Smith, Adam C

Portrait photo of Adam C Smith

Dr.

Smith, Adam C

PhD, FCCMG

Academic Ranks(s):

Affiliate Assistant Professor

Affiliations(s):

Univ of Toronto

dradam@mail.ubc.ca

Short Bio
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Cancer Cytogenetics, Laboratory Medicine Program
University Health Network
200 Elizabeth St., Toronto Ontairo M4G 2C4

Dr. Smith completed his Master’s degree in 2000 in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto on the Pathomechanism of Costello syndrome. Dr. Smith then did his Ph.D. in the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto unraveling the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that control growth and cancer development at a locus on human chromosome 11 in the Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.

Dr. Smith completed his Clinical Cytogenetics Fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children (Sickkids) in Toronto, Canada and after completing this fellowship moved to Vancouver, British Columbia as Clinical Cytogeneticist at the BC Cancer Agency and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of British Columbia.

In 2012 Dr. Smith moved to Brazil as a Professor and Researcher at the Instituto de Pesquisa Pelé Pequeno Príncipe (part of the Children’s Hospital Pequeno Príncipe).

Dr. Smith joined the University Health Network in June of 2015 as Associate Director of Cancer Cytogenetics.

Academic
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Academic Background

  • Masters of Science, University of Toronto. 2000
  • PhD, University of Toronto. 2009
  • Clinical Fellowship in Clinical Cytogenetics, Canadian College of Medical Geneticists. 2010

