academic cv last updated October 2024

julien

richard

albert

Post-doctoral researcher
CNRS, Université Paris Cité,
Institut Jacques Monod, France
julien.richardalbert@cnrs.fr

bio

I am a post-doctoral researcher in the team of Dr. Max Greenberg, figuring out how genes turn on and off. Controlling gene activity is fundamental to how the DNA programme unpacks and reads itself, ultimately giving rise to "endless forms most beautiful".
  I currently use computers to analyse and visualise complex quantitative biological data. Increasingly, I'm incorporating data from across the tree of life to study the evolution of genome regulatory systems.
  I completed my PhD with Dr. Matthew Lorincz, where I developed and applied software to trace the inheritance of DNA modifications on maternal and paternal chromosomes.
  I also trained as a yeast molecular biologist accross many labs in my hometown of Montréal with J. Kornblatt, P. Joyce, R. Storms, M. Whiteway (F. Tebbji), and M. Tyers (A. Sellam).

education

2013 - 2020
Ph.D. Medical Genetics
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
2010 - 2013
B.Sc. Biology & Minor in Multidisciplinary Studies
Concordia University, Montréal, Canada
2007 - 2009
D.C.S. Pure and Applied Sciences
John Abbott College, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Canada

pre-prints

all published!

publications

*co-first authors, †co-corresponding authors
2024
Richard Albert J.*, Urli, T.*, Monteagudo-Sánchez A.*, Le Breton A., Sultanova A., David A., Scarpa M., Schulz M., & Greenberg M.V.C. DNA methylation shapes the Polycomb landscape during the exit from naive pluripotency. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. PDF
2024
Monteagudo-Sánchez, A.*, Richard Albert J.*, Scarpa M., Noordermeer D., Greenberg M.V.C. The impact of the embryonic DNA methylation program on CTCF-mediated genome regulation. Nucleic Acids Research. PDF
2023
Yakhou L., Azogui A., Gupta N., Richard Albert, J., Miura F., Ferry L., Yamaguchi K, Battault S., Therizols P., Bonhomme F., Bethuel E., Sarkar A., Greenberg M.V.C., Arimondo P.B., Cristofari G., Kirsh O., Ito T. & Defossez P.-A. A genetic screen identifies BEND3 as a regulator of bivalent gene expression and global DNA methylation. Nucleic Acids Research. PDF
2023
Gupta N., Yakhou L., Richard Albert, J., Miura F., Ferry L., Kirsh O., Laisné M., Yamaguchi K., Domrane C., Bonhomme F., Sarkar A., Delagrange M., Ducos B., Greenberg M.V.C., Cristofari G., Bultmann S., Ito T. & Defossez P.-A. A genome-wide screen reveals new regulators of the 2-cell-like cell state. Nature Structural Molecular Biology. PDF
2023
Richard Albert, J. & Greenberg, M.V.C. Non-canonical imprinting in the spotlight. Development. PDF
2023
Richard Albert, J.†, Kobayashi T., Inoue A., Monteagudo-Sánchez A., Kumamoto S., Takashima T., Miura A., Oikawa M., Miura F., Takada S., Hirabayashi M., Korthauer K., Kurimoto K., Greenberg M.V.C., Lorincz M. & Kobayashi H†. Conservation and divergence of canonical and non-canonical imprinting in murids. Genome Biology. PDF
2022
Manceau L., Richard Albert, J., Lollini P-L., Greenberg M.V.C., Gilardi-Hebenstreit P. & Ribes V. Divergent transcriptional and transforming properties of PAX3-FOXO1 and PAX7-FOXO1 paralogs. PLoS Genetics. PDF
2021
Richard Albert, J. & Greenberg M.V.C. The Polycomb landscape in mouse development. Nature Genetics News & Views. Invited by editor, not peer-reviewed. PDF
2020
Richard Albert, J., Au Yeung W.K., Toriyama K., Kobayashi H., Hirasawa R., Brind’Amour J., Bogutz A.B., Sasaki H. & Lorincz M.C. Maternal DNMT3A-dependent de novo methylation of the zygotic paternal genome inhibits gene expression in the early embryo. Nature Communications. PDF
2019
Sellam A., Chaillot J., Mallick J., Tebbji F., Richard Albert, J., Cook M.A. & Tyers M. The p38/HOG stress-activated protein kinase network couples growth to division in Candida albicans. PLoS Genetics. PDF
2018
Brind’Amour J., Kobayashi H., Richard Albert, J., Shirane K., Sakashita A., Kamio A., Bogutz A.B., Koike T., Karimi M.M., Lefebvre L., Kono T. & Lorincz M.C. LTR retrotransposons transcribed in oocytes drive species-specific and heritable changes in DNA methylation. Nature Communications. PDF
2018
Richard Albert, J., Koike T., Younesy H., Thompson R., Bogutz A.B., Karimi M.M. & Lorincz M.C. Development and application of an integrated allele-specific pipeline for methylomic and epigenomic analysis. BMC Genomics. PDF
2014
Tebbji, F., Chen, Y., Richard Albert, J., Gunsalus, K.T.W., Kumamoto, C.A., Nantel, A., Sellam, A., & Whiteway, M. A Functional Portrait of Med7 and the Mediator Complex in Candida albicans. PLoS Genetics. PDF
2013
Kornblatt, M.J., Richard Albert, J., Mattie, S., Zakaib, J., Dayanandan, S., Hanic-Joyce, P.J., & Joyce, P.B.M. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae enolase-related regions encode proteins that are active enolases. Yeast. PDF

