Faculty profile

Karim Mekhail

ResearcherLaboratory Medicine & PathobiologyUniversity 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 may be missing. Find their university profile.

Karim Mekhail

Researcher

Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology

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 2025.
Senior (last) author on 7 recent papers, a sign of leading a research group.
Principal investigator on 10 research grants (10 CIHR), most recently in 2023.
Supervised 6 trainees who won CIHR awards, most recently in 2024.

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

Rna-Dna Hybrids Brca1 Breast Cancer Dna Repair Microtubules Atxn2 Cancer Cellular Lifespan

Latest papers

Nuclear and genome dynamics underlying DNA double-strand break repair.
Nature reviews. Molecular cell biology · 2025 · senior author
Harnessing transcriptional regulation of alternative end-joining to predict cancer treatment.
NAR cancer · 2025
Nucleolar Pol II interactome reveals TBPL1, PAF1, and Pol I at intergenic rDNA drive rRNA biogenesis.
Nature communications · 2024 · senior author

All 42 publications

Latest funding

Deciphering the tubulin code underlying nuclear envelope-mediated DNA double-strand break repair to target breast cancer
CIHR · 2024 · Supervisor
$120,000
Studying nucleolar RNA polymerase II and its ncRNAs to restrain cancer
CIHR · 2023 · Nominated PI
$1,028,926
Control of genome stability by a nanotubular nuclear envelope network
CIHR · 2021 · Nominated PI
$914,175

All 16 grants and awards

42 publications.

Nuclear and genome dynamics underlying DNA double-strand break repair.

Chiolo I, Altmeyer M, Legube G, Mekhail K

Nature reviews. Molecular cell biology2025Senior author

DOI: 10.1038/s41580-025-00828-1 PMID: 40097581

Harnessing transcriptional regulation of alternative end-joining to predict cancer treatment.

Espín R, Medina-Jover F, Sigüenza-Andrade J, Farran-Matas S, Mateo F, Figueras A, Sanz RT, Vicent GP, Shabbir A, Ruiz-Auladell L, Racionero-Andrés E, García I, Baiges A, Franco-Luzón L, Martínez-Tebar A, Pardo-Cea MA, Martínez-Iniesta M, Wang XC, Cuyàs E, Menendez JA, Lopez-Cerda M, Muñoz P, Richaud I, Raya A, Fabregat I, Villanueva A, Serrat X, Cerón J, Alemany M, Guix I, Herencia-Ropero A, Serra V, Krishnan R, Mekhail K, Hakem R, Bruna J, Barcellos-Hoff MH, Viñals F, Aytes Á, Pujana MA

NAR cancer2025

DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcaf007 PMID: 40061566

Nucleolar Pol II interactome reveals TBPL1, PAF1, and Pol I at intergenic rDNA drive rRNA biogenesis.

Khosraviani N, Yerlici VT, St-Germain J, Hou YY, Cao SB, Ghali C, Bokros M, Krishnan R, Hakem R, Lee S, Raught B, Mekhail K

Nature communications2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54002-w PMID: 39505901

Protocol for machine-learning-based 3D image analysis of nuclear envelope tubules in cultured cells.

Hundal A, Urman D, Stanic M, Hakem R, Mekhail K

STAR protocols2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2024.103214 PMID: 39088324

DNA double-strand break-capturing nuclear envelope tubules drive DNA repair.

Shokrollahi M, Stanic M, Hundal A, Chan JNY, Urman D, Jordan CA, Hakem A, Espin R, Hao J, Krishnan R, Maass PG, Dickson BC, Hande MP, Pujana MA, Hakem R, Mekhail K

Nature structural & molecular biology2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1038/s41594-024-01286-7 PMID: 38632359

SARS-CoV-2 targets ribosomal RNA biogenesis.

