Department of Physiology

Contact Info

T: (416) 813-6217

F: (416) 813-6304

mark.palmert@sickkids.ca

Location

The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave.

Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8

Appointments

Primary: Endocrinology

Research Interests

Animal Models, Diabetes, hormones, puberty, genetics, Human Models, epigenetics

Affiliations: The Hospital for Sick Children: Division Head, Endocrinology; Research Institute Senior Associate Scientist, Genetics & Genome Biology

Courses Taught : PSL 1024, PSL 1022

Research/Teaching

Research Synopsis

Research Interests: Dr. Palmert conducts research in a variety of areas, but his main research activity has centred on variations in the timing and pace of pubertal development. His research program involves the combination of clinical research and an active laboratory-based program designed to identify and understand genetic factors that modulate the timing of puberty, and to investigate the etiology and management of diabetes mellitus.

Detailed Description:
Brief Biography
Dr. Mark R. Palmert joined the Department of Paediatrics as head of the Division of Endocrinology in September 2007. Dr. Palmert is a graduate of the Medical Scientist Training Program at Case Western Reserve University with an MD and PhD in 1992. He trained in paediatrics and paediatric endocrinology at Children’s Hospital, Boston.

Clinical Care Activities
Reproductive endocrinology focusing on disorders of pubertal development.
Care of children with general endocrine disorders and diabetes mellitus.

METHODS USED

Behavioral tests, gene expression analysis, Microarrays, qRT-PCR, RT-PCR, Western blot

EQUIPMENT USED

Benchtop centrifuge, blotting apparatus, culture hood, culture incubators, gel apparatus, low- and high-speed centrifuge, low and ultralow freezers, mini vortexer, real-time/thermocycler, stirrer/hot plate, water baths

External Funding

2009– 2013 DP3DK085698, NIH/NIDDK
DNA Methylome Study in Type I Diabetes
Role: Co-Investigator. Principal Investigator, Art Petronis

2011 – 2013 Charles H. Hood Foundation
A nested case-control study of genetic and psychosocial determinants of pubertal timing.
Role: Scientific Advisor; PI: Renee Boynton-Jarrett

2012 – 2015 Canadian Diabetes Association, OG-3-12-3692-JH
Epigenetic Changes in DNA of Infants Exposed to Gestational Diabetes in utero
Role: Co-Applicant. Principal Applicant: Jill Hamilton

2012 – 2017 Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR)
Deciphering the bases of sex differences in the brain and their role in psychiatric disorders
Role: Co-Principal Applicant (with Jason Lerch); Co-Applicants: Paul Arnold and Jane Foster

2013 – 2015 Thrasher Research Fund
Assessment of an electronic self-management tool on glycemic control in teens with type 1 diabetes
Role: Principal Applicant (Co-Principal Applicants: J. Cafazzo, D. Katzman, H. Skinner, and M. Rotondi)

2014– 2018 Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR)
Male-Female Differences in Pubertal Timing: Use of Perturbations of the Lin28/let-7 Axis to Examine Mechanisms
Role: Principal Applicant (with Co-Principal Applicant, M Wilson and Co-Applicant A Goldenberg).

PRESENT TRAINEES

Andrea Ens
Jennifer Harrington
Diana Cousminer
Lily Qiu

PRESENT COLLABORATIONS

Within the Department of Physiology:
Stephen Matthews
Denise Belsham

Outside the Department of Physiology:

Jason Lerch               Medical Biophysics/University of Toronto/Canada
Mike Wilson                        Genetics & Genome Biology/University of Toronto/Canada
Anna Goldenberg     Genetics & Genome Biology/University of Toronto/Canada

Committee member/Officer of national or international scientific organization:

2009-2013, Annual Meeting Program Committee Member, Pediatric Endocrine Society (PES) (formerly the LWPES)

2011-2012, Annual Meeting Program Committee Chair, Pediatric Endocrine Society (PES) (formerly the LWPES)

2011-2013, Annual Meeting Program Committee Member, The Pediatric Academic Societies/ The Society for Pediatric Research

2010-2014, Annual Meeting Program Committee Member, Canadian Pediatric Endocrine Group, Chair 2010, Member 2010-14

2010-2014, Executive Committee Member, Canadian Pediatric Endocrine Group

2011-2013, President Canadian Pediatric Endocrine Group

Publications and Awards

Recent Publications

Selected Peer Reviewed Articles:
Hodges CA, Palmert MR*, Drumm ML*. Infertility in females with cystic fibrosis is multifactorial: Evidence from mouse models. Endocrinology. 2008; 149(6): 2790-2797. Epub 2008 March 6. (*co supervisors who contributed equally). Gajdos ZKZ, Butler JL, DeLellis Henderson K, He C, Supelak P, Egyud M, Price A, Reich D, Clayton P, Le Marchand L, Hunter DJ, Henderson BE, Palmert MR*, Hirschhorn JN*. Association studies of common variants in ten hypogonadotropic hypogonadism genes with age at menarche. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 2008; 93(11): 4290-4298. Epub 2008 Aug 26. (*co supervisors who contributed equally) (Published with accompanying editorial) (Highlighted internationally as one of top papers of the year in Yearbook of Pediatric Endocrinology).

