Faculty profile

Brian Ciruna

ResearcherDevelopmental and Stem Cell BiologyUniversity of Toronto

This profile is built from public research funding records (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) and PubMed. We have not imported them from a University of Toronto directory, so their courses and email address may be missing. Find their university profile.

Brian Ciruna

Researcher

Developmental and Stem Cell Biology

Health Sciences

University of Toronto

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Supervision signals

Has led research grants, which requires an independent research appointment. Ask their department whether they supervise graduate students.
11 publications in the last five years, latest in 2026.
Senior (last) author on 4 recent papers, a sign of leading a research group.
Principal investigator on 14 research grants (11 CIHR, 3 NSERC), most recently in 2026.
Supervised 5 trainees who won CIHR awards, most recently in 2021.

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

Citations

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Collaborators

Grants

Publications by year

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

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Signals and details

Research

Idiopathic Scoliosis Developmental Genetics Clinical Study Collagen Matrix Remodelling Intervertebral Disc Oxidative Stress Prognostic Biomarker Shear Wave Elastography

Latest papers

MORF4L1, encoding a chromatin remodeler, is mutated in a recognizable dysmorphic neurodevelopmental disorder.
Scientific reports · 2026
Fluid shear stress activates a targetable mechano-metastatic cascade to promote medulloblastoma metastasis.
Nature biomedical engineering · 2026
tRNA-overlapping long non-coding RNA loci repress codon-biased genes.
Cell reports · 2025

All 29 publications

Latest funding

Investigating oxidative stress-induced ECM remodelling and intervertebral disc defects in the etiopathogenesis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS)
CIHR · 2026 · Nominated PI
$1,373,176
Investigating oxidative stress-induced ECM remodelling and intervertebral disc defects in the etiopathogenesis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS)
CIHR · 2025 · Nominated PI
$100,000
Canada Research Chair - Tier 1
CIHR · 2024 · Nominated PI
$1,400,000

All 21 grants and awards

29 publications.

MORF4L1, encoding a chromatin remodeler, is mutated in a recognizable dysmorphic neurodevelopmental disorder.

Shamseldin HE, Marafi D, AlMuhaizea M, Ceolin C', Abdulwahab F, Alshidi T, Albash B, Alabdulrazzaq F, Murthy HR, Van Gennip JLM, Harmic IM, Simonian R, Cui X, Burgess J, Ciruna B, Deshwar AR, Alkuraya FS, AlAbdi L

Scientific reports2026

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-61907-7 PMID: 42457791

Fluid shear stress activates a targetable mechano-metastatic cascade to promote medulloblastoma metastasis.

Min HK, Zhao H, Bahcheli A, Pan P, Chan J, Chen J, Low E, Zhou Y, Wang X, Bajic S, Peng R, Wanggou S, Yang Q, Zhang RDY, Wang L, Ren X, Qi H, Shi Y, Hayes MN, Ciruna B, Reimand J, Liu X, Huang X

Nature biomedical engineering2026

DOI: 10.1038/s41551-025-01487-5 PMID: 40897897

tRNA-overlapping long non-coding RNA loci repress codon-biased genes.

Ahmed S, Fine JL, Chalmers JJ, Kiriakopulos K, Clarke LA, Suárez CC, Soleimanpour K, Oliveros W, Delfosse K, Mokhtaridoost M, Wong CJ, Gingras AC, Ciruna B, Fabian MR, Blencowe BJ, Maass PG

Cell reports2025

DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116417 PMID: 41075247

Oxidative stress-induced intervertebral disc remodelling and elevated stiffness drive idiopathic scoliosis in preclinical models.

Pumputis PG, Xu R, Gopaul J, Panahifar A, Erfani V, Van Gennip JLM, Eames BF, Fakhari N, Baranger J, Lebel DE, Villemain O, Ciruna B

Nature communications2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-63742-2 PMID: 41027863

Tissue stiffness mapping by light sheet elastography.

Zhu M, Zhang K, Thomas EC, Xu R, Ciruna B, Hopyan S, Sun Y

Science advances2025

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adt7274 PMID: 40085703

Two zebrafish cacna1s loss-of-function variants provide models of mild and severe CACNA1S-related myopathy.

Endo Y, Groom L, Wang SM, Pannia E, Griffiths NW, Van Gennip JLM, Ciruna B, Laporte J, Dirksen RT, Dowling JJ

Human molecular genetics2024

DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad178 PMID: 37930228

Apollo-NADP+ reveals in vivo adaptation of NADPH/NADP+ metabolism in electrically activated pancreatic β cells.

Bui CV, Boswell CW, Ciruna B, Rocheleau JV

Science advances2023

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi8317 PMID: 37792934

Loss of zebrafish pkd1l1 causes biliary defects that have implications for biliary atresia splenic malformation.

Ali RQ, Meyer-Miner A, David-Rachel M, Lee FJH, Wilkins BJ, Karpen SJ, Ciruna B, Ghanekar A, Kamath BM

Disease models & mechanisms2023

DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049326 PMID: 37675454

COL11A2 as a candidate gene for vertebral malformations and congenital scoliosis.

Rebello D, Wohler E, Erfani V, Li G, Aguilera AN, Santiago-Cornier A, Zhao S, Hwang SW, Steiner RD, Zhang TJ, Gurnett CA, Raggio C, Wu N, Sobreira N, Giampietro PF, Ciruna B

Human molecular genetics2023Senior author

DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad117 PMID: 37462524

Live imaging and conditional disruption of native PCP activity using endogenously tagged zebrafish sfGFP-Vangl2.

