Assistant professor
Department of Molecular Biology, Medical Biochemistry, and Pathology
Faculty of Medicine

Dmitry Kretov is a Group Leader in the Oncology Division at the CHU de Québec – Université Laval Research Center, a position he began in January 2025. He earned his Ph.D. from Université Paris-Saclay, where he studied RNA-protein interactions using biochemical and structural approaches. He then conducted postdoctoral research at Boston University, investigating the regulation of microRNA biogenesis and its role in hematopoiesis using zebrafish as a model system.
In the cell, every mRNA exists within messenger ribonucleoprotein particles (mRNPs)—dynamic complexes that constantly remodel throughout the mRNA life cycle. The key components of mRNPs, RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), as well as microRNAs, regulate all aspects of mRNA biogenesis and function to meet cellular demands during differentiation, homeostasis, and stress. RBPs and microRNA are frequently dysregulated in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, highlighting their critical role in controlling gene expression.
The overarching goal of Prof. Kretov’s research is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that regulate and safeguard cellular mRNA homeostasis during early development, cell differentiation, and cancer transformation. Specifically, the Kretov lab focuses on understanding how RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and microRNAs: 1) recognize their mRNA targets, 2) cooperate with each other within mRNPs, and 3) regulate mRNA stability and translation. His lab employs a range of experimental systems, including various mammalian cell lines and the zebrafish model, to explore these fundamental biological questions. In addition to his work on RNA regulation, Prof. Kretov develops new molecular tools to study and modulate RNA–protein interactions. During his postdoctoral training, he developed RBPscan, a high-throughput method for quantitatively analyzing RNA-protein interactions in vivo. This approach provides unprecedented opportunities to identify specific binding motifs of RBPs directly within the cellular context and will be a cornerstone of his laboratory.