Flint, Julia

BSc, MB, ChB, (Cape Town), LMCC, FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Associate Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Staff Pathologist and Program Medical Director, Provincial Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, BC Cancer

Affiliation(s): VGH/VCHRI

Research and Scholarly Interests: Cardiovascular and Pulmonary, Lung Tumours

Clinical Interests:

julia.flint@vch.ca

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Academic

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Academic Background

MBChB, University of Cape Town, South Africa. 1988
BA, University of Berkeley, California, U.S.A. (correspondence course), Psychology, English. 1982
BSc, University of Natal, Durban, South Africa, Chemistry. 1980

Professional Qualifications

LMCC Canada. 1991
FLEX (Components I & II), Sask, Canada. 1991
FRCPC, Anatomical Pathology, Canada. 1995
FRCPC, Anatomical Pathology, U.S.A. 1995
American Medical Licence, State of New Jersey

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Dong X, Guan J, English JC, Flint J, Yee J, Evans K, Murray N, Macaulay C, Ng RT, Gout PW, Lam WL, Laskin J, Ling V, Lam S, Wang Y. Patient-derived first generation xenografts of non-small cell lung cancers: promising tools for predicting drug responses for personalized chemotherapy. Clin Cancer Res. 2010 Mar 1;16(5):1442-51.
Silva CI, Flint JD, Levy RD, Müller NL. Diffuse lung cysts in lymphoid interstitial pneumonia: high-resolution CT and pathologic findings. J Thorac Imaging. 2006 Aug;21(3):241-4.
Churg A, Muller NL, Flint J, Wright JL. Chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Am J Surg Pathol. 2006 Feb;30(2):201-8.
Souza CA, Muller NL, Flint J, Wright JL, Churg A. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: spectrum of high-resolution CT findings. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2005 Dec;185(6):1531-9.
Dunlop P, Muller NL, Wilson J, Flint J, Churg A. Hard metal lung disease: high resolution CT and histologic correlation of the initial findings and demonstration of interval improvement. J Thorac Imaging. 2005 Nov;20(4):301-4.
Al-Alawi A, Ryan CF, Flint JD, Muller NL. Aspergillus-related lung disease. Can Respir J. 2005 Oct;12(7):377-87.
Franquet T, Muller NL, Lee KS, Oikonomou A, Flint JD. Pulmonary candidiasis after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: thin-section CT findings. Radiology. 2005 Jul;236(1):332-7.
Stephenson A, Flint J, English J, Vedal S, Fradet G, Chittock D, Levy RD. Interpretation of transbronchial lung biopsies from lung transplant recipients: inter- and intraobserver agreement. Can Respir J. 2005 Mar;12(2):75-7.
Franquet T, Muller NL, Lee KS, Gimenez A, Flint JD. High-resolution CT and pathologic findings of noninfectious pulmonary complications after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2005 Feb;184(2):629-37.
Ryan CF, Flint JD, Muller NL. Idiopathic diffuse pulmonary ossification. Thorax. 2004 Nov;59(11):1004.

Research

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Research Interest

Lung Tumours

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Hendson, Glenda

MB, BCh (Univ Of Witwatersrand), LMCC, FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Associate Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Pediatric Pathologist, BC Children’s Hospital

Affiliation(s): BCCH

Research and Scholarly Interests: Brain and Neuroscience

Clinical Interests:

ghendson@cw.bc.ca

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Dr Hendson is a pediatric pathologist at the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at C&W, and a clinical associate professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UBC.

Academic

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Academic Background

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Chau V, Poskitt KJ, Dunham CP, Hendson G, Miller SP. Magnetic resonance imaging in the encephalopathic term newborn. Curr Pediatr Rev. 2014;10(1):28-36.
Fam HK, Chowdhury MK, Walton C, Choi K, Boerkoel CF, Hendson G. Expression profile and mitochondrial colocalization of Tdp1 in peripheral human tissues. J Mol Histol. 2013 Mar 28.
Pugash D, Hendson G, Dunham CP, Dewar K, Money DM, Prayer D. Sonographic assessment of normal and abnormal patterns of fetal cerebral lamination.Ultrasound. Obstet Gynecol. 2012 Dec;40(6):642-51.
Morimoto M, Yu Z, Stenzel P, Clewing JM, Najafian B, Mayfield C, Hendson G, Weinkauf JG, Gormley AK, Parham DM, Ponniah U, André JL, Asakura Y, Basiratnia M, Bogdanović R, Bokenkamp A, Bonneau D, Buck A, Charrow J, Cochat P, Cordeiro I, Deschenes G, Fenkçi MS, Frange P, Fründ S, Fryssira H, Guillen-Navarro E, Keller K, Kirmani S, Kobelka C, Lamfers P, Levtchenko E, Lewis DB, Massella L, McLeod DR, Milford DV, Nobili F, Saraiva JM, Semerci CN, Shoemaker L, Stajić N, Stein A, Taha D, Wand D, Zonan Sep 2012
Morimoto M, Kérourédan O, Gendronneau M, Shuen C, Baradaran-Heravi A, Asakura Y, Basiratnia M, Bogdanovic R, Bonneau D, Buck A, Charrow J, Cochat P, Dehaai KA, Fenkçi MS, Frange P, Fründ S, Fryssira H, Keller K, Kirmani S, Kobelka C, Kohler K, Lewis DB, Massella L, McLeod DR, Milford DV, Nobili F, Olney AH, Semerci CN, Stajic N, Stein A, Taque S, Zonana J, Lücke T, Hendson G, Bonnaure-Mallet M, Boerkoel CF. Dental abnormalities in Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia. J Dent Res. 2012 Jul;91
Morimoto M, Souich C, Trinh J, McLarren KW, Boerkoel CF, Hendson G. Expression profile of NSDHL in human peripheral tissues. J Mol Histol. 2012 Feb;43(1):95-106.
Buser JR, Maire J, Riddle A, Gong X, Nguyen T, Nelson K, Luo NL, Ren J, Struve J, Sherman LS, Miller SP, Chau V, Hendson G, Ballabh P, Grafe MR, Back SA. Arrested preoligodendrocyte maturation contributes to myelination failure in premature infants. Ann Neurol. 2012 Jan;71(1):93-109.
Mattman A, O’Riley M, Waters PJ, Sinclair G, Mezei M, Clarke L, Hendson G, Vallance H, Sirrs S. Diagnosis and management of patients with mitochondrial disease. BCMJ. 2011 May,53(4):177-182.
Alfadhel M, Lillquist YP, Waters PJ, Sinclair G, Struys E, McFadden D, Hendson G, Hyams L, Shoffner J, Vallance HD. Infantile cardioencephalopathy due to a COX15 gene defect: Report and review. Am J Med Genet A. 2011 Mar 15.
Foroughi M, Hendson G, Sargent MA, Steinbok P. Spontaneous regression of septum pellucidum/forniceal pilocytic astrocytomas-possible role of Cannabis inhalation. Childs Nerv Syst. 2011 Apr;27(4):671-9. Epub 2011 Feb 20.

Research

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Research Interest

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Hudoba, Monika

MD, (Komensky Univ, Czechoslovakia), FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Associate Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Hematopathologist, VGH

Affiliation(s): Vancouver General Hospital

Research and Scholarly Interests: Blood research, Cancer

Clinical Interests:

monika.hudoba@vch.ca

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Dr. Monika Hudoba graduated from the Hematopathology Residency training at UofT. She served as VCH Hematopathology Division Head and Regional Laboratory Hematology Leader (2006-2022), temporarily stepping into the Acting Dept. Head role in 2014-2015. During her leadership term, Hematopathology division grew from 3.5 members to a cohesive, efficient and collaborative team of 8 MDs and 1 PhD, where every member had an opportunity to develop clinical and academic expertise in a particular subspecialty. Her supportive and collaborative leadership resulted in numerous quality and utilization projects, such as implementation of testing algorithms and guidelines in VCHA, and province-wide in the field of thrombosis, autoimmune testing, clinical and diagnostic pathway for adults with acute leukemia in BC. She led the standardization and streamlined laboratory hematology processes across VCH. Her innovative spirit led to implementation of the first digital pathology in laboratory hematology in BC.

On provincial scale, she served on DAP, PLCO, Test Review Committee and PLMS Discipline Lead, Hematopathology (2019-2022), leading a very productive Discipline Committee which achieved some significant milestones, including provincial deployment of digital hematopathology support for laboratories, transition to PCR based testing of malaria across all health authorities, championing the adoption of LIS middleware in laboratory medicine, among other achievements.

Dr. Hudoba taught extensively selected hematology courses at BMLSc, academic rounds, resident round and other venues. During her term 2010-2014 as a Director of Hematopathology Residency training, she revamped Academic half-days, created accredited VGH-based Journal Club, Research Rounds and Quality Morphology rounds, and concluding the term with successful RCPS program accreditation. She was promoted to the academic rank of Clinical Associate professor. Her passion for quality improvement, utilization management and collaboration with leukemia and other clinical services was reflected in the works of the peer-reviewed publications, abstracts and presentations.

Academic

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Academic Background

MD, Komensky University, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. 1987

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Hematolymphoid neoplasms of the bone marrow
Development of laboratory quality programs and utilization management

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Ionescu, Diana

MD, FRCPC, FCAP

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Consultant Pathologist, BC Cancer Agency

Affiliation(s): BC Cancer Agency

Research and Scholarly Interests: Cancer, Cardiovascular and Pulmonary, Genetics genomics proteomics and related approaches, Molecular Pathology and Cell Biology, Scholarship of Teaching of Education Research

Clinical Interests:

dionescu@bccancer.bc.ca

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Dr. Ionescu is a graduate of University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu” in Cluj Napoca, Romania. She completed her postgraduate training in Anatomical and Clinical Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and a Fellowship in Gynecological Pathology at Vancouver General Hospital. She has practiced as a Consultant Pathologist at BC Cancer Agency in Vancouver since 2006. She is currently a Clinical Professor of Pathology at UBC and serves as the residency program director for the Anatomic Pathology Residency Program.

Her specific areas of diagnostic expertise are lung, gynecologic and breast pathology. She is an author of over 35 scientific publications and book chapters. She is the author and invited speaker at numerous regional, national and international lectures. Her investigation interests include oncologic pathology and molecular biomarkers, lung cancer and adult health education. She is the Canadian Anatomic and Molecular Pathology (CAMP) course director.

Dr. Ionescu is an enthusiastic advocate of pathologists participating in numerous patient education forums, TV shows, advocacy campaigns, being an Medical Advisor for Lung Cancer Canada and most recently appearing before the House of Commons Committee on Health.

Academic

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Academic Background

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Certification in Anatomical Pathology. 2006
MD, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu”, Faculty of Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. 1995

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Pubmed: Dr. Ionescu, Diana

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Cancer
Cardiovascular & Pulmonary
Molecular Pathology

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Main teaching interest: Residency Training, Lung Pathology, Community Education, Web base CME and Education through Telepathology

Issa, Maria

BSc (hons) UBC, PhD (Univ of London)

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Associate Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Director, Pathology Education Centre

Affiliation(s): Vancouver General Hospital

Research and Scholarly Interests: Blood research, Scholarship of Teaching of Education Research, Professional Contributions

Clinical Interests:

maria.gyongyossy-issa@ubc.ca

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Maria Gyongyossy-Issa is a “seasoned” member of Pathology who has long enjoyed teaching anyone from kindergarten kids to PhD students and Residents and all comers in between. Though she started in Microbiology at UBC, she went on to her PhD in immunology with Ivan Roitt (London UK) and was the first to describe antigen receptors on T cells. She skied in Switzerland and France while doing biochemistry (complement) and blood (apoptosis), then moved to Saskatchewan to work on the biological warfare agent, T2 toxin. Finally, in Vancouver, she raised a family while working on platelets with CBS, then UBC’s Centre for Blood Research. In between, she taught biochemistry for CIDA in Indonesia, mounted courses for Douglas College, created Science World’s “Opening the Doors” science networking program, taught Summer Science to Northern kids, fell in love with med students and PBL. As a Black Belt instructor, she also teaches TaeKwonDo for UBC Rec. Her motto is Emmanuel Kant’s dictum “Dare to find out!”

Academic

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Academic Background

PhD, University of London, U.K., Middlesex Hospital Medical School, Immunology. 1974
BSc (Hons), University of BC, Microbiology. 1971

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Weiss S, Scammell K, Levin E, Culibrk B, Zolfaghari S, Gyöngyössy-Issa MI, Acker JP (2012). In vitro platelet quality in storage containers used for pediatric transfusions. Transfusion 52; 1703-1714 doi: 10.1111/j.1537-2995.2011.03516.x. Epub 2012 Jan 18.
Schubert P, Culibrk B, Coupland D, Scammell K, Gyongyossy-Issa M, Devine DV (2012) Riboflavin and ultraviolet light treatment potentiates vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein Ser-239 phosphorylation in platelet concentrates during storage. Transfusion 52;397-408. doi: 10.1111/j.1537-2995.2011.03287.x. Epub 2011 Aug 9. PMID: 21827504.
Gyongyossy-Issa MIC (2011) Glucose in platelet additive solutions: to add or not to add? Transfusion and Apheresis Science 44;283-295. doi: 10.1016/j.transci.2011.03.003. Epub 2011 Apr 14. Review.
Levin E, Jenkins C, Culibrk B, Gyöngyössy-Issa MI, Serrano K, Devine DV (2012) Development of a quality monitoring program for platelet components: a report of the first four years’ experience at Canadian Blood Services. Transfusion 52;810-818. doi: 10.1111/j.1537-2995.2011.03402.x. Epub 2011 Nov 7. PMID: 22060700.
Greco CA, Zhang JG, Kalab M, Yi Q, Ramirez-Arcos SM, Gyongyossy-Issa MIC, (2010) Effect of platelet additive solution on bacterial dynamics and their influence on platelet quality in stored platelet concentrates. Transfusion 50;2344-2352.
Serrano K, Scammell K, Weiss S, Culibrk B, Levin E, Gyöngyössy-Issa M, Devine DV (2010) Plasma and cryoprecipitate manufactured from whole blood held overnight at room temperature meet quality standards.
Transfusion 50;344-353. doi: 10.1111/j.1537-2995.2009.02441.x. Epub 2009 Oct 15. PMID: 19843287.
Holovati JL, Gyongyossy-Issa MIC, Acker JP. (2009) Effects of trehalose-loaded liposomes on red blood cell response to freezing and post-thaw membrane quality. Cryobiology 58, 75-83.
Gyongyossy-Issa MIC, Zhang JG, Culibrk B, Hunter F, Levin E, Scammell K, Weiss S, Holmes DL, Holme S. (2009) Novel system for storage of buffy-coat derived platelet concentrates in a glucose-based platelet additive solution: parameters and metabolism during storage and comparison to plasma. Vox Sanguinis 97, 102-109.
Holovati JL, Hannon J, Gyongyossy-Issa MIC, Acker JP. (2009) Blood preservation workshop: new and emerging trends in research and clinical practice. Transfusion Medicine Reviews 23:25-41.
del Carpio Munoz C, Campbell W, Constantinescu I, Gyongyossy-Issa MIC. (2008) Rational design of short inhibitor peptides to target the von Willebrand factor (vWf) – GPIb integrin interaction. Journal of Molecular Modeling 14, 1191-1202.

