Dr. Jo Anne Stratton
Assistant Professor
Dr. Jo Anne Stratton, McGill University
Dr. Jo Anne Stratton is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill and holds a Junior 1 FRQS Career Award in Neuroimmunology. She is the co-Lead of the Single Cell Neurobiology Initiative at McGill and the co-Chair of the Open Science Grassroots Committee at the Neuro. Dr. Stratton was trained at the University of Melbourne (PhD) and the University of Calgary (postdoctoral fellowship), where she was supported and mentored by key MS researcher leaders including Drs. Wee Yong and Trevor Kilpatrick. As an independent researcher, her goal now is to elucidate the complex neuro-immune interactions implicated in MS by using single cell technologies, animal modeling, in vitro assays and human samples. She is considered a rising leader in the field of ependymal cell biology, a critically understudied glia cell important for maintaining cerebrospinal fluid flow and brain homeostasis, and her goal is to understand how these cells are involved in MS pathogenesis.
Learn more about Dr. Stratton
What is the focus of your research? How did you become interested in MS research?
I aim to better understand the mechanisms driving MS neurodegeneration using MS tissue, animal models and cell culture. My dad had MS and it inspired me to pursue research to find a cure.
What inspires you to continue advancing research in this field?
MS is a devastating disease that starts in early adulthood and results in a long life of challenges. Understanding the mechanisms of disease is critical to better treating this disease.
How do you hope to change the lives of people living with MS through your research?
By one day curing the disease!
What do you enjoy most about your research? What are some of the challenges you face?
I enjoy mentoring students and solving problems.