Joel Watts, University of Toronto

Research

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

Protein Misfolding Strains Transgenic Mice Prions Neurodegeneration Seeding Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Cultured Cells

Latest papers

A unified model for the origins of spongiform degeneration and other neuropathological features in prion diseases.
ArXiv · 2025
The in vivo brain interactome of the amyloid precursor protein.
Molecular & cellular proteomics : MCP · 2008

All 2 publications

Latest funding

Mechanisms of spontaneous prion formation
CIHR · 2024 · Nominated PI
$990,675
Understanding Alzheimer's Disease Heterogeneity by Investigating Interplay Between Amyloid Beta Strains and Alpha-Synuclein Co-Pathology
CIHR · 2023 · Supervisor
$105,000
TRIDENT: TRanslational Initiative to DE-risk NeuroTherapeutics
SSHRC · 2022 · Co-investigator
$8,000,000

All 14 grants and awards

2 publications.

01

A unified model for the origins of spongiform degeneration and other neuropathological features in prion diseases.

Schmitt-Ulms G, Wang X, Watts J, Booth S, Wille H, Zhao W

ArXiv2025

DOI: 10.1101/2024.12.18.629254 PMID: 39876936

02

The in vivo brain interactome of the amyloid precursor protein.

Bai Y, Markham K, Chen F, Weerasekera R, Watts J, Horne P, Wakutani Y, Bagshaw R, Mathews PM, Fraser PE, Westaway D, St George-Hyslop P, Schmitt-Ulms G

Molecular & cellular proteomics : MCP2008

DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m700077-mcp200 PMID: 17934213

Mechanisms of spontaneous prion formation

Nominated PICIHR2024Project Grant

Principal investigators: Watts, Joel C

Keywords: Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease; Cultured Cells; Knock-In Mice; Neuropathology; Prions; Protein Misfolding; Recombinant Proteins; Strains; Transmission

$990,675

Understanding Alzheimer's Disease Heterogeneity by Investigating Interplay Between Amyloid Beta Strains and Alpha-Synuclein Co-Pathology

SupervisorCIHR2023Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Principal investigators: Silver, Nicholas R

Keywords: Alpha Synuclein; Alzheimer'S Disease; Amyloid Beta; Protein Aggregate Strains; Protein Aggregates

$105,000

TRIDENT: TRanslational Initiative to DE-risk NeuroTherapeutics

Co-investigatorSSHRC2022New Frontiers in Research Fund - Transformation

Principal investigators: Menon, Ravi

Keywords: cognition; drug discovery; mouse models; marmoset; organoids; imaging; open science; neurodegenerative disease; neurochemistry; neural circuits; sex differences

$8,000,000

Canada Research Chair - Tier 2

Nominated PICIHR2022Canada Research Chairs - CIHR Funded - Tier 2

Principal investigators: Watts, Joel C

Keywords: Crc

$500,000

Novel animal and cellular paradigms for studying prion formation

Nominated PICIHR2019Project Grant

Principal investigators: Watts, Joel C

Keywords: Chronic Wasting Disease; Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease; Cultured Cells; Infectivity; Interactome; Knock-In Mice; Prions; Protein Misfolding; Scrapie; Transgenic Mice

$852,975

Strains of alpha-synuclein aggregates as drivers of disease heterogeneity in Parkinson's disease and related disorders

Nominated PICIHR2019Project Grant

Principal investigators: Watts, Joel C

Keywords: Dementia With Lewy Bodies; Multiple System Atrophy; Neurodegeneration; Parkinson'S Disease; Prions; Protein Aggregation; Protein Misfolding; Seeding; Strains; Transgenic Mice

$914,175

Functional Genomics of Neurodegenerative Diseases: Defining Molecular Pathogenesis and Targets for Biomarkers and Personalised Therapies

Co-investigatorCIHR2018Foundation Grant

Principal investigators: ST GEORGE-HYSLOP, Peter H

Keywords: Alzheimer Disease; Biomarkers; Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration; Functional Genetics Of Risk Genes; Intrinsically Disordered Phase Separating Proteins; Neurological Disorders; Therapeutic Targets

$3,062,890

Canada Research Chair - Tier 2

Nominated PICIHR2017Canada Research Chairs - CIHR Funded - Tier 2

Principal investigators: Watts, Joel C

Keywords: Cr

$500,000

Non-invasive gene therapy for Parkinson's disease and other synucleinopathies

Co-investigatorCIHR2016Project Grant

Principal investigators: Tandon, Anurag

Keywords: Animal Model; Blood Brain Barrier; Drug Delivery; Focused Ultrasound; Gene Therapy; Inhibitory Rna; Neurodegeneration; Parkinson'S Disease; Prion; Synucleinopathy

$978,560

A fast protein liquid chromatography system for purifying prion proteins

Principal investigatorNSERC2016Research Tools and Instruments

Principal investigators: Watts, Joel

$42,963

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

Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Biochemistry
Medicine
Other

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.

Gerold Schmitt-Ulms

Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases

2 shared papers, latest 2025

Holger Wille

Biochemistry

1 shared papers, latest 2025

Peter ST GEORGE-HYSLOP

Medicine

1 shared papers, latest 2008

Stephanie Booth

Faculty

1 shared papers, latest 2025

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: Protein Misfolding Dear Professor Watts, 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 "A unified model for the origins of spongiform degeneration and other neuropathological features in prion diseases." (2025), 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 "Mechanisms of spontaneous prion formation" (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]