Prof. Lasko received his PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1986 and joined McGill in 1990 after a postdoctoral period at the University of Cambridge. Using the Drosophila system, Dr. Lasko’s research concerns regulatory processes that control gene expression at the levels of mRNA stability or translation, and that underlie germ cell or early embryonic development. He received the Award of Excellence from the Canadian Society of Genetics in 2004. At McGill he served as Chair of the Department of Biology from 2000 -2010. He assumed his position at CIHR in May 2010 but maintains his research lab at McGill.

Dr. Lasko has been highly active in research grant adjudication and served on CIHR or Canadian Cancer Society grant panels continuously since 1995. He has also worked extensively for the Human Frontiers of Science Program Organization (HFSPO) over the past ten years, serving on its program grant panel from 2001-2005, and then as one of two Canadian representatives on the Council of Scientists. He chaired the HFSP Council of Scientists since 2007-2010. Dr. Lasko also served as President of the Genetics Society of Canada from 2007-2010. As Scientific Director, Dr. Lasko oversees the Institute’s strategic research funding initiatives, many of which involve fostering international partnerships.