Hodges CA, Cotton CU, Palmert MR, Drumm ML. Generation of a conditional null allele for Cftr in mice. Genesis: The Journal of Genetics and Development. 2008; 46(10):546-552. Epub 2008 Sep 18.

Carel J-C*, Eugster EA, Rogol A, Ghizzoni L, Palmert MR*, ESPE-LWPES GnRH Analog Consensus Conference Group. Consensus statement on the use of GnRH analogs in children. Pediatrics. 2009; 123(4):e752-62. Epub 2009 Mar 30. (*contributed equally) (Highlighted internationally as one of top papers of the year in Yearbook of Pediatric Endocrinology).

Koontz MB, Cuttler L, Palmert MR, O’Riordan MA, Borawski EA, McConnell J, Kern EO. Development and validation of a questionnaire to assess carbohydrate and insulin-dosing knowledge in youth with type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2010; 33(3):457-62. Epub 2009 Dec 10.

Chiang CWK, Gajdos ZKZ, Korn JM, Kuruvilla FG, Butler JL, Hackett R, Guiducci C, Nguyen T, Wilks R, Forrester T, Haiman CA, Henderson KD, Le Marchand L, Henderson BE, Palmert MR, McKenzie CA, Lyon HN, Cooper RS, Zhu X, Hirschhorn JN. Rapid assessment of genetic ancestry in populations of unknown origin by genome-wide genotyping of pooled samples. PloS Genetics, 2010; Mar 5;6(3):e1000866.

Zhu H, Shah S, Ng S-C, Einhorn W, Shinoda G, Viswanathan S, Takeuchi A, Grassemann C, Hirschhorn J, Palmert MR, Daley GQ. Lin28A transgenic mice manifest size and pubertal phenotypes identified in human genetic association studies. Nature Genetics. 2010; 42(7):626-30. Epub 2010 May 31. (Highlighted internationally as one of top papers of the year in “The Year in Female Reproduction,” 2010 Endocrine Society Mtg.)

Sud S, Marcon M, Assor E, Palmert MR, Daneman D, and Mahmud F. Celiac Disease and Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes: Treatment Dilemmas. International Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology. 2010; 2010:161285. Epub 2010 Jun 23.

Shao H, Sinasac D, Burrage LC, Hodges CA, Supelak PJ, Palmert MR, Moreno C, Cowley AW, Jacob HJ, and Nadeau JH. Analyzing complex traits with congenic strains. Mammalian Genome. 2010; 21(5-6):276-86. Epub 2010 Jun 4.

Shulman RM, O’Gorman CS, Palmert MR.The Impact of Telemedicine Interventions Involving Routine Transmission of Blood Glucose Data with Clinician Feedback on Metabolic Control in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. International Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology. 2010; 2010.pii: 536957. Epub 2010 Sep 22.

Chiang CWK, Gajdos ZKZ, Korn JM, Butler JL, Kackett R, Guiducci C, Nguyen TT, Wilks R, Forrester T, Henderson KD, Le Marchand L, Henderson BE, Haiman CA, Cooper RS, Lyon HN, Zhu X, McKenzie CA, Palmert MR, Hirschhorn N. The Efficacy of Detecting Variants with Small Effects on the Affymetrix 6.0 Platform using Pooled DNA. Human Genetics. 2011; Nov;130(5):607-21. Epub 2011 Mar 22.

Yeshayahu Y, Tallett S, Pacak K, De Souza C, Palmert MR. When is a Pheao not a Pheao? Depression in an Adolescent Leading to a Pheaochromocytoma-like Biochemical Profile. Clinical Endocrinology. 2011; 75(4):567-8. Epub 2011 Mar 30.

Abla O and Palmert MR. Reversal of LCH-related Diabetes Insipidus and Reappearance of Posterior Pituitary Bright Spot with Low-dose Chemotherapy. Pediatric Blood and Cancer. 2012, In press.

Palmert MR and Dunkel L. Delayed Puberty. New England Journal of Medicine. 2012, In press.

Shulman R, Palmert MR and Daneman D. Insulin pump therapy in youth with type 1 diabetes: uptake and outcomes in the “real world”. Diabetes Management. 2012, In press.

Cafazzo JA, Eng P, Casselman M, HammingN, Katzman DK, Palmert MR. Design of an mHealth App for Self-management of Adolescent Type 1 Diabetes – A Pilot Study. J Med Internet Res 2012 (May 08); 14(3):e70.