pre-reviews

PREreview is an open-source platform for long-form peer reviews of preprints.
2023
Richard Albert, J. PREreview of "Dominant negative and directional dysregulation of Polycomb function in EZH2-mutant human growth disorders." doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8138346. PDF
2023
Richard Albert, J. PREreview of "DNMT3B PWWP mutations cause hypermethylation of heterochromatin." doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7529495. PDF

press

2023
Racing to identify novel imprinted genes in the rat. Epigenie. PDF
2020
New analysis challenges long-held assumptions about paternal DNA methylation in the first stages of life. Life Sciences Institute, UBC. PDF
2020
How I met your mother: DNMT3A from mom leaves its mark on dad’s genome in the early embryo. Epigenie. PDF
2018
MEA – an integrated allele-specific pipeline for methylomic and epigenomic analysis. RNA-seq blog: Transcriptome Sequencing Research & Industry News. PDF

academic work experience

2020 -
DNA methylation-associated gene activation in mouse development and human cancers.
Dr. Maxim Greenberg lab, Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS.
2013 - 2020
Allele-specific DNA methylation dynamics in early mouse development.
Dr. Matthew Lorincz lab, Dept of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia.
2013
Defining biological circuits that couple cell growth and division in the commensal fungus Candida albicans using genome-wide knockout screens.
Dr. Mike Tyers lab, Dept of Medicine, Université de Montréal.
2012 - 2013
Functional characterization of the Mediator complex in Candida albicans.
Dr. Malcolm Whiteway lab, Dept of Genomics, Concordia University.
2012
Investigating the secretory pathway of Aspergillus niger through conditional promoter replacement.
Dr. Reginald Storms lab, Dept of Biology, Concordia University.
2011
Biochemical purification and characterization of a novel enolate-related protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Dr. Paul Joyce & Dr. Judith Kornblatt labs, Dept of Biochemistry, Concordia University.

recognitions

2022
Gene Regulation and Epigenetics Conference for ECRs Best Oral Presentation. 50€
2021
Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale, Post-Doc en France. 153,000€
2021
EMBO Post-doctoral Fellowship Acknowledgement of Excellence. 0€
2019 - 2021
JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research in Japan, RIKEN. 4,344,000¥ (declined)
2018
Patricia Baird Prize for Excellence in Medical Genetics, UBC. 500$
2016
The 3rd Canadian Conference on Epigenetics Poster award, CEEHRC. 500$
2016
The 3rd Canadian Conference on Epigenetics Travel award, CEEHRC. 688$
2016
HTS Data Workshop Registration Award, Canadian Bioinformatics, McGill. 500$
2015 - 2017
Killam Doctoral Scholarship, UBC. 62,000$
2015 - 2018
NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships-Doctoral Program, UBC. 63,000$*
2015 - 2019
Four Year Doctoral Fellowship, UBC. 72,800$*
2014
Medical Genetics Research Day Poster Award, UBC. 0$
2014 - 2015
CIHR CGS Master’s scholarship, UBC. 17,500$
2013 - 2014
Medical Genetics Graduate Support Initiative Award, UBC. 16,000$
2012
NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, Concordia University. 4,500$
2012
Science College Award, Concordia University. 200$
2009 - 2012
Faculty of Arts and Science Dean's List, Concordia University. 0$
2010 - 2011
CAFAmerica Entrance Scholarship, Concordia University. 2,500$
2009 - 2010
Academic Honour Roll, John Abbott College. 0$
*78,400$ accepted in title only

