The Elephant Puzzle: Molecular details of how Rab18 mutations cause Warburg Micro Syndrome

Robert Scott Kiss, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Medicine
McGill University
Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Glen site

This conference is hosted by Jennifer Estall, PhD . This conference is part of the 2026-2027 IRCM conference calendar.

About this conference
Warburg Micro Syndrome is a rare recessive congenital disease caused by mutations in the small molecule GTP binding protein Rab18 or the proteins that regulate it. We have identified that defects in Rab18 lead to impaired endogenous cholesterol synthesis, that explain the majority of symptoms present in Warburg Micro Syndrome. However, Rab18 is involved in many more cellular processes and we aim to elucidate the role of Rab18 in these processes.

About Robert Scott Kiss
Born and raised in Edmonton, Dr. Kiss attended the University of Alberta for his BSc and PhD, studying the unique features of lipid binding proteins, with Dr. Robert Ryan. For his post-doctoral work, he moved to the Ottawa Heart Institute with Dr. Yves Marcel where he examined intracellular trafficking and storage of cholesterol in hepatocyte and macrophage models. In 2006, Dr. Kiss joined McGill.  He used his new spinning disk microscope to image, in real-time, movement of lipids and proteins, especially cholesterol, to understand the cell biology of lipid trafficking.  Currently he works on Rab18 and lipid droplets, as they pertain to fatty liver disease and atherosclerosis. 

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