Research

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Research Interest

Platelet storage involves complex interactions with plasma proteins from the complement and coagulation enzyme cascades. The extent to which these enzymes are responsible for loss of platelet function, known as platelet storage lesions, is of particular interest. Not only do the platelets interact with these proteins, but they also modulate the degree of activation of the cascades.

The cascades are likely initiated by the chemical nature of the bag surface causing a chain reaction to propagate and cross-activate further enzymes. The platelets may down-regulate the activity until they are overwhelmed. As platelets fall victim to the complement effects of C1INH depletion, lysis, and/or metabolic losses, the cascade accelerates. This could give rise to the storage lesion as manifest by activated, exhausted platelets. If complement activation during storage can be reduced or totally inhibited, platelets may be able to exhibit prolonged function. The effect of complement inhibitors sCR1 (soluble complement receptor 1) and NAAGA (a peptide C3 convertase inhibitor) included in the storage container should produce an improvement of stored platelet function. There was some indication that leukocyte enzymes may also contribute to platelet storage lesions; however, with the advent of leukoreduction the contribution of leukocytes to the problem has been reduced.

Ultimately, it would be ideal to be able to provide an ‘add water and stir’ platelet substitute – one that can be dried and does not involve a human donor, but functions as an adjunct or filler to the body’s own platelets when activated. To this end, this laboratory is developing a liposome-based platelet substitute. Canadian Centre for Blood Research

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

My special interests and accomplishments have to do with ‘one-on-one’ teaching in a laboratory or a small group setting that aims to promote science as a life-skill.
With the advent of the Career and Personal Planning (CAPP) credits for the highschools, as well as the Shad Valley programs, Science Fairs and the scholarship students supported by organisations such as the Heart & Stroke Foundation of BC, there has been a steady stream of highschool students that have poured through the lab for anywhere between 3 days to 3 months. Since 1995, about 20 of them have passed under my hands wishing to do great experiments to swiftly save the world. I give them time, mentorship and many heart-to-heart talks to learn about how science is done and the responsibilities of a scientist, how to use universal precautions against biohazards, the absolute need for controlled experiments and the fact that not everything works the first time. In exchange, they provide interest, enthusiasm, a fresh perspective and occasionally even useful data.

Irving, Julie

MD, FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Associate Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Member, VCHRI

Affiliation(s): Royal Jubilee Hospital

Research and Scholarly Interests: Cancer

Clinical Interests:

julie.irving@viha.ca

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Dr. Julie Irving is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Irving completed residency in Anatomical Pathology at the University of British Columbia in 2003, followed by a one-year fellowship in Gynecological Pathology at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and the Hospital de la Santa Creu I Sant Pau in Barcelona, Spain. She was an Anatomical Pathologist in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Vancouver General Hospital from 2004-2007. Since 2007, Dr. Irving has practiced subspecialty and consultation Gynecological Pathology at the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, BC.

Academic

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Academic Background

FRCPC, Anatomical Pathology. 2003
MD, The University of British Columbia. 1998
MSc, University of Western Ontario (Anatomy). 1994
BSc, University of Victoria (Microbiology/Biology). 1990

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Differential expression of E-cadherin and catenins in ovarian sex cord stromal tumours. Stavrinou S, Clark A, Irving J, Lee CH, Oliva E, Young R, Sriraksa R, Magdy N, Van Noorden S, McCluggage WG, El-Bahrawy M. Histopathology. 2016;69(2):298-306.
Outcomes of Incidental Fallopian Tube High-Grade Serous Carcinoma and Serous Tubal Intraepithelial Carcinoma in Women at Low Risk of Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer. Chay WY, McCluggage WG, Lee CH, Köbel M, Irving J, Millar J, Gilks CB, Tinker AV. Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2016;26(3):431-6.
Loss of switch/sucrose non-fermenting complex protein expression is associated with dedifferentiation in endometrial carcinomas. Karnezis AN, Hoang LN, Coatham M, Ravn S, Almadani N, Tessier-Cloutier B, Irving J, Meng B, Li X, Chow C, McAlpine J, Kuo KT, Mao TL, Djordjevic B, Soslow RA, Huntsman DG, Blake Gilks C, Köbel M, Lee CH. Mod Pathol. 2016;29(3):302-14.
Microcystic Stromal Tumor: A Distinctive Ovarian Sex Cord-Stromal Neoplasm Characterized by FOXL2, SF-1, WT-1, Cyclin D1, and β-catenin Nuclear Expression and CTNNB1 Mutations. Irving JA, Lee CH, Yip S, Oliva E, McCluggage WG, Young RH. Am J Surg Pathol. 2015;39(10):1420-6.
Incidental nonuterine high-grade serous carcinomas arise in the fallopian tube in most cases: further evidence for the tubal origin of high-grade serous carcinomas. Gilks CB, Irving J, Köbel M, Lee C, Singh N, Wilkinson N, McCluggage WG. Am J Surg Pathol. 2015;39(3):357-64.
Irving JA, Clement PB. Recurrent recurrent intestinal mucinous borderline tumors of the ovary: a report of 5 cases causing problems in diagnosis, including distinction from mucinous carcinoma. Int J Gynecol Pathol;2014;33(2):156-65.
Misdraji J, Lauwers GY, Irving JA, Batts KP, Young RH. Appendiceal or Cecal Endometriosis With Intestinal Metaplasia: A Potential Mimic of Appendiceal Mucinous Neoplasms.Am J Surg Pathol. 2014;38(5):698-705.
Delair D, Han G, Irving JA, Leung S, Ewanowich CA, Longacre TA, Gilks CB, Soslow RA. HNF-1β in Ovarian Carcinomas With Serous and Clear Cell Change. Int J Gynecol Pathol. 2013;32(6):541-6.
Isphording A, Ali RH, Irving J, Goytain A, Nelnyk N, Hoang LN, Gilks CB, Huntsman DG, Nielsen TO, Nucci MR, Lee CH. YWHAE-FAM22 endometrial stromal sarcoma: diagnosis by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor. Hum Pathol. 2013;44(5):837-43.
Hoang LN, McConechy MK, Koebel M, Han G, Rouzbahman, M, Davidson B, Irving J, Ali RH, Leung S, McAlpine JN, Oliva E, Nucci MR, Soslow RA, Huntsman DG, Gilks CB, Lee C-H. Histotype-genotype correlation in 36 high-grade endometrial carcinomas. Am J Surg Pathol. 2013;37(9):1421-32.
Ip PP, Irving JA, McCluggage WG, Clement PB, Young RH. Papillary proliferation of the endometrium: a clinicopathologic study of 59 cases of simple and complex papillae without cytologic atypia. Am J Surg Pathol 2013;37(2): 167-77.

Research

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Research Interest

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

MacAulay, Calum

PhD

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Associate Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Head of Integrative Oncology Distinguished Scientist

Affiliation(s): BC Cancer Research Institute

Research and Scholarly Interests: Cancer, Molecular Pathology and Cell Biology

Clinical Interests:

calummac@mail.ubc.ca

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Born in Halifax, Dr. MacAulay has lived and worked in Vancouver for over 30 years. His formal training includes a BSc in Engineering Physics (1982) from Dalhousie University, an MSc in Physics (1985) from Dalhousie University, and a PhD in Physics (1989) from the University of British Columbia. Dr. MacAulay is also currently an Associate Member of the Department of Physics and Astronomy and a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of British Columbia. He has been awarded i) the BC Lung Association Scholar (1990-1995), ii) the Friesen-Rygiel Prize for outstanding Canadian academic discovery leading to uniquely positioned commercialization opportunities (1999), and iii) the Young Innovator Award, BC Science and Technology Award, Science Council of BC (1999).

