Lab Information
Marcel Behr (MD/MSc)
Senior ScientistCentre for Translational Biology
Department of Medicine (McGill)
Research Profile
https://mcgill.ca/molepi
Keywords
Tuberculosis • molecular epidemiology • bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine • innate immunity • Crohn's diseaseResearch Interests
- Genomic studies of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex organisms. We study the genome of the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis, along with that of the live vaccine strain given to prevent tuberculosis. The goal of this research is to exploit the existence of naturally occurring mutants of these organisms in order to understand the pathogenesis of this disease.
- Molecular epidemiology of tuberculosis. Using genetic markers, we are able to track clones of Mycobacterium tuberculosis providing an opportunity for refined understanding of its spread among human populations and better application of control strategies.
- Genomic studies of Mycobacterium avium. Using the same platforms developed for research activity 1, we are trying to understand the genomic composition of environmental mycobacteria that can cause human disease, with the goal of developing better diagnostic tests and applying these to epidemiologic investigations.
- Host recognition of mycobacterial infection. Using a combination of bacterial genetics and synthetic chemistry, we are studying the role of host pattern recognition receptors, especially NOD2, during mycobacterial infection.
Team Members
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Latest Publications
- Trajman, A., Campbell, J. R., Kunor, T., Ruslami, R., Amanullah, F., Behr, M. A. & Menzies, D. (2025). Tuberculosis. Lancet (London, England), vol. 405, p. 850-866.
- Behr, M. A., Edelstein, P. H. & Ramakrishnan, L. (2025). Response to 'Rethinking latent TB? Think again'. The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease : the official journal of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, vol. 29, p. 95-96.
- Fox, G. J., Nhung, N. V., Cam Binh, N., Hoa, N. B., Garden, F. L., Benedetti, A., Ngoc Yen, P., Cuong, N. K., MacLean, E. L., Yapa, H. M., Dowdy, D. W., Lan, N. H., Guevara-Rattray, E., Duc Cuong, P., Solomon, O., Behr, M. A., Marais, B. J., Graham, S. M., Menzies, D., Thu Anh, N. & Marks, G. B. (2024). Levofloxacin for the Prevention of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Vietnam. The New England journal of medicine, vol. 391, p. 2304-2314.
- Andrade Meirelles, M., Almeida, V. M., Sullivan, J. R., de Toledo, I., Dos Reis, C. V., Cunha, M. R., Zigweid, R., Shim, A., Sankaran, B., Woodward, E. L., Seibold, S., Liu, L., Mian, M. R., Battaile, K. P., Riley, J., Duncan, C., Simeons, F. R. C., Ferguson, L., Joji, H., Read, K. D., Lovell, S., Staker, B. L., Behr, M. A., Pilli, R. A. & Couñago, R. M. (2024). Rational Exploration of 2,4-Diaminopyrimidines as DHFR Inhibitors Active against Mycobacterium abscessus and Mycobacterium avium, Two Emerging Human Pathogens. Journal of medicinal chemistry, vol. 67, p. 19143-19164.
- Ametepe, E. S. A., Andriamanoha, N., Andrianomanana, F. R., Point, F., Mangahasimbola, R. T., Dyachenko, A., Hall, M., Gamana, T. M., Knoblauch, A. M., Razafindrasoa, Y. Y., Nimalan, A., Behr, M., Durand, M., Johri, M., Iqbal, Z., Rakotoarivelo, A. R., Randremanana, R. V., Rakotosamimanana, N. & Lapierre, S. G. (2024). Whole genome sequencing of M. tuberculosis for disease control in high-burden settings: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial evaluating different community-wide intervention strategies in rural Madagascar. Trials, vol. 25, p. 717.
- Liang, Y. C., Sun, Z., Lu, C., Lupien, A., Xu, Z., Berton, S., Xu, P., Behr, M. A., Yang, W. & Sun, J. (2024). Discovery of benzo[c]phenanthridine derivatives with potent activity against multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Microbiology spectrum, p. e0124624.
- Duffy, S. C., Lupien, A., Elhaji, Y., Farag, M., Marcus, V. & Behr, M. A. (2024). Correction: Establishment of persistent enteric mycobacterial infection following streptomycin pre-treatment. Gut pathogens, vol. 16, p. 54.
- Kulle, A., Li, Z., Kwak, A., Mancini, M., Young, D., Avizonis, D. Z., Groleau, M., Baglole, C. J., Behr, M. A., King, I. L., Divangahi, M., Langlais, D., Wang, J., Blagih, J., Penz, E., Dufour, A. & Thanabalasuriar, A. (2024). Alveolar macrophage function is impaired following inhalation of berry e-cigarette vapor. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 121, p. e2406294121.
- Olawoye, I. B., Waglechner, N., McIntosh, F., Akochy, P.-M., Cloutier, N., Grandjean Lapierre, S., Tannir, B., Greenaway, C., Matouk, E., Poirier, L., Levesque, R. C., Boyle, B., Quach, C., Soualhine, H., Batt, J., Behr, M. A., Lee, R. S. & Guthrie, J. L. (2025). Genomic Epidemiology of Mycobacterium abscessus on the Island of Montréal Not Suggestive of Healthcare-associated Person-to-Person Transmission. The Journal of infectious diseases, vol. 231, p. e396-e406.
- Behr, M. A., Mehes, I. & Bernstein, C. N. (2024). It's Time to Change Tack in IBD Treatment. Gastroenterology, vol. 167, p. 1065-1070.e2.
See also