Yerlici VT, Astori A, Kejiou NS, Jordan CA, Khosraviani N, Chan JNY, Hakem R, Raught B, Palazzo AF, Mekhail K

Cell reports2024Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113891 PMID: 38427561

RNF8 ubiquitylation of XRN2 facilitates R-loop resolution and restrains genomic instability in BRCA1 mutant cells.

Krishnan R, Lapierre M, Gautreau B, Nixon KCJ, El Ghamrasni S, Patel PS, Hao J, Yerlici VT, Guturi KKN, St-Germain J, Mateo F, Saad A, Algouneh A, Earnshaw R, Shili D, Seitova A, Miller J, Khosraviani N, Penn A, Ho B, Sanchez O, Hande MP, Masson JY, Brown GW, Alaoui-Jamali M, Reynolds JJ, Arrowsmith C, Raught B, Pujana MA, Mekhail K, Stewart GS, Hakem A, Hakem R

Nucleic acids research2023

DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad733 PMID: 37697435

Excessive transcription-replication conflicts are a vulnerability of BRCA1-mutant cancers.

Patel PS, Algouneh A, Krishnan R, Reynolds JJ, Nixon KCJ, Hao J, Lee J, Feng Y, Fozil C, Stanic M, Yerlici T, Su P, Soares F, Liedtke E, Prive G, Baider GD, Pujana MA, Mekhail K, He HH, Hakem A, Stewart GS, Hakem R

Nucleic acids research2023

DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad172 PMID: 36928661

Protocol to use RNaseH1-based CRISPR to modulate locus-associated R-loops.

Khosraviani N, Abraham KJ, Chan JNY, Mekhail K

STAR protocols2022Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101734 PMID: 36178790

A small molecule antagonist of SMN disrupts the interaction between SMN and RNAP II.

Liu Y, Iqbal A, Li W, Ni Z, Wang Y, Ramprasad J, Abraham KJ, Zhang M, Zhao DY, Qin S, Loppnau P, Jiang H, Guo X, Brown PJ, Zhen X, Xu G, Mekhail K, Ji X, Bedford MT, Greenblatt JF, Min J

Nature communications2022

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33229-5 PMID: 36114190

Deciphering the tubulin code underlying nuclear envelope-mediated DNA double-strand break repair to target breast cancer

SupervisorCIHR2024Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Principal investigators: Hundal, Anisha

Keywords: Acetylated Tubulin; Breast Cancer; Cytoskeleton; Dna Double-Strand Breaks; Dna Repair; Genome Stability; Microtubules; Nuclear Envelope Structure; Tubulin Code

$120,000

Studying nucleolar RNA polymerase II and its ncRNAs to restrain cancer

Nominated PICIHR2023Project Grant

Principal investigators: Mekhail, Karim

Keywords: Brca1; Breast Cancer; Non-Coding Rna (Ncrna); Nuclear Compartments; Nucleolus; Ribosomal Dna (Rdna) Repeats; Ribosomal Rna (Rrna); Rna Polymerase I; Rna Polymerase Ii; Rna-Dna Hybrids

$1,028,926

Control of genome stability by a nanotubular nuclear envelope network

Nominated PICIHR2021Project Grant

Principal investigators: Mekhail, Karim

Keywords: Breast Cancer; Chromosome Fusion; Dna Repair; Dna Replication; Genome Stability; Kinesin Motor Proteins; Linker Of Nucleoskeleton And Cytoskeleton Complex (Linc); Microtubules; Nuclear Envelope; Nuclear Organization

$914,175

Exploiting a novel role for BRCA1 in the regulation of Pol II-dependent ribosome biogenesis

SupervisorCIHR2020Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Principal investigators: Khosraviani, Negin

Keywords: Brca1function; Breast Cancer Biology; Breast Cancer Cells; Genome Stability; Mouse Models; R-Loop Biology; Ribosome Biogenesis

$105,000

Pol II and its R-loops in the control of rDNA and genome stability

Nominated PICIHR2018Project Grant

Principal investigators: Mekhail, Karim

Keywords: Atxn2; Brca1; Cancer; Cellular Lifespan; Ribosomal Dna (Rdna); Rna Polymerase I (Pol I); Rna Polymerase Ii (Pol Ii); Rna-Dna Hybrids Or Rloops; Senescence; Setx