Academic

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Academic Background

BSc, Engineering Physics, Dalhousie University, 1982
MSc, Physics, Dalhousie University, 1987
PhD, Physics, UBC, 1989

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

1. MacAulay C, Keyes M, Hayes M, Lo A, Wang G, Guillaud M, Gleave M, Fazli L, Korbelik J, Collins C, Keyes S, Palcic B. Quantification of large scale DNA organization for predicting prostate cancer recurrence. Cytometry A. 2017 Dec;91(12):1164-1174

2. Abouei E, Lee AMD, Pahlevaninezhad H, Hohert G, Cua M, Lane P, Lam S, MacAulay C. Correction of motion artifacts in endoscopic optical coherence tomography and autogluorescence images based on azimuthal en face image registration. J Biomed Opt. 2018 Janl 23(1):1-13

3. Guillaud M, MacAulay CE, Berean KW, Bullock M, GuggisbergK, Klieb H, Puttagunta L, Penner C, Kwan K, Rosin MP, Poh CF. Using quantitative tissue phenotype to assess the margins of surgical samples from a pan-Canadian surgery study. Head Neck. 2018 Jun;40(6):1263-1270.

4. Harlow M, MacAulay C, Lane P, Lee AMD. Dual-beam manually actuated distortion-corrected imaging (DMDI): two dimensional scanning with a single-axis galvanometer. Opt Express. 2018 Jul 9;26(14):18758-18772.

5. Zhang L, Lubpairee T, Laronde DM, Guillaud M, MacAulay CE, Rosin MP. Histological clonal change – A feature for dysplasia diagnosis. Arch Pathol Clin Res. 2018; 2: 020-028. https://dx.doi.org/10.29328/journal.apcr.1001008

6. Lee AMD, MacAulay C, Lane P. Depth-multiplexed optical coherence tomography dual-beam manually-actuated distortion-corrected imaging (DMDI) with a micromotor catheter. Biomed Opt Express. 2018 Oct 23;9(11):5678-5690.

7. Enfield K, Martin S, Marshall E, S Kung C, Gallagher P, Milne K, Chen Z, Nelson B, Lam S; English J; MacAulay C, Lam W, Guillaud M. Hyperspectral Cell Sociology Reveals Spatial Tumor-Immune Cell Interactions Associated with Lung Cancer Recurrence. J Immunother Cancer. 2019 Jan 16;7(1):13.doi: 10.1186/s40425-018-0488-6.

8. Enfield KSS, Marshall EA, Anderson C, Ng K, Rahmati S, Xu Z, Fuller M, Milne K, Lu D, Shi R, Rowbotham D, Becker-Santos D, Johnson F, English J, MacAulay C, Lam S, Lockwood W, Chari R, Karson A, Jurisica I, Lam WL. Epithelial tumor suppressor ELF3 is a lineage-specific amplified oncogene in lung adenocarcinoma. Nature Communications. 2019;10(1):5438. Published 2019 Nov 28. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13295-y

9. Buenconsejo AL, Hohert G, Manning M, Abouei E, Tingley R, Janzen I, McAlpine J, Miller D, Lee A, Lane P, MacAulay C. “Submillimeter diameter rotary-pullback fiber-optic endoscope for narrowband red-green-blue reflectance, optical coherence tomography, and autofluorescence in vivo imaging,” J Biomed Opt. 2019;25(3):1–7. doi:10.1117/1.JBO.25.3.032005

10. Hwang H, Follen M, Guillaud M, Scheurer M, MacAulay C, Staerkel G, van Niekerk D, Yamal J-M. Cervical cytology reproducibility and associated clinical and demographic factors. Diagn Cytopathol. 2020;48(1):35–42. doi:10.1002/dc.24325

11. Naso JR, Povshedna T, Wang G, Banyi N, MacAulay C, Ionescu DN, Zhou C. Automated PD-L1 Scoring for Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma Using Open-Source Software. Pathology and Oncology Research. 2021. 27: 20.

Research

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Research Interest

Automated image analysis of cell preparations
In vivo tissue imaging
Quantitative microscopy with digital micromirror devices
Lung cancer chemoprevention
Bioinformatics

My research has concentrated on the early detection and treatment of cancer using quantitative imaging tools in microscopy, photon tissue interactions and understanding the genetic and molecular events driving the neoplastic process. I and the teams I have worked with have had a strong drive to translate our work into actual clinical tools and processes.

The teams I am part of have developed, demonstrated, and stewarded all the way into clinical utility an automated image analysis system for quantitatively stained cytology samples (lung, cervix, oral, prostate) which can be used to screen for early pre-invasive lesions as well as cancer and cancer progression risk. I have led the development of the features which classify the cells and samples, the development of some of the classifiers themselves as well as the algorithms which perform the image segmentation phase of the analysis and assisted in the stewardship into the clinical setting. This technology has been licensed and commercialized by a number of companies, it has gotten health Canada approval for screening for lung cancer in sputum samples and for screening oral cancer oral dysplasia in cytological brushings from the oral cavity. In addition, we have licensed the technology and software to a large microscope manufacturer in China where they are using it with the appropriate regulatory approvals, to screen for cervical cancer in China. They currently use this technology to screen 4 million women per year.

Recently we developed a hyperspectral condenser which enables high speed 7 colour imaging for spectral unmixing of highly multi-labeled IHC slides and it has also been transferred to industry. My group is also using novel deep learning networks to solve the segmentation of individual nuclei within heavily overlapping clusters of nuclei in histopathology images as well as developing tools for high dimensional tissue analysis on the data collected using our hyperspectral condenser and spectral unmixing at the individual cell level in histological samples.

We have developed novel sub mm imaging devices using light for the investigation of suspect areas of the lung periphery, and continue to do so, and currently are trying to add the ability to biopsy tissue under this optical imaging to improve the sampling of the tissue of clinical interest.

Currently our team is analyzing LDCT scans from more than 2500 subjects at elevated risk of developing lung cancer and are using radionics and deep learning to predict which LDCT detected nodules are likely to be cancer and which are not.

For my entire career I have had a strong driving focus on addressing early detection and treatment of lung cancer. As one reads the literature, attends conferences and in discussion with other researchers I find there are many interesting intriguing avenues of investigation. Personally, I sort through these with the lens of trying to identify which could potentially improve the identification, detection and delineation of early cancers with the intent of improving their removal/treatment and have the potential to get to clinical utility over a 5-7 year time frame.

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Pathology 305

Maguire, John

MB, BCh (Univ College Dublin), FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Associate Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Neuropathologist, VGH

Affiliation(s): VGH/VCHRI

Research and Scholarly Interests: Brain and Neuroscience, Anatomic Pathology, Neuropathology

Clinical Interests:

john.maguire@vch.ca

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Vancouver Sun: March 19, 2019
Dr. John Maguire, at VGH, led a study about the complications of certain medical procedures.

