current position

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 at the Institut Jacques Monod, Paris. Like Monod, I study how genes turn on and off. The modulation of gene expression in time and space is what enables a genome to unpack and read itself, ultimately giving rise to "endless forms most beautiful".
  As a bioinformatician, I use computers to analyze rich and complex biological data, often referred to as "genomics" and "epigenomics". My research currently focuses on integrating data from across the tree of life, "comparative genomics" and "phylogenetics", to study how the systems that regulate our genomes evolved.
  I completed my PhD at the University of British Columbia with Dr. Matthew Lorincz. There, I traced the inheritance of DNA methylation levels through a whole mouse life cycle.
  I also trained as a yeast molecular biologist accross many labs in my hometown of Montréal: J. Kornblatt, P. Joyce, R. Storms, M. Whiteway (F. Tebbji), and M. Tyers (A. Sellam).

education

Ph.D. Medical Genetics
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

B.Sc. Biology & Minor in Multidisciplinary Studies
Concordia University, Montréal, Canada

D.C.S. Pure and Applied Sciences
John Abbott College, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Canada

pre-prints

*co-first authors

Richard Albert, J.*, Urli T.*, Monteagudo-Sánchez A.*, Le Breton A., Sultanova A., David A., Schulz M., Greenberg M.V.C. DNA methylation shapes the Polycomb landscape during the exit from naïve pluripotency. bioRxiv.

Monteagudo-Sánchez, A.*, Richard Albert J.*, Scarpa M., Noordermeer D., Greenberg M.V.C. The embryonic DNA methylation program modulates the cis-regulatory landscape via CTCF antagonism. bioRxiv.

publications

*co-corresponding authors

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.

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.

Richard Albert, J. & Greenberg, M.V.C. Non-canonical imprinting in the spotlight. Development.

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.

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.

Richard Albert, J. & Greenberg M.V.C. The Polycomb landscape in mouse development. Nature Genetics News & Views. Invited by editor, not peer-reviewed.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

pre-reviews

PREreview is an open-source platform for long-form peer reviews of preprints.

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.

Richard Albert, J. PREreview of "DNMT3B PWWP mutations cause hypermethylation of heterochromatin." doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7529495.

press

Racing to identify novel imprinted genes in the rat. Epigenie.

New analysis challenges long-held assumptions about paternal DNA methylation in the first stages of life. Life Sciences Institute, UBC.

How I met your mother: DNMT3A from mom leaves its mark on dad’s genome in the early embryo. Epigenie.

MEA – an integrated allele-specific pipeline for methylomic and epigenomic analysis. RNA-seq blog: Transcriptome Sequencing Research & Industry News.

academic work experience

DNA methylation-associated gene activation in mouse development and human cancers.
Dr. Maxim Greenberg lab, Institut Jacques Monod, CNRS, Paris.

Allele-specific DNA methylation dynamics in early mouse development.
Dr. Matthew Lorincz lab, Dept of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia.

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.

Functional characterization of the Mediator complex in Candida albicans.
Dr. Malcolm Whiteway lab, Dept of Genomics, Concordia University.

Investigating the secretory pathway of Aspergillus niger through conditional promoter replacement.
Dr. Reginald Storms lab, Dept of Biology, Concordia University.

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

Gene Regulation and Epigenetics Conference for ECRs Best Oral Presentation. 50€

Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale, Post-Doc en France. 153,000€

EMBO Post-doctoral Fellowship Acknowledgement of Excellence. 0€

JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research in Japan, RIKEN. 4,344,000¥ (declined)

Patricia Baird Prize for Excellence in Medical Genetics, UBC. 500$

The 3rd Canadian Conference on Epigenetics Poster award, CEEHRC. 500$

The 3rd Canadian Conference on Epigenetics Travel award, CEEHRC. 688$

HTS Data Workshop Registration Award, Canadian Bioinformatics, McGill. 500$

Killam Doctoral Scholarship, UBC. 62,000$

NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships-Doctoral Program, UBC. 63,000$*

Four Year Doctoral Fellowship, UBC. 72,800$*

Medical Genetics Research Day Poster Award, UBC. 0$

CIHR CGS Master’s scholarship, UBC. 17,500$

Medical Genetics Graduate Support Initiative Award, UBC. 16,000$

NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award, Concordia University. 4,500$

Science College Award, Concordia University. 200$

Faculty of Arts and Science Dean's List, Concordia University. 0$

CAFAmerica Entrance Scholarship, Concordia University. 2,500$

Academic Honour Roll, John Abbott College. 0$
*78,400$ accepted in title only

community and volunteer activities

Institut Jacques Monod bioinformatics office establishment, Paris.

Bioinformatics mentor, Institut Jacques Monod, Paris.

Community Scientist, Science World, Vancouver.

Medical Genetics Research Day volunteer, Vancouver.

Entertainer/Teacher: ExpoScience Day, Pointe-Claire.

Open house information booth, Concordia University, Montréal.

select presentations

Poster presenter p, speaker s or flash talk f:

Multiple gene regulatory mechanisms converge at the Zdbf2 locus. Fragile Nucleosome Seminar Series, International. s

Why do mammals need a mom and a dad for conception? Weekly research seminar, Concordia, Montréal, Canada. s

Divergence of non-canonical imprints in murids. Genomic Imprinting from Biology to Disease, Wellcome Genomes Campus, UK. f p

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

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

Leveraging genome repetitiveness for transposon and allele-specific expression analysis. Bioinformatics Meeting, Paris Rive Gauche, France. s

How I met your mother: maternally transmitted DNMT3A regulates paternal gene expression in the early mouse embryo. CEEHRC Seminar Series, Virtual. s

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

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

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

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

Discovery of a cryptic enolase in S. cerevisiae. The Montreal Yeast Meeting, Montreal, Canada. s

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. ◆