$914,176

Pol II and its RNA-DNA hybrids in the control of rDNA and genome instability

Nominated PICIHR2017Project Grant

Principal investigators: Mekhail, Karim

Keywords: Atxn2; Brca1; Cancer; Cellular Lifespan; Ribosomal Dna (Rdna); Rna Polymerase I (Pol I); Rna Polymerase Ii (Pol Ii); Rna-Dna Hybrids Or R-Loops; Senescence; Setx

$100,000

Cooperation between DIMs and motor proteins in DSB mobility-dependent repair

Nominated PICIHR2017Project Grant

Principal investigators: Mekhail, Karim

Keywords: Break Induced Replication; Dna Movement; Dna Repair; Homologous Recombination; Live Cell Imaging; Microtubules; Motor Proteins; Nuclear Pore Complex; Telomeres; Yeast Genetics

$636,480

Uncovering the mechanism behind R-loop dependent retrotransposition

SupervisorCIHR2016Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Principal investigators: Hall, Amanda C

Keywords: Dna Damage; Genome Stability; R-Loops; Retrotransposition; Transposable Elements

$105,000

Suppression of RNA-DNA hybrids - towards a novel and coherent mechanism governing repetitive DNA stability, aging, and neurodegeneration.

SupervisorCIHR2015Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Principal investigators: Abraham, Karan J

Keywords: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; Crispr-Cas; Dna Damage; Genome Stability; Mechanisms Of Aging; Neural Stem Cells; Neurodegenerative Disease; Repetitive Dna; Rna-Dna Hybrids

$105,000

Canada Research Chair Tier 2

Nominated PICIHR2014Canada Research Chairs - CIHR Funded - Tier 2

Principal investigators: Mekhail, Karim

Keywords: Crc

$500,000

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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Karim Mekhail

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Nuclear and genome dynamics underlying DNA double-strand break repair.

Harnessing transcriptional regulation of alternative end-joining to predict cancer treatment.

Nucleolar Pol II interactome reveals TBPL1, PAF1, and Pol I at intergenic rDNA drive rRNA biogenesis.

Protocol for machine-learning-based 3D image analysis of nuclear envelope tubules in cultured cells.

DNA double-strand break-capturing nuclear envelope tubules drive DNA repair.

SARS-CoV-2 targets ribosomal RNA biogenesis.

RNF8 ubiquitylation of XRN2 facilitates R-loop resolution and restrains genomic instability in BRCA1 mutant cells.

Excessive transcription-replication conflicts are a vulnerability of BRCA1-mutant cancers.

Protocol to use RNaseH1-based CRISPR to modulate locus-associated R-loops.

A small molecule antagonist of SMN disrupts the interaction between SMN and RNAP II.

Deciphering the tubulin code underlying nuclear envelope-mediated DNA double-strand break repair to target breast cancer

Studying nucleolar RNA polymerase II and its ncRNAs to restrain cancer

Control of genome stability by a nanotubular nuclear envelope network

Exploiting a novel role for BRCA1 in the regulation of Pol II-dependent ribosome biogenesis

Pol II and its R-loops in the control of rDNA and genome stability

Pol II and its RNA-DNA hybrids in the control of rDNA and genome instability

Cooperation between DIMs and motor proteins in DSB mobility-dependent repair

Uncovering the mechanism behind R-loop dependent retrotransposition

Suppression of RNA-DNA hybrids - towards a novel and coherent mechanism governing repetitive DNA stability, aging, and neurodegeneration.

Canada Research Chair Tier 2

Frequent collaborators

Razqallah Hakem

Brian Raught

Andrew Emili

Michael Ohh

Haley Wyatt

Moulay Alaoui-Jamali

Cheryl Arrowsmith

Jean-Yves Masson

Daniel Durocher