Academic

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Academic Background

Neuropathology, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. 1993
Neuropathology and Anatomic Pathology, American Board of Patholog. 1992
Anatomic Pathology, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. 1989
MB BCh BAO, University College, Dublin, Ireland. 1982

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Klegeris A, Maguire J, McGeer PL. S- but not R-enantiomers of flurbiprofen and ibuprofen reduce human microglial and THP-1 cell neurotoxicity. J Neuroimmunol. 2004 Jul;152(1-2):73-7.
Hoang LM, Maguire JA, Doyle P, Fyfe M, Roscoe DL. Cryptococcus neoformans infections at Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre (1997-2002): epidemiology, microbiology and histopathology. J Med Microbiol. 2004 Sep;53(Pt 9):935-40.
Hosokawa M, Klegeris A, Maguire J, McGeer PL. Expression of complement messenger RNAs and proteins by human oligodendroglial cells. Glia. 2003 Jun;42(4):417-23.
Rajcan-Separovic E, Maguire J, Loukianova T, Nisha M, Kalousek D. Loss of 1p and 7p in radiation-induced meningiomas identified by comparative genomic hybridization. Cancer Genet Cytogenet. 2003 Jul 1;144(1):6-11.
Thiessen B, Maguire JA, McNeil K, Huntsman D, Martin MA, Horsman D. Loss of heterozygosity for loci on chromosome arms 1p and 10q in oligodendroglial tumors: relationship to outcome and chemosensitivity. J Neurooncol. 2003 Sep;64(3):271-8.
Hader WJ, Drovini-Zis K, Maguire JA Primitive neuroectodermal tumors in the central nervous system following cranial irradiation: a report of four cases. Cancer. 2003 Feb 15;97(4):1072-6.
Seftel MD, Maguire J, Voss N, Woodhurst WB, Dalal BI, Shepherd JD. Intra-cerebral relapse following prolonged remission after autologous stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma. Leuk Lymphoma. 2002 Dec;43(12):2399-403.
Lestou VS, O’Connell JX, Robichaud M, Salski C, Mathers J, Maguire J, Chudoba I, Sorensen PH, Lam W, Horsman DE. Cryptic t(X;18), ins(6;18), and SYT-SSX2 gene fusion in a case of intraneural monophasic synovial sarcoma. Cancer Genet Cytogenet. 2002 Oct 15;138(2):153-6.
Sun JC, Maguire J, Zwimpfer TJ. Traumatically induced lymphangioma of the ulnar nerve. Case report. J Neurosurg. 2000 Dec;93(6):1069-71.
Schemmer DC, Goh RH, Maguire JA. Cavernous angioma: a cryptic CT and MRI presentation. Pediatr Radiol. 1999 Feb;29(2):146.

Research

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Research Interest

Anatomic Pathology
Neuropathology

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Nelson, Tanya N

BSc, PhD, FCCMG

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Investigator, BC Children’s Hospital Division Head | Genome Diagnostics, BC Children’s & BC Women’s Hospitals Clinical Molecular Geneticist

Affiliation(s): BCCH/BCCHRI

Research and Scholarly Interests: Molecular Pathology and Cell Biology, Molecular genetics, Prenatal diagnoses

Clinical Interests:

tnelson@cw.bc.ca

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Dr Tanya Nelson is an FCCMG clinical Molecular Geneticist and Head of the Division of Genome Diagnostics in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at BC Children’s and BC Women’s Hospitals. The Division of Genome Diagnostics is responsible for providing academic pediatric, adult, and maternal-fetal medicine care for the province of BC in conjunction with the other Departmental provincial services, primarily focused on the diagnosis of inherited disease using genetic and genomic approaches. As a UBC Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Clinical Professor and in conjunction with her clinical role, Dr Nelson has been a co-investigator on many research projects aiming to translate new approaches to molecular genetic and genomic testing into clinical care. Most recently these include the GSBC (Genome-wide Sequencing BC) clinical pilot and CAUSES (Clinical Assessment of the Utility of Sequencing and Evaluation as a Service). As a member of the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists (CCMG), she has served on the Board of Directors, Education Ethics and Public policy, Clinical Practice, and Laboratory Practice committees, and is actively involved in the development of national practice guidelines and policies for genetic and genomic patient care.

Academic

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Academic Background

BSc Biology, specialty: Genetics, University of British Columbia. 1993
PhD Medical Genetics. University of British Columbia. 1998
FCCMG Molecular Genetics, University of British Columbia. 2004

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Molecular genetics
Prenatal diagnoses

Dr. Nelson participates in a variety of clinical research focusing on the discovery of underlying molecular mechanism of disease and on the validation of new technologies and assays for implementation in the clinical molecular genetics laboratory.

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Nimmo, Michael

BA, BSc Honours, LLB, MD (UBC), LMCC, FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Program Director, UBC Residency Training Program in General Pathology | Pathologist, Vancouver General Hospital

Affiliation(s): Vancouver General Hospital

Research and Scholarly Interests: Infectious Diseases and Immunology Microbiology, Scholarship of Teaching of Education Research, Autoimmune Testing in Rheumatologic Disease

Clinical Interests:

michael.nimmo@vch.ca

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Dr. Nimmo is the Clinical Associate Head in the University of British Columbia (UBC) Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. He has been a member of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and a Pathologist at the Vancouver General Hospital and Health Sciences Centre since 2000. Dr. Nimmo obtained his MD in 1995 and then went on to complete his General Pathology Residency, both at UBC. Prior to obtaining his medical training, Dr. Nimmo trained and practiced corporate law for several years.

Since his initial UBC Clinical Faculty appointment, Dr. Nimmo has demonstrated excellence through his dedication to academic activities, particularly teaching. His teaching activities are very extensive, spanning from the Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science (BMLSc) Program within the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine to the MD Undergraduate Program and to Clinical Integrated training for Residents. He has won several teaching awards, including the UBC Killam Teaching Award, the Dr. Melvyn Bernstein Resident Teaching Award, and the BMLSc Graduates’ Choice for teaching excellence.

Dr. Nimmo has been actively involved in education in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, primarily in his roles as the General Pathology Residency Program Director for the last 16 years and the Executive Director of the Residency Program. Since 2015, he has also been serving as the Medical Undergraduate Program Director for the Department. His various other responsibilities have included: course director for Pathology 375; leader of multiple medical undergraduate small group sessions; supervisor of the UBC Department of Pathology Summer Student program; supervisor of fourth year electives for medical undergraduates; and lecturer within the undergraduate medical program. Dr. Nimmo also served as the Director of Clinical Faculty Affairs for the UBC Faculty of Medicine, from 2009-2015. More recently, he has served as the Chairman of the Faculty of Medicine Student Promotion and Review Board. Dr. Nimmo is also currently the President of the Vancouver Coastal Health Professional Association of Pathologists and the Division Head of Anatomical Pathology at Vancouver Coastal Health.

In his role as Clinical Associate Head, Dr. Nimmo helps foster all clinically focused and integrated educational programs within the Department. In addition, he works to ensure that departmental recruitments and academic activities are of the highest quality and are aligned with the strategic priorities of the provincial academic department, the UBC Faculty of Medicine, and UBC. In conjunction with site Heads, Dr. Nimmo will also ensure that the UBC Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine plays a leadership role in the development of clinical services and models of service delivery in the province and that clinically integrated research, including clinical applied and translational research is supported and fostered.

Academic

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Academic Background

MD, University of BC. 1995
LLB, University of Western Ontario. 1988
BSc (Honours), Queen’s University at Kingston, Life Sciences. 1985
BA, Queen’s University at Kingston, Psychology. 1983

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Autoimmune testing in rheumatologic disease

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Romney, Marc

MD, FRCPC, DTM&H

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC

Affiliation(s): St. Paul’s Hospital

Research and Scholarly Interests: Infectious Diseases and Immunology Microbiology, Molecular Pathology and Cell Biology

Clinical Interests:

mromney@providencehealth.bc.ca

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Dr. Marc Romney completed his medical degree at the University of Western Ontario, and went on to complete post-graduate training in Medical Microbiology at the University of British Columbia. He subsequently pursued further training in epidemiology at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an Epidemic Intelligence Service fellow, at which time he provided public health support for outbreak investigations, including the response to SARS in California in 2003.

