My research interests include non-coding RNA-based mechanisms that regulate of gene expression as it relates to the host-pathogen interactions in wildlife infectious diseases. My current research as an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow focuses on microRNA-mediated regulation of the amphibian immune system in response to Frog Virus 3 infection.
For more information on my research, visit my website.
Publications
For a complete list of my publications see my Google Scholar Profile, ResearchGate Profile or LinkedIn Profile
Ostrowski is my maiden name.
Pietrobon, V., Todd, L.A., Goswami, A., Stefanson, O., Yang, Z., and Marincola, F. (2021) Improving CAR T-cell persistence. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(19): 10828. PMID: 34639168.
Todd, L.A., Bui-Marinos, M.P., and Katzenback, B.A. (in press) Post-transcriptional regulation of frog innate immunity: Discovery of frog microRNAs associated with antiviral responses and ranavirus infection using a Xenopus laevis skin epithelial-like cell line. FACETS. Preprint available on Biorxiv at doi: 10.1101/2021.06.29.450442.
Bui-Marinos, M.P., Todd, L.A., Wasson, M.D., Morningstar, B.E.E., and Katzenback, B.A. (2021) Prior induction of cellular antiviral pathways limits frog virus 3 replication in two permissive Xenopus laevis skin epithelial-like cell lines. Developmental and Comparative Immunology, 124: 104200. PMID: 34237380.
Todd, L.A.*, Hall, A.C.*, Pietrobon, V., Chan, J.N.Y., LaFlamme, G., and Mekhail, K. (2020) RNA-cDNA hybrids mediate transposition via different mechanisms. Scientific Reports, 10: 16034. PMID: 32994470.
Abraham, K.J.*, Khosraviani, N.*, Chan, J.N.Y, Gorthi, A., Samman, A., Zhao D.Y., Wang, M., Singhania, R., Bokros, M., Vidya, E., Ostrowski, L.A., et al. (2020) Nucleolar RNA polymerase II drives ribosome biogenesis. Nature, 585(7824): 298-302. PMID: 32669707.
Khosraviani, N., Ostrowski, L.A., and Mekhail, K. (2019) Roles for non-coding RNAs in spatial genome organization. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 7: 00336. PMID: 31921848.
Hall, A.C.*, Ostrowski, L.A.*, and Mekhail, K. (2019) Phase separation as a melting pot for DNA repeats. Trends in Genetics, 35(8): 589-600. PMID: 31155151.
Ostrowski, L.A.*, Hall, A.H.*, Szafranski, K.J., Oshidari, R., et al. (2018) Conserved Pbp1/Ataxin-2 regulates retrotransposon activity and connects polyglutamine expansion-driven protein aggregation to lifespan-controlling rDNA repeats. Communications Biology, 1: 187. PMID: 30417124.
Ostrowski, L.A., Seto, A.M., and Saville, B.J. (2018) Investigating teliospore germination using microrespiration and microdissection. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 135: e57628. PMID: 29806843.
Lau, A.*, Bourkas, M.*, Lu, Y.Q.Q.*, Ostrowski, L.A.*, et al. (2017) Functional amyloids and their possible influence on Alzheimer Disease. Discoveries, 5(4): e79. DOI: 10.15190/d.2017.9.
Ostrowski, L.A.*, Hall, A.C.*, and Mekhail, K. (2017) Ataxin-2: From RNA control to human health and disease. Genes, 8(6): e157. PMID: 28587229.
Donaldson, M.E.*, Ostrowski, L.A.*, Goulet, K.M., and Saville, B.J. (2017) Transcriptome analysis of smut fungi reveals widespread intergenic transcription and conserved antisense transcript expression. BMC Genomics, 18: 340. PMID: 28464849.
Hall, A.C., Ostrowski, L.A., Pietrobon, V., and Mekhail, K. (2017) Repetitive DNA loci and their modulation by the non-canonical nucleic acid structures R-loops and G-quadruplexes. Nucleus, 8(2): 162-181. PMID: 28406751.
Ostrowski, L.A., and Saville, B.J. (2017) Natural antisense transcripts are linked to the modulation of mitochondrial function and teliospore dormancy in Ustilago maydis. Molecular Microbiology, 103(5): 745-763. PMID: 27888605.
Abraham, K.J.*, Ostrowski, L.A.*, and Mekhail, K. (2017) Non-coding RNA molecules connect calorie restriction and lifespan. Journal of Molecular Biology, 429(21): 3196-3214. PMID: 27561708.
Select Awards
NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship (2020-2022)
EMBO|EMBL Symposia Fellowship (2019)
Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2019-2020)
Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2018-2019)
David and Joyce Woods Graduate Scholarship (2015)
University Women’s 50th Anniversary Award (2014)
Trent University Student Award of Excellence (2013)
TCRC Community-Based Research Award (2013)
NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (2013)
Education
PhD, University of Toronto
MSc, Trent University
BSc, Trent University
Personal Interests
My spare time is occupied by all things wildlife! I volunteer for several wildlife rescue organizations and am an amateur wildlife photographer.