community and volunteer activities

2023
Institut Jacques Monod bioinformatics office establishment, Paris.
2020 -
Bioinformatics mentor, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris.
2017 - 2018
Community Scientist, Science World, Vancouver.
2015-2020
Medical Genetics Research Day volunteer, Vancouver.
2013
Entertainer/Teacher: ExpoScience Day, Pointe-Claire.
2012-2013
Open house information booth, Concordia University, Montréal.

select presentations

Poster presenter p, speaker s or flash talk f:
2024
Evolutionary innovations in DNA elimination in the unicellular eukaryote Paramecium. DNA elimination Study Group, Fondation des Treilles, France. s (invited)
2023
Multiple gene regulatory mechanisms converge at the Zdbf2 locus. Fragile Nucleosome Seminar Series, International. s (invited) PDF
2023
Why do mammals need a mom and a dad for conception? Weekly research seminar, Concordia, Montréal, Canada. s (invited)
2023
Divergence of non-canonical imprints in murids. Genomic Imprinting from Biology to Disease, Wellcome Genomes Campus, UK. f p
2023-2022
Epigenetic switcheroo: A genetic and computational approach to investigate the interplay between DNA methylation and Polycomb in mouse development. Paris Munich Epigenomics Meeting, Max Planck Institute, Munich, Germany. s
Gene Regulation and Epigenetics Conference for Early Career Scientists, Virtual. s
2022
DNA methylation dependent gene activation in mouse development. Epigenomics of Common Diseases, Wellcome Genomes Campus, UK. f p
Institut Jacques Monod Scientific Day, Paris, France. f p
EMBO Awakening of the genome: The maternal-to-zygotic transition, Vienna, Austria. p
From Gametes to Embryo: basic research and clinical applications, Paris, France. p
2022
Leveraging genome repetitiveness for transposon and allele-specific expression analysis. Bioinformatics Meeting, Paris Rive Gauche, France. s (invited)
2020
How I met your mother: maternally transmitted DNMT3A regulates paternal gene expression in the early mouse embryo. CEEHRC Seminar Series, Virtual. s (invited)(invited) PDF
2019-2018
Zygotic DNA methylation acquisition immediately following fertilization is mediated by DNMT3A and may regulate sperm-specific genes. Transposable Elements meeting, CSHL, New York, USA. p
The 5th Canadian Conference on Epigenetics, Estérel, Canada. p
IHEC & CEEHRC Joint Annual Meeting on Epigenetics, Banff, Canada. p
2017
De novo DNA methylation of paternal loci following fertilization: insights from a novel allele-specific pipeline for NGS datasets. The 4th Canadian Conference on Epigenetics, Whistler, Canada. f p
2016
Exploiting mouse hybrids to explore the influence of cis-regulatory element variation on the transcriptome and epigenome of primordial germ cells. The 3rd Canadian Conference on Epigenetics, Estérel, Canada. p
Chromatin and Epigenetics Keystone Symposia, Whistler, Canada. p
2014
Systematic analysis of the influence of transposons on the mouse transcriptome. IHEC 2014 Science Day, Vancouver, Canada. p
The 2nd Canadian Conference on Epigenetics, Western University, London, Canada. p
2013
Discovery of a cryptic enolase in S. cerevisiae. The Montreal Yeast Meeting, Montreal, Canada. s
2011
Characterization of an enolase-related repeat in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Undergraduate Research Day, Concordia University, Canada. p

beyond the lab

A career in science enables me to spend my working hours doing what I love: reading, exploring ideas, data analysis, data visualization, and teaching.
  My spare time is spent exploring (food, drinks, places), taking pictures, reading (Murakami, Steinbeck) cooking for my wife and friends, video games (Starcraft, The Legend of Zelda) and typography.
  The font used to make this website is attributed to Claude Garamond, a prolific 16th century Parisian type setter. ◆