nominated PI
$1,388,476
Exon and intron resolution functional genomics
CIHR · 2022 · Nominated PI
$1,526,176

All 19 grants and awards

5 publications.

01

RNA-binding proteins that lack canonical RNA-binding domains are rarely sequence-specific.

Ray D, Laverty KU, Jolma A, Nie K, Samson R, Pour SE, Tam CL, von Krosigk N, Nabeel-Shah S, Albu M, Zheng H, Perron G, Lee H, Najafabadi H, Blencowe B, Greenblatt J, Morris Q, Hughes TR

Scientific reports2023

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32245-9 PMID: 37002329

02

Publisher Correction: Nuclear compartmentalization of TERT mRNA and TUG1 lncRNA is driven by intron retention.

Dumbović G, Braunschweig U, Langner HK, Smallegan M, Biayna J, Hass EP, Jastrzebska K, Blencowe B, Cech TR, Caruthers MH, Rinn JL

Nature communications2021

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26492-5 PMID: 34675241

03

Nuclear compartmentalization of TERT mRNA and TUG1 lncRNA is driven by intron retention.

Dumbović G, Braunschweig U, Langner HK, Smallegan M, Biayna J, Hass EP, Jastrzebska K, Blencowe B, Cech TR, Caruthers MH, Rinn JL

Nature communications2021

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23221-w PMID: 34083519

04

Identification of small molecule modulators of HIV-1 Tat and Rev protein accumulation.

Balachandran A, Wong R, Stoilov P, Pan S, Blencowe B, Cheung P, Harrigan PR, Cochrane A

Retrovirology2017

DOI: 10.1186/s12977-017-0330-0 PMID: 28122580

05

Post-transcriptional gene regulation: RNA-protein interactions, RNA processing, mRNA stability and localization.

Blencowe B, Brenner S, Hughes T, Morris Q

Pacific Symposium on Biocomputing. Pacific Symposium on Biocomputing2009First author

PMID: 19209730

Discovery, characterization and rescue of defective alternative polyadenylation in human neuronal aging

SupervisorCIHR2025Canada Postdoctoral Research Award (CPRA) program

Principal investigators: Shah, Syed N

Keywords: Aging; Alternative Polyadenylation; Ipscs; Neurons; Omics; Rna Biology

$140,000

Systematic discovery and characterization of alternative splicing regulatory mechanisms

Nominated PICIHR2024Project Grant

Principal investigators: Blencowe, Benjamin J

Keywords: Alternative Splicing; Crispr-Casrx Rna Targeting; Gene Regulation; Rna Binding Proteins

$1,388,476

Exon and intron resolution functional genomics

Nominated PICIHR2022Project Grant

Principal investigators: Blencowe, Benjamin J

Keywords: Alternative Splicing; Crispr-Cas Genome Editing; Functional Genomics; Gene Regulation; Rna Processing; Rna-Seq; Transcriptomics

$1,526,176

Mapping the Emergence and Functional Impact of Novel SARS-CoV-2 Variants

Co-investigatorCIHR2021Operating Grant: Emerging COVID-19 Research Gaps and Priorities - Variants

Principal investigators: Wrana, Jeffrey L

Keywords: Functional Mapping; Sars-Cov-2 Variants; Variant Identification

Canada Research Chair Tier 1

Nominated PICIHR2020Canada Research Chairs - CIHR Funded - Tier 1

Principal investigators: Blencowe, Benjamin J

Keywords: Crc

$1,400,000

Investigating Nuclear Organization-Function Relationships

SupervisorCIHR2019CIHR Fellowship

Principal investigators: Barutcu, Ahmet R

Keywords: Autism Spectrum Disorder; Crispr; Nuclear Organization; Rna Biology; Splicing

$45,000

Systematic identification and characterization of neuronal alternative splicing networks underlying nervous system development and disorders

SupervisorCIHR2017CIHR Fellowship

Principal investigators: Gonatopoulos-Pournatzis, Thomas

Keywords: Alternative Splicing; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Crispr Screens; Functional Genomics; High-Throughput Sequencing; Post-Transcriptional Gene Regulation; Systematic Approaches; Translational Control

$135,000

Regenerative biomaterials in vascularized tissue engineering

Co-investigatorCIHR2016Foundation Grant

Principal investigators: Sefton, Michael V

Keywords: Biomaterials; Endothelial Cells; Host Response; Macrophage; Tissue Engineering; Vascularization

$844,003

Discovery and characterization of alternative splicing regulatory networks with critical roles in development and disease

Nominated PICIHR2015Foundation Grant

Principal investigators: Blencowe, Benjamin J

Keywords: Bioinformatics; Cell Fate Control; Functional Genomics; Gene Regulation; Human Disease; Non-Coding Rna; Proteomics; Rna Binding Proteins; Rna Splicing; Transcriptomics

$6,627,384

High-throughput identification and characterization of novel compounds that increase splicing inclusion of neural-specific "micro-exons".

SupervisorCIHR2015CIHR Fellowship

Principal investigators: Best, Andrew J

Keywords: Alternative Splicing (As); Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd); Drug Discovery; High-Throughput Splicing Assay; Micro-Exons; Rna-Seq; Splicing Modulation

$135,000

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

Donnelly Centre
Faculty of Medicine / Computer Science
Department of Molecular Genetics
Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research

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

Quaid Morris

Faculty of Medicine / Computer Science

2 shared papers, latest 2023

Jack Greenblatt

Donnelly Centre

1 shared papers, latest 2023

Timothy Hughes

Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research

1 shared papers, latest 2009

Alan Cochrane

Department of Molecular Genetics

1 shared papers, latest 2017

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 CIHR grant from 2024

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Alternative Splicing Dear Professor Blencowe, 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 "RNA-binding proteins that lack canonical RNA-binding domains are rarely sequence-specific." (2023), 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 CIHR-funded project "Systematic discovery and characterization of alternative splicing regulatory mechanisms" (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]