Jussila M, Boswell CW, Griffiths NW, Pumputis PG, Ciruna B

Nature communications2022Senior author

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33322-9 PMID: 36151137

Investigating oxidative stress-induced ECM remodelling and intervertebral disc defects in the etiopathogenesis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS)

Nominated PICIHR2026Project Grant

Principal investigators: Ciruna, Brian G

Keywords: Clinical Study; Collagen Matrix Remodelling; Idiopathic Scoliosis; Intervertebral Disc; Oxidative Stress; Prognostic Biomarker; Shear Wave Elastography; Zebrafish Models

$1,373,176

Investigating oxidative stress-induced ECM remodelling and intervertebral disc defects in the etiopathogenesis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS)

Nominated PICIHR2025Project Grant - Priority Announcement: HDCYH research - Open Pool

Principal investigators: Ciruna, Brian G

Keywords: Clinical Study; Collagen Matrix Remodelling; Genetics; Idiopathic Scoliosis; Intervertebral Disc; Oxidative Stress; Prognostic Biomarker; Shear Wave Elastography; Zebrafish Models

$100,000

Canada Research Chair - Tier 1

Nominated PICIHR2024Canada Research Chairs - CIHR Funded - Tier 1

Principal investigators: Ciruna, Brian G

Keywords: Crc

$1,400,000

Chasing stochastics, a multidisciplinary approach to develop genetic models predicting the likelihood of stochastic events.

Co-investigatorSSHRC2023New Frontiers in Research Fund - Exploration

Principal investigators: Breetvelt, Elemi

Keywords: regional burden; Dario Rerio; Genetic Risk Prediction; Genetic Epidemiology; Scoliosis; Schizophrenia; ASD; precision medicine; translation research

$250,000

The 17th International Zebrafish Conference: To be held for the first time in Canada, at the beautiful Centre Mont-Royal in the heart of Montreal, Quebec, from June 22-26 2022.

Nominated PICIHR2022Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Principal investigators: Ciruna, Brian G

Keywords: Developmental Biology; Genetics; International Research Conference; Zebrafish Models Of Development And Disease

$10,000

Elucidating Downstream Signaling Mechanisms Driving Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

SupervisorCIHR2021Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Principal investigators: Pumputis, Patrick G

Keywords: Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis; Cell Biology; Cell Signaling; Developmental Biology; Disease Modelling; Embryology; Genetics; Inflammation; Oxidative Stress; Zebrafish

$105,000

Taking the "idiopathic" out of scoliosis: from biology and genetics to non-invasive therapies

Nominated PICIHR2018Foundation Grant

Principal investigators: Ciruna, Brian G

Keywords: Cerebrospinal Fluid; Csf-Contacting Neurons; Developmental Genetics; Idiopathic Scoliosis; Motile Cilia; Neuroinflammation; Pre-Clinical Models; Small Molecule Screens; Whole Genome Sequencing; Zebrafish Models Of Human Disease

$3,541,811

Probing the elusive molecular mechanisms underlying vertebrate planar cell polarity

Principal investigatorNSERC2018Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Ciruna, Brian

$32,000

Canada Research Chair - Tier 1 - CIHR Funded

Nominated PICIHR2017Canada Research Chairs - CIHR Funded - Tier 1

Principal investigators: Ciruna, Brian G

Keywords: Crc

$1,400,000

Applying unique zebrafish models to elucidate and functionally validate the molecular genetic causes of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Nominated PICIHR2016Project Grant

Principal investigators: Ciruna, Brian G

Keywords: Cerebrospinal Fluid Flow; Developmental Genetics; Idiopathic Scoliosis; Motile Cilia Function; Whole Genome Sequencing; Wnt Signalling; Zebrafish Models Of Human Disease

$909,755

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

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Brian Ciruna

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

MORF4L1, encoding a chromatin remodeler, is mutated in a recognizable dysmorphic neurodevelopmental disorder.

Fluid shear stress activates a targetable mechano-metastatic cascade to promote medulloblastoma metastasis.

tRNA-overlapping long non-coding RNA loci repress codon-biased genes.

Oxidative stress-induced intervertebral disc remodelling and elevated stiffness drive idiopathic scoliosis in preclinical models.

Tissue stiffness mapping by light sheet elastography.

Two zebrafish cacna1s loss-of-function variants provide models of mild and severe CACNA1S-related myopathy.

Apollo-NADP+ reveals in vivo adaptation of NADPH/NADP+ metabolism in electrically activated pancreatic &#x3b2; cells.

Loss of zebrafish pkd1l1 causes biliary defects that have implications for biliary atresia splenic malformation.

COL11A2 as a candidate gene for vertebral malformations and congenital scoliosis.

Live imaging and conditional disruption of native PCP activity using endogenously tagged zebrafish sfGFP-Vangl2.

Chasing stochastics, a multidisciplinary approach to develop genetic models predicting the likelihood of stochastic events.

Probing the elusive molecular mechanisms underlying vertebrate planar cell polarity

Frequent collaborators

Yu Sun

Madeline Hayes

Xinyu Liu

Ian Scott

Anne-Claude Gingras

Sevan Hopyan

Xi Huang

Rod Bremner

Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez

Sarah McFarlane

Vincent Tropepe

Xiao-Yan Wen

Olivier Villemain

Anand Ghanekar

Rhain Louis

Sarah Childs

Laurence Pelletier

Stephane Angers

Andrea Jurisicova

Joanna Wilson

Craig Simmons

Daniela Rotin

Mark Nitz

Helen McNeill

Peng Huang

Marc Ekker

Pierre Drapeau

Frank Sicheri

Mei Zhen

Derek van der Kooy

Apollo-NADP+ reveals in vivo adaptation of NADPH/NADP+ metabolism in electrically activated pancreatic β cells.