Dr. Romney has also completed training in tropical medicine at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and in tuberculosis at the Institut Pasteur in Paris.

Dr. Romney currently practices Medical Microbiology at St. Paul’s Hospital, where he is Head of Medical Microbiology and Virology and Assistant Department Head of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. He is also the Medical Director for Laboratory Services, Yukon Hospital Corporation.

Additionally, Dr. Romney is on the Specialist Register (Medical Microbiology) of the General Medical Council in the United Kingdom, and has spent time working in both England and Wales since 2014. More recently, he received authorisation to practice Medical Biology in France.

Dr. Romney is currently the Chair of the BC COVID-19 Testing Subcommittee, and is the Principal Investigator for a COVID-19 research study examining SARS-CoV-2 infection and immunity in older adults funded by the Government of Canada through Public Health Agency of Canada ($1.3M).

Academic

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Academic Background

BSc, Cellular, Molecular and Microbial Biology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta. 1993
MD, Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario. 1996
DTM&H, Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of London, London, England. 2001

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Link to publications: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=romney+mg

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Primary Research Interests: Infectious Diseases (non-HIV) and Immunology Microbiology

Area of Focus: HIV, Addictions & Related Diseases

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Skinnider, Brian

MD, (Univ Of Saskatchewan), LMCC, FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC

Affiliation(s):

Research and Scholarly Interests: Cancer

Clinical Interests:

brian.skinnider@vch.ca

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Academic

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Academic Background

Fellow, Royal College of Physicians of Canada (Anatomic Pathology). June 1999
Licentiate of Medical Council of Canada. 1996
MD, University of Saskatchewan (Great Distinction). 1994
College of Arts & Sciences, University of Saskatchewan (Biochemistry). 1990

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Cancer

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Zhou, Chen

MD, MPH (China Medical Univ), PhD (Univ of Saskatchewan)

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Associate Professor, UBC, Diagnostic Cytology, BC Cancer Agency

Affiliation(s): BC Cancer Agency

Research and Scholarly Interests: Cancer, Molecular Pathology and Cell Biology

Clinical Interests:

czhou@bccancer.bc.ca

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Academic

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Academic Background

FRCP(C )(Anatomic Pathology). 1997
PhD, University of Saskatchewan, Toxicology. 1994
MPH, China Medical University, Public Health/Preventive Medicine. 1985
MD, China Medical Univesity. 1982

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Thomson TA, Zhou C, Ceballos K, Knight B. Tissue microarray for routine clinical breast biomarker analysis. The British Columbia Cancer Agency 2008 experience. Am J Clin Pathol. 2010 Jun;133(6):909-14.
Thomson TA, Zhou C, Chu C, Knight B. Tissue microarray for routine analysis of breast biomarkers in the clinical laboratory. Am J Clin Pathol. 2009 Dec;132(6):899-905.
Lim P, Aquino-Parsons CF, Wong F, Dupuis B, Phillips D, Zhou C, Gilks CB. Low-risk endometrial carcinoma: assessment of a treatment policy based on tumor ploidy and identification of additional prognostic indicators. Gynecol Oncol. 1999 May;73(2):191-5.
Chang WC, Matisic JP, Zhou C, Thomson T, Clement PB, Hayes MM. Cytologic features of villoglandular adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix: comparison with typical endocervical adenocarcinoma with a villoglandular component and papillary serous carcinoma. Cancer. 1999 Feb 25;87(1):5-11.
Kirychuk S, Senthilselvan A, Dosman JA, Zhou C, Barber EM, Rhodes CS, Hurst TS. Predictors of longitudinal changes in pulmonary function among swine confinement workers. Can Respir J. 1998 Nov-Dec;5(6):472-8.
Zhou C, Hayes MM, Clement PB, Thomson TA. Small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix: cytologic findings in 13 cases. Cancer. 1998 Oct 25;84(5):281-8.
Zhou C, Gilks CB, Hayes M, Clement PB. Papillary serous carcinoma of the uterine cervix: a clinicopathologic study of 17 cases. Am J Surg Pathol. 1998 Jan;22(1):113-20.
Zhou C, Matisic JP, Clement PB, Hayes MM. Cytologic features of papillary serous adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix. Cancer. 1997 Apr 25;81(2):98-104.
Chen J, Lou JH, Guo XF, Zhou C. Pulmonary function in jute dust-exposed workers: A dose-response relationship. J Occup Health. 39(4);313-318, 1997.
Liu Z, Zhou C, Lou J: A longitudinal study of lung function in jute processing workers. Arch Environ Health 47(3):218-222, 1992.

Research

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Research Interest

Cytopathology, molecular pathology and cancer

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Teaching residents and medical students, cytology and oncologic pathology

Holmes, Daniel

MD, FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Division Head, Clinical Chemistry, St. Paul’s Hospital

Affiliation(s): St. Paul’s Hospital

Research and Scholarly Interests: Endocrinology, Metabolism & Nutrition, Knowledge translation, Clinical lipidology and endocrinology, Mathematical modeling in medicine, Toxicology, Method Development, Laboratory: Mass spectrometry, Statistics in Medicine, Clinical: Hypertension, Endocrinology, Renal

Clinical Interests:

dtholmes@providencehealth.bc.ca

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Daniel Holmes did his undergraduate training in Chemistry and Physics at the University of Toronto before deciding to pursue medicine as a career. He attended medical school at the University of British Columbia where pathology became his area of major interest. The strong influence of his academic mentors led him to enter the Medical Biochemistry residency training program at UBC. This allowed him to use his background knowledge of chemistry in application to medicine. Areas of clinical interest are diagnostic lipidology/endocrinology and research interests are in the utilization of mathematics and computer diagnostics to laboratory medicine.

Academic

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Academic Background

BSc (Graduated with High Distinction), Chemical Physics, University of Toronto. 1994
MD University of British Columbia. 2001
Medical Biochemistry Residency Training Program, University of British Columbia. 2006

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Van Der Gugten JG, Dubland J, Liu HF, Wang A, Joseph C, Holmes DT. Determination of serum aldosterone by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry: a liquid-liquid extraction method for the ABSCIEX API-5000 mass spectrometry system. J Clin Pathol. 2012 Mar 12.
Mason DR, Reid JD, Camenzind AG, Holmes DT, Borchers CH. Duplexed iMALDI for the detection of angiotensin I and angiotensin II. Methods. 2012 Feb;56(2):213-22.
Verma S, Gupta M, Holmes DT, Xu L, Teoh H, Gupta S, Yusuf S, Lonn EM. Plasma renin activity predicts cardiovascular mortality in the Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) study. Eur Heart J. 2011 Sep;32(17):2135-42.
Chiarelli G, Beaulieu M, Taylor P, Levin A, Holmes DT. Elimination of BNP by peritoneal dialysis: investigation of analytical issues. Perit Dial Int. 2011 Mar-Apr;31(2):199-202.
Reid JD, Holmes DT, Mason DR, Shah B, Borchers CH. Towards the development of an immuno MALDI (iMALDI) mass spectrometry assay for the diagnosis of hypertension. J Am Soc Mass Spectrom. 2010 Oct;21(10):1680-6.
Klinke JA, Shapira SC, Akbari E, Holmes DT. Quetiapine-associated cholestasis causing lipoprotein-X and pseudohyponatraemia. J Clin Pathol. 2010 Aug;63(8):741-3.
Hung T, Dewitt CR, Martz W, Schreiber W, Holmes DT. Fomepizole fails to prevent progression of acidosis in 2-butoxyethanol and ethanol coingestion. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2010 Jul;48(6):569-71.
Zimmerman AC, Buhr KA, Lear SA, Holmes DT. Age-dependent reference intervals for measured bioavailable testosterone on the Siemens Advia Centaur: ethnicity-specific values not necessary for South Asians. Clin Biochem. 2009 Jun;42(9):922-5.
Lim JP, Irvine R, Bugis S, Holmes D, Wiseman SM. Intact parathyroid hormone measurement 1 hour after thyroid surgery identifies individuals at high risk for the development of symptomatic hypocalcemia. Am J Surg. 2009 May;197(5):648-53; discussion 653-4.
Al Riyami N, Zimmerman AC, Rosenberg FM, Holmes DT. Spurious hyperbilirubinemia caused by naproxen. Clin Biochem. 2009 Jan;42(1-2):129-31.

Research

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Research Interest

Clinical lipidology and endocrinology
Laboratory:Mass spectrometry, Statistics in Medicine
Mathematical modeling in medicine
Toxicology, Method Development
Clinical: Hypertension, Endocrinology, Renal

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Co-site director; Counselor for resident involvement in research projects

Mattman, Andre

MD (UBC), FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Medical Biochemist, Division Head, Chemistry, St. Paul’s Hospital

Affiliation(s): St. Paul’s Hospital

Research and Scholarly Interests: Endocrinology, Metabolism & Nutrition, Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Mitochondrial Disease, Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, and IgG4 related disease

Clinical Interests:

amattman@providencehealth.bc.ca

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I was raised and educated in BC including completion of my MD and Medical Biochemistry residency training. I have worked at St. Paul’s Hospital since 2009 and have enjoyed working in this patient focused chemistry lab where I spend 70% of my time as the Division Head, as well as at Vancouver General Hospital where I have a weekly clinic treating adult patients with inborn errors of metabolism. Finally, I am an educator directing the UBC Medical Biochemistry Residency Training Program and chairing the Royal College National Specialty Committee.

More recently, I have taken my interest in addressing the climate crisis on a personal level into my work as a medical biochemist. I am promoting a seismic shift in our medical model of care such that decisions on support for medical programs, and particularly for those contingent on laboratory testing, are reviewed from a quadruple bottom line: a) QALY (in current generation), b) Safety (in current generation), c) Resource cost to current and future generations (in a limited resource planet in which we live), d) and pollution cost (in a planet tipping over pollution boundaries that will irrevocably change health care options for future generations).

Academic

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Academic Background

Medical Biochemistry Residency Training Program, UBC 1998 – 2003
MD, Medicine, University of British Columbia. 1993-1997

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Mattman A PUBMED

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

I have been co-investigator for a number of research projects involved with inborn errors of metabolism, including mitochondrial disease, alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency, and IgG4 related disease.

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

I have been the medical biochemistry residency training program director since 2004 and have finished my term as of 2015. I am also the vice chair for the national specialty committee.

Rasmussen, Steven

MD, FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clincial Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Associate Member, UBC Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

Affiliation(s): Vancouver General Hospital

Research and Scholarly Interests: Cancer, Infectious Diseases and Immunology Microbiology

Clinical Interests:

steve.rasmussen@vch.ca

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Dr. Rasmussen is past Program Director for the Anatomical Pathology Residency Training Program at the University of Calgary. He was formerly an Examiner for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in both General Surgery and Anatomical Pathology. He recently finished a role as Vice Chair for the Anatomical Pathology Specialty Committee for the Royal College. He has interests in ocular, oral, and head and neck pathology. Dr. Rasmussen was the 2022 recipient of the UBC Department of Pathology Award for Clinical Service in an Academic Setting.

Academic

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Academic Background

Fellow, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Canada. 1987
The University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado, USA. MD. 1981
Saint Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota, USA. BA (English Literature). 1976

Professional Qualifications

National Board Exams, Parts I, II, and III (USA). 1981-1983
Ophthalmic Pathology, University of British Columbia. 2001
Ophthalmic Pathology, University of Iowa. 1997
Fellow, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Canada. 1987
Medical Council of Canada. 1982

Awards and Recognition

UBC Department of Pathology Award for Clinical Service in an Academic Setting
Former Vice Chair for the Anatomical Pathology Specialty Committee for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
Past Program Director for Anatomical Pathology, University of Calgary
Former Examiner in Anatomical Pathology, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
Honourable Mention, Teacher of the Year, Residency Training Program, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Calgary. 1999

Publications

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Dr Rasmussen is an Associate Member of the UBC Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and his research collaboration is focused in the field of ocular pathology.

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Dr Rasmussen teaches anatomical pathology in the subspecialty fields of oral pathology and ophthalmic pathology.

Bennewith, Kevin

PhD (UBC)

Academic Rank(s): Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Co-Director, Interdisciplinary Oncology Program, UBC

Affiliation(s):BC Cancer/BCCRC

Research and Scholarly Interests: Tumour microenvironment, hypoxia, tumour immunology, metastasis

Clinical Interests: Treatment of hypoxic tumors: developing therapies targeting poorly oxygenated (hypoxic) tumor cells; cancer metastasis: strategies to prevent or reduce the spread of cancer to other parts of the body

kbennewi@bccrc.ca

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Dr. Kevin Bennewith obtained his PhD in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UBC in 2004 under the supervision of Dr. Ralph Durand at the BC Cancer Agency. During his PhD training, he studied solid tumour physiology with particular emphasis on quantifying poorly oxygenated (hypoxic) tumour cells. He then joined the laboratory of Dr. Amato Giaccia at Stanford University as a post-doctoral scholar, where he was involved in several projects investigating the role of hypoxia-induced secreted proteins in the growth and metastasis of solid tumours. His post-doctoral work included studying the role of connective tissue growth factor in pancreatic tumour growth and using an orthotopic pancreatic tumour model to study the efficacy of chemotherapeutics designed to target hypoxic tumour cells. He also helped to discover a central role for lysyl oxidase in breast cancer metastasis through promoting the recruitment of bone marrow-derived cells to metastatic target organs. Dr. Bennewith was recruited to the BC Cancer Agency in 2008, and since that time his work has been funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Terry Fox Foundation, the Cancer Research Society, and the BC Cancer Foundation. Dr. Bennewith is a Distinguished Scientist at BC Cancer and a Professor in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UBC.

Academic

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Academic Background

PhD, The University of British Columbia,Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. 2004
BSc, The University of British Columbia, Chemistry. 1997

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Dr. Kevin Bennewith PUBMED

Research

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Research Interest

Cancer research
Solid tumour microenvironment
Hypoxia
Metastasis research
Pre-metastatic niche
Targeting hypoxic tumour cells in therapy
Radiation biology

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Dr. Kevin Bennewith’s teaching interests focus on mentoring graduate students and facilitating in-depth discussions on cancer research, particularly within the Interdisciplinary Oncology Program at UBC. He has been actively involved in teaching courses like ONCO 510 and PATH 502, where he provides introductory lectures, facilitates class discussions, and offers one-on-one feedback and mentorship to students, helping them prepare for their presentations. His teaching approach, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, included adapting courses to an online format while maintaining real-time interaction with students

Quandt, Jacqueline

BSc, PhD (UBC)

Academic Rank(s): Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC | Associate Director of the UBC Multiple Sclerosis Research Group and leads the Neuroinflammation Lab at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health

Affiliation(s): Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health and VCHRI

Research and Scholarly Interests: Neuroimmunology, neuroinflammation, immunology, inflammation, neurodegeneration, Multiple sclerosis, Preclinical models of disease, Foundational or basic research

Clinical Interests: neuroinflammation and its roles in both the damage and repair of the brain and spinal cord, particularly in relation to neurodegenerative diseases like Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

jquandt@pathology.ubc.ca

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Dr. Jacqueline Quandt is the Associate Director of the UBC MS Research Group at UBC and leads the Neuroinflammation Lab at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health and the Department of Pathology in the Faculty of Medicine. Her research is focused on understanding the role of the immune system in both damage and repair of the brain and spinal cord as a result of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Multiple Sclerosis. Using cell-based and more complex disease models, researchers in the Quandt Lab study the relationships between inflammation and neuronal death.