Awards and Recognition

Publications

  • Smith AC, Suzuki M, Thompson R, Choufani S, Higgins MJ, Chiu IW, Squire JA, Greally JM, Weksberg R. Maternal gametic transmission of translocations or inversions of human chromosome 11p15.5 results in regional DNA hypermethylation and downregulation of CDKN1C expression. Genomics. 2012 Jan;99(1):25-35.
  • Lee AF, Yip S, Smith AC, Hayes MM, Nielsen TO, O’Connell JX. Low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma of the perineum with heterotopic ossification: case report and review of the literature. Hum Pathol. 2011 Nov;42(11):1804-9.
  • Horike S, Ferreira JC, Meguro-Horike M, Choufani S, Smith AC, Shuman C, Meschino W, Chitayat D, Zackai E, Scherer SW, Weksberg R. Screening of DNA methylation at the H19 promoter or the distal region of its ICR1 ensures efficient detection of chromosome 11p15 epimutations in Russell-Silver syndrome. Am J Med Genet A. 2009 Nov;149A(11):2415-23.
  • Guo L, Choufani S, Ferreira J, Smith A, Chitayat D, Shuman C, Uxa R, Keating S, Kingdom J, Weksberg R. Altered gene expression and methylation of the human chromosome 11 imprinted region in small for gestational age (SGA) placentae. Dev. Biol. 2008, 320(1):79-91.
  • Smith AC, Shuman C, Chitayat D, Steele L, Ray PN, Bourgeois J, Weksberg R. Severe Presentation of Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome Associated with High Levels of Constitutional Paternal Uniparental Disomy for Chromosome 11p15. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A. 2007 Dec 15;143(24):3010-5.
  • Stachon AC, Baskin B, Smith AC, Shugar A, Cytrynbaum C, Fishman L, Mendoza-Londono R, Klatt R, Teebi A, Ray PN, Weksberg R. Molecular Diagnosis of 22q11.2 Deletion and Duplication by Multiplex Ligation Dependent Probe Amplification. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A. 2007 Dec 15;143(24):2924-30.
  • Smith AC, Choufani S, Ferreira JC, and Weksberg R. Growth Regulation, Imprinted Genes and Chromosome 11p15.5. Pediatrics Research. 2007 (61): 43R-47R.
  • Shuman C, Smith AC, Steele L, Ray PN, Clericuzio C, Zackai E, Parisi MA, Meadows AT, Kelly T, Tichauer D, Squire JA, Sadowski P, Weksberg R. 2006. Constitutional UPD for chromosome 11p15 in individuals with isolated hemihyperplasia is associated with high tumor risk and occurs following assisted reproductive technologies. Am J Med Genet Part A. 2006 Jul 15;140(14):1497-1503.
  • McMinn J, Wei M, Schupf N, Cusmai J, Johnson EB, Smith AC, Weksberg R, Thaker HM, Tycko B. Unbalanced Placental Expression of Imprinted Genes in Human Intrauterine Growth Restriction. Placenta. 2006 Jun-Jul;27(6-7):540-9.
  • Smith AC, Rubin T, Shuman C, Estabrooks L, Aylsworth AS, McDonald MT, Steele L, Ray PN, Weksberg R. New chromosome 11p15 epigenotypes identified in male monozygotic twins with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. Cytogenetic and Genome Research. Cytogenet Genome Res. 2006;113(1-4):313-317.
  • Weksberg R, Shuman C, and Smith A. Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part C. 2005 Aug 15;137(1):12-23.
  • Weksberg R, Smith A, Squire J and Sadowski P. Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome Demonstrates a Role for Epigenetic Control of Normal Development. Human Molecular Genetics. Review. April (12):R61-R68. Apr 2005.
  • Cytrynbaum C, Smith AC, Rubin T, Weksberg R. Current opinion in pediatrics Advances in overgrowth syndromes: clinical classification to molecular delineation in Sotos syndrome and Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. 2005 17(6):740 -746.
  • Shuman C, Smith AC, Weksberg R. (2005) Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. http://genetests.org/profiles/bws/index.html, Genetests is a peer-reviewed website funded by the NIH.
  • Goldman M, Smith A, Shuman C, Caluseriu O, Wei C, Steele L, Ray P, Sadowski P, Squire J, Weksberg R, Rosenblum ND. Renal abnormalities in Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome are associated with 11p15.5 uniparental disomy. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2002 Aug;13(8):2077-84.
  • Weksberg R, Shuman C, Caluseriu O, Smith AC, Fei YL, Nishikawa J, Stockley TL, Best L, Chitayat D, Olney A, Ives E, Schneider A, Bestor TH, Li M, Sadowski P, Squire J. Discordant KCNQ1OT1 imprinting in sets of monozygotic twins discordant for Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. Hum Mol Genet. 2002 May 15;11(11):1317-25.
  • Weksberg R, Nishikawa J, Caluseriu O, Fei YL, Shuman C, Wei C, Steele L, Cameron J, Smith A, Ambus I, Li M, Ray PN, Sadowski P, Squire J. Tumor development in the Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome is associated with a variety of constitutional molecular 11p15 alterations including imprinting defects of KCNQ1OT1.Hum Mol Genet. 2001 Dec 15;10(26):2989-3000.
  • Smith AC, Squire JA, Thorner P, Zielenska M, Shuman C, Grant R, Chitayat D, Nishikawa JL, Weksberg R. Association of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma with the Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. Pediatr Dev Pathol. 2001 Nov-Dec;4(6):550-8.
  • Li M, Squire J, Shuman C, Fei YL, Atkin J, Pauli R, Smith A, Nishikawa J, Chitayat D, Weksberg R. Imprinting status of 11p15 genes in Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome patients with CDKN1C mutations. Genomics. 2001 Jun 15;74(3):370-6.
  • Hinek A, Zhang S, Smith AC, Callahan JW. Impaired elastic-fiber assembly by fibroblasts from patients with either Morquio B disease or infantile GM1-gangliosidosis is linked to deficiency in the 67-kD spliced variant of beta-galactosidase. Am J Hum Genet. 2000 Jul;67(1):23-36.
  • Hinek A, Smith AC, Cutiongco EM, Callahan JW, Gripp KW, Weksberg R. Decreased elastin deposition and high proliferation of fibroblasts from Costello syndrome are related to functional deficiency in the 67-kD elastin-binding protein. Am J Hum Genet. 2000 Mar;66(3):859-72.

Book Chapters:

  • Rosanna Weksberg, Paul Sadowski, Adam C. Smith and Benjamin Tycko.  “Epigenetics”  In Principles and Practice of Medical Genetics  Emory and Rimoin, Dr. J.M. Connor (ed).  2006.
Research
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Research Interest

Our lab is primarily interested in chromosomal changes occuring in cancer. We provide clinical analysis for primarily adult cancer patients with a focus on hematological malignancies. Primary techniques include karyotyping and FISH but research and translational studies are also being developed using SNP arrays and next-generation sequencing.

Current Projects In My Lab Include

*** There are no current openings on the UBC campus.  Brazilian students may inquire about opportunities.

Teaching
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Teaching Interest

I have a great interest in teaching in regards to the dissemination of knowledge specifically in regards to Genome Science and Cancer.  I have also been teaching in the area of general scientific methodology in regards to literature searching, reference management, manuscript preparation and writing in English (see http://nanobio.org.br/programacao-scientific-writing/ for a recent event).