John Rubinstein has made fundamental contributions to the development of methods for three-dimensional electron microscopy of biological molecules, including innovations in specimen preparation, imaging, and computational image analysis.
John and his group used these advances to resolve the atomic structures of two essential energy-transducing protein complexes: ATP synthase and the proton-pumping V-type ATPase. This work has revealed how cells produce the energy currency ATP and control the pH of intracellular compartments, including lysosomes and synaptic vesicles. His studies of the bioenergetic machinery in mycobacteria are supporting the search for new therapies for tuberculosis and related infections.
John graduated from the University of Guelph and earned his PhD at Cambridge University for work conducted in Medical Research Council laboratories. He founded his research group at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto in 2006, received an honorary doctorate from Stockholm University in 2022, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2024.
Professional position
- Senior Scientist, Molecular Medicine Program, Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)
- Professor, Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto
- Professor, Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto
