Romain Madelaine

Biography:  Dr. Madelaine, Assistant Professor, MDI Biological Laboratory

COBRE Project: Apelin Signaling in Muscle Regeneration

Goal: To understand the function of the apelin peptide during muscle aging and regeneration and how its
activity could prevent or delay the onset of the sarcopenia disease.

Outcomes: This project will uncover the role of apelin on muscle stem cells, endothelial cells, and
macrophages during muscle aging and regeneration, and identify the molecular effectors downstream of the
apelin signaling pathway.

Project leader qualifications: Dr. Madelaine is an expert in molecular and cellular biology using the zebrafish as model organism. He was trained in genetics and developmental biology during his PhD with Dr. Patrick Blader, and in functional genomics and neurobiology during his post-doc at Stanford University with Dr. Philippe Mourrain. Dr. Madeleine comes to MDIBL from a position as a Research Associate at the Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires in Toulouse, France. His research program focuses on the function of the stem cell population during tissue regeneration.

Career impact of COBRE support: As a newly-recruited Assistant Professor, the COBRE grant will allow Dr. Madelaine to expand his research on muscle aging and regeneration by providing a rich and mutually beneficial interaction with the other COBRE investigators at UMaine. In particular, the proposed research shares many similarities with Dr. Talbot’s and Dr. King’s research projects, aiming to decipher the mechanisms of muscle development and degeneration respectively. This aspect represents an excellent opportunity to share expertise and tools to investigate zebrafish muscle biology.

Unique contributions: Dr. Madelaine’s multi-disciplinary approach combined with his expertise in developmental biology and genetics will complement other COBRE investigators.

Utilization of COBRE and institutional resources: Dr. Madelaine’s proposed research will mainly rely on MDIBL facilities. Dr. Madelaine will use the Progenitor Cell Analysis Core and Molecular Phenotyping Core (MMCRI), the Proteomics and Lipidomics Core (MMCRI), and the Microscopy and Image Analysis Core (UMaine). Dr. Madelaine will use the UMaine zebrafish facility to generate new lines and age his zebrafish.