Nabeel Shah’s system-level RNA research earns him the title of 2025’s Charles H. Best Fellow
“It’s becoming increasingly clear that many diseases are not driven by a single gene or pathway, but by broader changes in gene regulation,” says molecular geneticist and RNA biologist, Syed Nabeel Haider Shah. “To really understand these processes, we need to study them at a systems level.”
The Donnelly Centre has named Nabeel-Shah as this year’s Charles H. Best Fellow. Established in 2001 as a tribute to the researcher who discovered insulin alongside Frederick Banting, the prestigious award recognizes one outstanding postdoctoral researcher annually.
“With an extensive set of past contributions to understanding molecular and cellular biology via biochemical and omics methods, we look forward to Dr. Nabeel-Shah’s future work exploring an exciting topic with implications for treating neurodegenerative diseases,” says Shu Wang, Donnelly PI and acting chair of the Charles H. Best Fellowship committee. “His supportive and collaborative personality deeply resonates with the principles of the Donnelly community.”
Currently working with the Blencowe Lab, Nabeel-Shah’s research trajectory has evolved toward a relatively underexplored area: he’s investigating how gene regulation changes in an individual over time.
“While many aging-related processes have been studied extensively, much of the focus has been on DNA damage,” says Nabeel-Shah. “But aging isn’t just about the accumulation of damage. I’m interested in how cells fine-tune gene expression at the RNA level, and how that regulation breaks down during aging and disease.”
Nabeel-Shah is investigating alternative polyadenylation (APA), a process that determines how RNA molecules are finalized after transcription, which can influence their stability, localization, and protein output. Despite its importance, APA’s contribution to age-associated cellular decline remains poorly understood.
To address this, Nabeel-Shah is systematically profiling changes at the 3’ (“three-prime”) ends of the messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that are associated with aging. By identifying the shifting patterns in RNA regulation, he aims to uncover key drivers of these changes.
“With that knowledge, we can begin to explore whether these changes can be modulated to restore more youthful RNA regulation patterns,” says Nabeel-Shah. “It could potentially slow aspects of age-related decline.”
This work will shape Nabeel-Shah's independent research as he builds the foundation for his own lab. To bring this massive undertaking of research to life, he’ll work with colleagues from Donnelly and beyond, spanning across various areas of expertise.
“Collaboration is essential—especially when tackling complex, system-wide questions,” says Nabeel-Shah. “The Donnelly Centre’s collaborative environment has provided a scientific ecosystem that has allowed me to expand my approach and define my research direction.”
Nabeel-Shah’s collaboration philosophy is evident to those who work with him, according to his PhD supervisor Jack Greenblatt, who saw Nabeel-Shah’s mentorship and collaboration first-hand in his lab.
“Nabeel is an unusually unselfish person who's always been dedicated to science and helping the people around him,” says Greenblatt. “He’s so knowledgeable that his PhD oral examination was more of a discussion among colleagues than a real examination.”
“Part of Nabeel's success is due to his ability to work well and collaborate with others,” says Ben Blencowe, Donnelly PI and Nabeel-Shah’s postdoc supervisor. “He’s taken an active role in helping mentor and guide other trainees and has demonstrated consistent generosity with his time.”
Through teaching and mentoring others, Nabeel-Shah says he engages in an ongoing and never-ending process of learning and growth.
“I aim to one day have a lab where trainees have the intellectual freedom to think of new and bold ideas,” says Nabeel-Shah. “It’s an exciting time to be building towards that future.”
About the Donnelly Centre
The Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research is a research hub at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, where scientists from diverse fields work together to advance medicine and health. Founded in 2005, the Donnelly Centre is a global leader in research on systems biology, regenerative medicine and disease modelling.
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