T.C. Tai, PhD
Professor, Medical Sciences Division
NOSM University in Sudbury
935 Ramsey Lake Road
Sudbury, ON
P3E 2C6
Phone: 705-662-7239
Fax: 705-675-4858
Email: ttai@nosm.ca
Education and Professional Roles
| Head, Human and Medical Sciences Divisions, NOSM University Professor, Division of Medical Sciences, NOSM University Professor (Cross-Appointed), Department of Biology, Laurentian University Professor (Cross-Appointed), Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laurentian University Core Faculty, Biomolecular Sciences PhD Program |
| 2002-2004: Instructor, McLean Hospital, Lab. of Mol. & Devel. Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Dept. of Psychiatry, Boston, MA, USA |
| 1999-2002: Research Fellow, McLean Hospital, Lab. of Mol. & Devel. Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Dept. of Psychiatry, Boston, MA, USA |
| 1998-1999: Research Fellow, Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Stanford University Medical School, Palo Alto, CA, USA |
| 1993-1998: PhD, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| 1991-1993: M.Sc., Deptartment of Physiology, University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| 1987-1991: B.Sc. Honours, Faculty of Arts and Science Specialist Programme, Physiology Minor Programme in Economics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Research Interest
Hypertension is a complex, multifactorial and polygenic disease that afflicts millions of people in North America each year. Seventy percent of the adult population over the age of 60 suffer from hypertension and are at increased risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease. The cause of essential hypertension is not well known, but is believed to involve both genetic and environmental influences. Epidemiological studies show that environmental and lifestyle factors (eg. stress, smoking, diet and alcohol consumption) increases the risk of developing hypertension. In addition, studies now suggest that factors affecting fetal development (eg. stress and undernutrition) can increase the risk of developing hypertension in adulthood. The focus of our laboratory is to understand the mechanisms responsible for the development and maintenance of hypertension and to assess how environmental influences can affect the molecular mechanisms associated with hypertension. The overall goals of our research are:
Currently, our research efforts have focused on understanding the intracellular pathways and molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of the catecholamine biosynthetic enzyme, phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT), and how dysregulation of this gene may contribute to the pathophysiology of hypertension. Our research employs a cell to systems biology approach. The technical methodologies used in the research program include tissue culture, gene promoter analysis, gel mobility shift assays, western blot analysis, PCR, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, microarray analysis, and physiological measurements in rodents. |
Selected Publications
Sreetharan S, Tharmalingam S, Hourtovenko C, Tubin F, McTiernan CD, Thome C, Khaper N, Boreham DR, Lees SJ and Tai TC. Whole Transcriptome Analysis of the Mouse Placenta Following Radiation-Induced Growth Restriction. Radiation 2025, 5(4), 35.
Sreetharan S, King T, Thome C, Khaper N, Boreham DR, Tharmalingam S, Lees SJ, Tai TC. Growth Restriction in Balb/c Mice Irradiated With X-Rays During Late Gestation: Role of Irradiation Timing, Dose Fractionation and Adaptive Response. Dose Response. 2025 Dec 7;23(4):15593258251395327.
Dingley R, Hourtovenko C, Lee J, Tharmalingam S, Tai TC. The Regulation of Catecholamine Biosynthesis by the Gas Transmitters Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen Sulfide. Curr Issues Mol Biol. 2025 Sep 5;47(9):725.
Sreetharan S, Puukila S, Lalonde C, Pirkkanen J, Woloschak GE, Paunesku T, Brooks AL, McNeill FE, Thome C, Boreham DR, Lees SJ, Tharmalingam S, Tai TC. Comparison of Acute and Protracted Gamma Irradiation Effects During Perinatal Development in Beagle Dogs. Radiat Res. 2025 Feb 1;203(2):73-82.
Mrozewski L, Tharmalingam S, Michael P, Kumar A, Tai TC. C5a Induces Inflammatory Signaling and Apoptosis in PC12 Cells through C5aR-Dependent Signaling: A Potential Mechanism for Adrenal Damage in Sepsis. Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Oct 3;25(19):10673.
Hourtovenko C, Sreetharan S, Tharmalingam S, Tai TC. Impact of Ionizing Radiation Exposure on Placental Function and Implications for Fetal Programming. Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Sep 12;25(18):9862. doi: 10.3390/ijms25189862.
Lalonde C, Sreetharan S, Murray A, Stoa L, Cybulski ME, Kennedy A, Landry, Stillar A, Khurana S, Tharmalingam S, Wilson J, Khaper N, Lees SJ, Boreham D and Tai TC. Absence of Depressive and Anxious Behavior with Genetic Dysregulation in Adult C57Bl/6J Mice after Prenatal Exposure to Ionizing Radiation. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(10), 8466.
Lalonde C, Boreham D and Tai TC. Fetal Programming of Brain and Behavior through Ionizing Radiation.. Stresses 2023, 3(1), 198-209.
Rivet TR, Lalonde C, Tai TC. Gene Dysregulation in the Adult Rat Paraventricular Nucleus and Amygdala by Prenatal Exposure to Dexamethasone. Life (Basel). 2022 Jul 19;12(7):1077. doi: 10.3390/life12071077.
Murray A, Tharmalingam S, Khurana S, Lalonde C, Nguyen P, Tai TC: Effect of Prenatal Glucocorticoid Exposure on Circadian Rhythm Gene Expression in the Brains of Adult Rat Offspring. Cells. 2022 May 11;11(10):1613.
Nguyen P, Khurna S, Peltsch H, Grandbois J, Eibl J, Crisp J, Ansell D, Tai TC: Prenatal glucocorticoid exposure programs adrenal PNMT gene expression and adult hypertension. J. Endocrinology 2015, 227(2):117-27.
Peltsch H, Khurana S, Byrne C. Nguyen P, Khaper N, Kumar A, Tai TC:.Cardiac Phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase: Localization and Regulation of Gene Expression in the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat. Canadian Journal of Physiol Pharmacol 2015, Oct 15:1-10.
Grandbois J, Khurana S, Graff K, Nguyen P, Meltz L, Tai TC: Phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase gene expression in adrenergic neurons of spontaneously hypertensive rats. Neurosci Lett. 2016 Dec 2;635:103-110.
Mercier S, Khurana S, Larivière C, Tai TC and Venkataraman K: Exercise and Antioxidant Intake in Aging Normotensive and Hypertensive Individuals. J Gerontol Geriatric Med 2016, 2:010.
Williamson CR, Khurana S, Nguyen P, Byrne CJ, Tai TC: Comparative Analysis of Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS)-Related Gene Expression Between Hypertensive and Normotensive Rats. Med Sci Monit Basic Res. 2017 Jan 31;23:20-24.
Sreetharan S, Thome C, Tharmalingam S, Jones DE, Kulesza, Lees S, Khaper N, AV, Wilson JW, Boreham DR, and Tai TC: Ionizing Radiation Exposure During Pregnancy: Long-term Effects on Postnatal Life in Rodent Models. Rad Res 2017 Jun;187(6):647-658.
Tharmalingam S, Sreetharan S, JW, Boreham DR, and Tai TC: Low Dose Ionizing Radiation Exposure, Oxidative Stress and Epigenetic Programming of Health and Disease. Rad Res 2017 Oct;188(4.2):525-538.
Khurana S, Peng S, McDonald E, Yates W, Venkataraman K, Tai TC: Phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase gene expression in PC12 cells exposed to intermittent hypoxia. Khurana S, Peng S, McDonald E, Yates W, Venkataraman K, Tai TC. Neurosci Lett. 2017 Dec 27;666:169-174.