Harrington J, Palmert MR. Distinguishing Constitutional Delay of Growth and Puberty from Isolated Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism: Critical Appraisal of Available Diagnostic Tests. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 2012; 97(9): 3056-67. Epub 2012 Jun 20.

Harrington J, Palmert MR. Are elevated androgens a cause of discordant pubertal development? Evidence from a case of adrenocortical carcinoma. Clinical Endocrinology, 2013; 78(4):635-6.

Silveira-Neto AP, Leal LF, Emerman AB, Henderson KD, Piskounova E, Henderson BE, Gregory RI, Silveira LFG, Hirschhorn JN, Nguyen TT, Beneduzzi D, Tusset C, Reis ACS, Brito VN, Mendonca BB, Palmert MR, Antonini SR, Latronico, AC. Absence of Functional LIN28B Mutations in a Large Cohort of Patients with Idiopathic Central Precocious Puberty. Hormone Research in Paediatrics. 2012;78(3):144-50.Epub 2012 Sep 6.

Grasemann C, Devlin MJ, Rzeczkowska PA, Herrmann R, Horsthemke B, Hauffa BP, Grynpas M, Alm C, Bouxsein ML, Palmert MR. Parental Diabetes: the Akita mouse as a model of the effects of maternal and paternal hyperglycemia in wildtype offspring. PLoS ONE. 2012;7(11):e50210.

Grieco A, Rzeczkowska P, Alm Christina, Palmert MR. Investigation of Peripubertal expression of Lin28a and Lin28b in C578BL/6 Female Mice. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. 2013; 365(2):241-8. Epub 2012 Nov 5.

Laffel L, Chang N, Grey M, Hale D, Higgins L, Hirst K. Izquierdo R, Larkin M, Macha C, Pham T,Wauters A, Weinstock RS, TODAY Study Group. Metformin monotherapy in youth with recent onset type 2 diabetes: experience from the prerandomization run-in phase of the TODAY study. Pediatr Diabetes. 2012; 13(5):385-391. Epub 2012 Feb 27.

TODAY Study Group, Zeitler P, Hirst K, Pyle L, Linder B, Copeland K, Arslanian S, Cuttler L, Nathan DM, Tollefsen S, Wilfley D, Kaufman F. A Clinical Trial to Maintain Glycemic Control in Youth with Type 2 Diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2012; 366(24):2247-56. Epub 2012 Apr 29

Devlin MJ#, Grasemann C#, Cloutier AM, Louis L, Alm C, Palmert MR*, Bouxsein ML*. Maternal Perinatal Diet Induces Developmental Programming of Bone Architexture. J of Endocrinology. 2013; 217(1):68-81. (#Co-1st authors; *Co-Supervisors).

Lawrence S, Cummings E, Chanoine J-P, Metzger DL, Palmert M, Sharma A, Rodd C, on behalf of the Canadian Pediatric Endocrine Group (CPEG). Canadian Pediatric Endocrine Group extension to WHO growth charts: Why bother? Paediatr Child Health. 2013; 18(6):295-297. (Winner of the 8th annual Dr. Noni MacDonald Award recognizing an article published in the journal during 2013 that made an important contribution to paediatric practice).

Oren A, Wang MK, Brnjac L, Mahmud FH, Palmert MR. Mild Neonatal Hyperthyrotropinemia: 10 Years’ Experience Suggests the Condition is Increasingly Common But Often Transient. Clinical Endocrinology, 2013; 79(6): 832-7. Epub 2013 May 27.

Qiu LR, German J, Spring S, Alm C, Vousden DA, Palmert MR, Lerch JP. Hippocampal volumes differ across the mouse estrous cycle, can change within 24 hours, and associate with cognitive strategies. NeuroImage, 2013; 83:593-8. Epub 2013 July 3.

Raznahan A, Probst F, Palmert MR, Giedd JN, Lerch JP. High resolution whole brain imaging of anatomical variation in XO, XX, and XY mice. Neuroimage. 2013; 83:962-8. Epub 2013 Jul 25.

Harrington J, Palmert MR, Hamilton J. Use of local data to enhance uptake of published recommendations: An example from the diagnostic evaluation of precocious puberty. Arch Dis Child. 2014; 99(1):15-20. Epub 2013 Oct 29. (Published with accompanying editorial)

Rodd C, Metzger DL, Sharma A for the Canadian Pediatric Endocrine Group (CPEG) Working Committee for National Growth Charts (Cummings E, Chanoine JP, Lawrence S, Metzger DL, Palmert MR, Rodd C, Sharma A). Extending World Health Organization Weight-For- Age Reference Curves to Older Children. BMC Pediatrics. 2014, 14:32. (DOI: 10.1186/1471-2431-14-32)

Rzeczkowska PA, Hou H, Wilson MD, Palmert MR. Epigenetics: A new player in the regulation of mammalian puberty. Neuroendocrinology. 2014. In press.