Faculty profile

James Ellis

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.

James Ellis

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.
22 publications in the last five years, latest in 2026.
Senior (last) author on 6 recent papers, a sign of leading a research group.
Principal investigator on 11 research grants (11 CIHR), most recently in 2021.
Supervised 2 trainees who won CIHR awards, most recently in 2008.

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

960

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

Rett Syndrome Neurodevelopment Pluripotent Stem Cells Rna Binding Proteins Rna Stability Mecp2 Crc Cardiomyopathy

Latest papers

Pathological disruption of CELF2 shuttling causes neuronal hyperactivity, learning deficits, and seizures.
The Journal of clinical investigation · 2026
An X-linked long non-coding RNA, PTCHD1-AS, and the core features of autism.
Nature · 2026
Advanced physiological maturation of human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes using an algorithm-directed optimization of defined media components.
Nature communications · 2026

All 75 publications

Latest funding

Canada Research Chair - Tier 1
CIHR · 2021 · Nominated PI
$1,400,000
A role for novel regulatory variants in childhood cardiomyopathy
CIHR · 2020 · Principal investigator
$940,950
Post-transcriptional regulation of functionally significant gene sets during neurodevelopment of Rett syndrome
CIHR · 2019 · Nominated PI
$914,175

All 21 grants and awards

75 publications.

Pathological disruption of CELF2 shuttling causes neuronal hyperactivity, learning deficits, and seizures.

Hua M, Aghanoori MR, MacPherson MJ, Ren Y, Siripala SV, Yang Y, Or YYY, Nguyen M, Duba-Kiss R, Feng D, Williams L, Gafuik CJ, Wang G, Quelin C, Keren B, Schuhmann S, Vasileiou G, Bourgois A, Vitobello A, Philippe C, Stark Z, Leventer RJ, McGillivray G, Tran Mau-Them F, Tessarech M, Prouteau C, Lakeman P, Motazacker MM, Latner DR, Caylor RC, van Ierland Y, Prijoles E, Lichty A, Theodorou E, Sweetser DA, Steel E, Cobben J, Dasouki MJ, Calame DG, Isidor B, Cogné B, Kesler M, Rackel B, Clark I, Kurrasch DM, Teskey GC, Ellis J, He G, Ryan SD, Mahoney DJ, Innes AM, Epp JR, Yang G

The Journal of clinical investigation2026

DOI: 10.1172/jci199698 PMID: 42275152

An X-linked long non-coding RNA, PTCHD1-AS, and the core features of autism.

Bradley CA, Ko SY, Tian M, Ralph LT, D'Abate L, Lee J, Liu T, Wang J, Tidball P, Mendes M, Fan X, Howe JL, Alexandrova R, Pellecchia G, Casallo G, Paton T, Wybenga-Groot LE, Engchuan W, Thiruvahindrapuram B, Trost B, de Rijke J, Kadia A, Jin F, Salazar NB, Diaz-Mejia JJ, MacDonald JR, Deneault E, Ross PJ, Ellis J, Shum C, Georgiou J, Rennie O, Reuter MS, Hoang N, Sarikaya E, Selvanayagam T, Amini AE, Rutherford A, Rivera-Alfaro N, Marshall CR, Scala M, Runke CK, Kearney HM, Christodoulou J, Francis DI, Chung BHY, Pluciniczak J, Iaboni A, Wigby KM, Nordahl CW, Amaral DG, Hudson ML, Sjaarda CP, Guerin A, Elsabbagh M, Landa R, Mital S, Lesurf R, Jain A, Wilson MD, Ellegood J, Lerch JP, Lee LJ, Frey BJ, Salter MW, Vorstman JAS, Anagnostou E, Frankland PW, Collingridge GL, Scherer SW

Nature2026

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10515-6 PMID: 42129557

Advanced physiological maturation of human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes using an algorithm-directed optimization of defined media components.

Callaghan NI, Durland LJ, Chen W, Kuzmanov U, Miranda MZ, Ding Y, Mirzaei Z, Ireland RG, Reitz C, Gorman RA, Wang EY, Wagner K, Kim MM, Audet J, Santerre JP, Gramolini AO, Billia F, Radisic M, Mital S, Ellis J, Backx PH, Simmons CA

Nature communications2026

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-70550-9 PMID: 41916979

Abnormal Lipid Signaling Characterizes Diastolic Dysfunction in Pediatric Cardiomyopathy.

Turinsky AL, Hanafi N, Said A, Kinnear C, Lesurf R, López-Guillén JL, Akilen R, Patel S, Meng G, Wei W, Robillard Frayne I, Daneault C, Mertens L, Ellis J, Ruiz M, Mital S

JACC. Basic to translational science2026

DOI: 10.1016/j.jacbts.2026.101491 PMID: 41707622

Navigating Human Astrocyte Differentiation: Direct and Rapid One-Step Differentiation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Functional Astrocytes Supporting Neuronal Network Development.

Schuurmans IME, Mordelt A, Guevara-Ferrer M, Linda K, Duineveld D, Puvogel S, Hommersom MP, Scheefhals N, Rahm L, Dyke E, Scholten GJ, Knorz C, Jimenez CG, van Egmond N, Oudakker A, Bijnagte-Schoenmaker C, van Bokhoven H, Wei W, Hofmann S, Jung-Klawitter S, Mojica-Perez S, Parent J, Carotenuto L, Weckhuysen S, Maas N, Elgersma Y, van de Ven E, Lefeber D, Lygeroudi A, de Vries HE, Jordi L, Polymenidou M, Mitchell-Garcia T, Dragan I, Dolga A, de Witte LD, van Karnebeek CDM, Ellis J, Garanto A, Nadif Kasri N

Glia2026

DOI: 10.1002/glia.70202 PMID: 42452972

Hypersynchronous iPSC-derived SHANK2 neuronal networks are rescued by mGluR5 agonism.

McCready FP, Pradeepan KS, Khaki M, Wei W, Guevara-Ferrer M, Matusiak N, Feng B, Piekna A, Martinez-Trujillo J, Ellis J

Stem cell reports2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2025.102718 PMID: 41270748

Diversifying the reference iPSC line concept.

Ellis J, Woltjen K, Mital S, Saito MK, Hotta A, Loring JF

Cell stem cell2025First author

DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2025.05.004 PMID: 40480209

iPSC-derived healthy human astrocytes selectively load miRNAs targeting neuronal genes into extracellular vesicles.

Gordillo-Sampedro S, Antounians L, Wei W, Mufteev M, Lendemeijer B, Kushner SA, de Vrij FMS, Zani A, Ellis J

Molecular and cellular neurosciences2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2024.103933 PMID: 38663691

Myosin inhibitor reverses hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in genotypically diverse pediatric iPSC-cardiomyocytes to mirror variant correction.

Kinnear C, Said A, Meng G, Zhao Y, Wang EY, Rafatian N, Parmar N, Wei W, Billia F, Simmons CA, Radisic M, Ellis J, Mital S

Cell reports. Medicine2024

DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101520 PMID: 38642550

Generation and characterization of a human iPSC line and gene-corrected isogenic line derived from a patient with a CELF2 gene mutation.

Hua M, Williams L, Burns K, Liu S, Ellis J, Innes AM, McPherson M, Yang G

Stem cell research2024

DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2024.103344 PMID: 38364506

Canada Research Chair - Tier 1

Nominated PICIHR2021Canada Research Chairs - CIHR Funded - Tier 1

Principal investigators: Ellis, James R

Keywords: Crc

$1,400,000

A role for novel regulatory variants in childhood cardiomyopathy

Principal investigatorCIHR2020Project Grant

Principal investigators: Mital, Seema; Ellis, James R

Keywords: Cardiomyopathy; Drug Testing; Gene Expression; Genomics; Myocyte Function; Regulatory Variants; Stem Cells

$940,950

Post-transcriptional regulation of functionally significant gene sets during neurodevelopment of Rett syndrome

Nominated PICIHR2019Project Grant

Principal investigators: Ellis, James R

Keywords: Micro And Long Concoding Rna; Neurodevelopment; Neuron Function; Pluripotent Stem Cells; Proteomics; Rett Syndrome; Ribosome Engagement; Rna Binding Proteins; Rna Stability; Ubiquitin

$914,175

Identification of converging Molecular Pathways Across Chromatinopathies as Targets for Therapy: IMPACT

