Dr. Rastegar is an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics and part of the Regenerative Medicine Program, Faculty of Medicine with cross appointment to Immunology. She obtained a "Diplôme d’Etudes Approfondies (DEA)" in Biochemistry and Human Cellular Biology (1998) and a PhD degree in Biomedical Sciences (2000) from the "Université Catholiquede Louvain (UCL)”, Brussels, Belgium. Dr. Rastegar performed her postdoctoral training at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, at the McGill Cancer Centre in Montreal and at the Indiana University Cancer Center, IN, USA. Her focus is to understand the “Epigenetic Control of Stem Cell Neurogenesis” and her research aims to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of stem cell differentiation by investigating the role of specific genes and epigenetic modifications during Embryonic Stem (ES) cell and Neural Stem Cell (NSC) neurogenesis. Dr. Rastegar’s ultimate goal is to explore the potential of stem cell differentiation towards generating specific cell types for treatment of neurological disorders. Overall, Dr. Rastegar’s lab addresses a very basic question in cell fate determination, how a cell makes the decision to differentiate into a neuron and to define the genomic and epigenomic basis for its neuronal fate, aiming towards controlled stem cell programming and differentiation.


Current Funding:
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant  (2009-2014)
Manitoba Medical Service Foundation (MMSF) (2012-2013)
Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation of Canada  (SRCFC) (2010-2013)
Manitoba Health Research Council (MHRC) - Establishment (2009-2013)
Manitoba Health Research Council (MHRC) - Operating (2010-2012)
Health Sciences Center Foundation (HSCF) (2011-2012)

Previous Funding:
Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) - Leaders Opportunity Fund  (LOF)
Manitoba Institute of Child Health (MICH) 
The Dr. Paul HT Thorlakson Foundation Fund 
University Research Grant Program (URGP)