Nominated PICIHR2018Team Grant: E-Rare Joint Transnational Call

Principal investigators: Ellis, James R

Keywords: Cortical Neurons; Ipsc; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Translatome

$375,000

Regulation of mRNA stability and translation during human neurodevelopment

Nominated PICIHR2016Project Grant

Principal investigators: Ellis, James R

Keywords: 3' Utr; Differentiation; Mecp2; Neurodevelopment; Neurons; Pluripotent Stem Cells; Rna Binding Proteins; Rna Stability; Rnaseq; Translational Efficiency

$573,375

Genomes to Outcomes in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Co-investigatorCIHR2014Foundation Grant

Principal investigators: Scherer, Stephen W

Keywords: Autism Spectrum Disorders; Diagnostics; Individualized Treatment; Variants; Whole Genome Sequencing

$2,204,199

MECP2 function and rescue in neurons derived from Rett syndrome patient iPS cells

Nominated PICIHR2013Operating Grant

Principal investigators: Ellis, James R

Keywords: Activity Dependent Expression; Drug Screen; Electrophysiology; Epigenetic Reprogramming; Mecp2; Neuronal Differentiation; Neuronal Maturation; Patient Ips Cells; Rett Syndrome

$454,990

NADPH oxidase function in the pathogenesis of pediatric IBD and JIA

Co-investigatorCIHR2013Team Grant: Health Challenges in Chronic Inflammation Initiative - (Full Appl)

Principal investigators: Brumell, John H

Keywords: Chronic Disease; Environmental Impacts On Disease; Inflammation; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Innate Immunity; Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis; Microbiota; Nadph Oxidase; Reactive Oxygen Species; Treatment Modalities

$2,180,949

NADPH oxidase function in the pathogenesis of paediatric IBD and JIA

Co-investigatorCIHR2012Team Grant: Health Challenges in Chronic Inflammation Initiative (LOI)

Principal investigators: Brumell, John H

Keywords: Environmental Factors In Disease; Immune Deficiency; Inflammatory Bowel Disease; Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis; Microbiota; Nadph Oxidase; Treatment Outcomes

$20,000

iPS cells to model vascular disease in patients with Williams Beuren syndrome

Nominated PICIHR2012Operating Grant

Principal investigators: Ellis, James R; Mital, Seema

Keywords: Cell Engineering; Directed Differentiation; Drug Screens; Elastin; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells; Progenitor Cells; Smooth Muscle Cells; Vascular Disease; Williams Beuren Syndrome

$640,182

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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James Ellis

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Pathological disruption of CELF2 shuttling causes neuronal hyperactivity, learning deficits, and seizures.

An X-linked long non-coding RNA, PTCHD1-AS, and the core features of autism.

Advanced physiological maturation of human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes using an algorithm-directed optimization of defined media components.

Abnormal Lipid Signaling Characterizes Diastolic Dysfunction in Pediatric Cardiomyopathy.

Navigating Human Astrocyte Differentiation: Direct and Rapid One-Step Differentiation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Functional Astrocytes Supporting Neuronal Network Development.

Hypersynchronous iPSC-derived SHANK2 neuronal networks are rescued by mGluR5 agonism.

Diversifying the reference iPSC line concept.

iPSC-derived healthy human astrocytes selectively load miRNAs targeting neuronal genes into extracellular vesicles.

Myosin inhibitor reverses hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in genotypically diverse pediatric iPSC-cardiomyocytes to mirror variant correction.

Generation and characterization of a human iPSC line and gene-corrected isogenic line derived from a patient with a CELF2 gene mutation.

Frequent collaborators

Seema Mital

Julio Martinez-Trujillo

Andras Nagy

Guang Yang

Janet Rossant

Milica Radisic

Evdokia Anagnostou

Filio Billia

Brett Trost

Phedias Diamandis

Luc Mertens

Quaid Morris

Gordon Keller

Matthieu Ruiz

Lyle Muller

David Hodgson

Dalia Barsyte-Lovejoy

Michael Hart

Marie-A. Chaix

Rosanna Weksberg

Michael Brudno

Arturas Petronis

Stacey Marjerrison

Daria Grafodatskaya

Mick Bhatia

Rejane Dillenburg

Mayada Elsabbagh

Hong Han

Tapas Mondal