Lab website

Academic

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Academic Background

Staff Scientist – Animal Models Unit (Neuroimmunology Branch), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. 2005-2009
Post doctoral fellowship (Neuroimmunology Branch), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. 1999-2005
PhD (Pathology, Section of Neuropathology), University of British Columbia. 1994-1999
BSc (Microbiology and Immunology), University of British Columbia. 1990-1994

Awards and Recognition

2016 Distinguished Achievement Award for Excellence in Education – Faculty of Medicine
YWCA Women of Distinction Award Nominee – Research and Sciences 2016
Most Valuable Player Award – Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine 2016
MS Ambassador of the Year – MS Society of Canada BC/Yukon Division 2014

Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Multiple Sclerosis Brain and Nerves
Neuroimmunology
In vitro models of the blood-brain barrier
T cell/Blood-brain barrier interactions & trafficking
Animal models of CNS demyelinating disease/autoimmunity
Development of novel therapeutics to afford neuroprotection
Immunology
Antigen specificity/degeneracy of T cells
Antigen-specific tolerance

Dr. Jacqueline Quandt focuses her research on neuroinflammation in damage and repair relevant to multiple sclerosis and other nervous system disorders.

Current Projects In My Lab Include

The Laboratory currently has openings for a graduate student and a post doctoral fellow to pursue independent projects in the areas of neuroinflammation and models of disease. Interested candidates should send their CV and statement of research interests directly to Dr. Quandt.

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Shah, Sohrab

PhD

Academic Rank(s): Affiliate Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Scientist, Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Agency | OVCARE Bioinformatics Core Director and Researcher

Affiliation(s): BCCA/BCCRC

Research and Scholarly Interests: Cancer, Clinical Applied Research, Genetics genomics proteomics and related approaches, Informatics, Professional Contributions

Clinical Interests:

sshah@bccrc.ca

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The Shah Lab is an international computational cancer biology lab dedicated to dissecting fundamental properties of cancer evolution. The lab is led by Dr. Sohrab Shah and has on-site locations both at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York and at BC Cancer in Vancouver.

At the Shah Lab, we use high resolution genomics to study human cancers, and couple these measurements with innovation in computational methods to infer cancer biology at genome and single-cell scales. An overview of our research can be found http://shahlab.ca/research“>here and our publications are listed here.

Academic

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Academic Background

PhD, Computer Science (Bioinformatics), University of British Columbia. 2008
MSc, Computer Science (Bioinformatics), University of British Columbia. 2005
BSc, University of British Columbia, Computer Science. 2001
BSc (Hons), Queen’s University, Biology. 1996

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Google Scholar | PubMed

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Interpretation of cancer genomes
Tumour evolution
Computational cancer biology
Bioinformatics

Why do some cancer patients respond to treatment, while others succumb to their disease? Why are some treatments effective initially, but fail over time? How do cancer cells acquire the ability to spread from one part of the body to another? These are the fundamental and unresolved questions which motivate cancer research worldwide. Viewing cancer progression through the lens of evolutionary theory, our approach to addressing these problems centers on studying the genomes of cancer cells as fundamental units of information encoding biological properties. We have an active research program across several interrelated major topics including: Cancer evolution, single cell genomics, mutational signatures and prediction of drug response. The primary activities in the lab consist of experimental design, large-scale cancer (epi)genomics/transcriptome data analytics, development of machine learning and Bayesian statistics methods and biological study of ovarian, breast and lymphoid cancers.

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Selection and drug response

“Making predictions is hard, especially about the future” – Nils Bohr We have a keen interest in learning fitness trajectories from timeseries study of cancer populations within controlled interventions such as CRISPR or pharmacologic methods as a means to predict response to drugs. Using extensions of population genetics theory, we are interested in predicting how cell populations will respond in the presence of a perturbation. This is indeed ‘hard’ and entails the need to decipher stochastic drift, clonal interaction and positive selection. Furthermore, drug response may not be encoded in the genome, requiring dynamic state switching through the epigenome and reflected in the transcriptome. What proportion of drug response can be explained through encoded mutations in the genome? This remains unknown. We are pursuing integrative, multimodal molecular views over time in bulk tissues and single cells as substrate to address this question.

Mutational signatures in DNA repair deficient cancers

We recently published a landmark study showing how the genomes of ovarian cancer histotypes reflect the DNA repair abnormalities they harbour. We are interested in how to optimize the computational discovery of genome-wide structural and point mutational signatures and how signatures can identify treatment opportunities for ovarian and breast cancers. This work is being carried out at bulk and single cell resolution. In addition, we are working in translation capacity to develop a robust genome-wide test to stratify ovarian cancers in the clinic.

Bioinformatics and software development

We invest heavily in developing robust analytical software for both internal and external use with broad distribution through open source repositories. Software and open source repositories can be found here.

Single cell genomics of cancer

The unit of evolutionary selection in cancer is the cell. Extraordinary progress in measurement technologies has made it possible to reliably and accurately sequence the genomes of individual cancer cells at scale. We have recently optimized biophysical techniques and hidden Markov model approaches to ascertain highly accurate copy number profiles of thousands of cancer cells. As such, studying the ‘population genetics’ of cancer cells is a tractable goal. We are developing phylogenetics and fitness computational models through measuring the population dynamics of thousands of individual cancer cells across timeseries, spatial samples and in the presence of genetic and pharmacologic intervention. These experiments and computational methods are improving our knowledge of background mutation rates, properties of positive and negative selection (not observable in bulk samples) and how phylogenetic topologies reflect the relative fitness of clones. Furthermore, as we integrate multi-modal measurements, profiling the evolving malignant population in the context of its tumour microenvironment will be a strong interest of the lab.

Cancer Evolution

Our lab is motivated by studying cancer through the lens of evolution. We are engaged in several studies that span both temporal and spatial multi-sample studies of our cancers of interest. Observing the dynamics of genomically-defined clones reflected in timeseries biopsies of patient tumours, patient-derived xenografts, or through spreading of clones across anatomical sites is a key area of interest for our lab. For example in recent work, we have identified clonal expansion patterns underpinning histological transformation in follicular lymphoma, mapped the spread of clones within the peritoneal cavity of ovarian cancers and identified reproducible clonal dynamics in patient derived breast cancer xenografts. Our current questions relate to drug selection and the interplay between malignant cells and the tumour microenvironment.

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Steidl, Christian

Academic Rank(s): Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Associate Vice President Research, BC Cancer Research Centre | Head, Department of Lymphoid Cancer Research, Research Director of Centre for Lymphoid Cancer

Affiliation(s): BCCA/BCCRC

Research and Scholarly Interests: Cancer, Genetics genomics proteomics and related approaches, Molecular Pathology and Cell Biology

Clinical Interests:

csteidl@bccancer.bc.ca

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Dr Steidl is the Research Director of the Centre for Lymphoid Cancer at BC Cancer and Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of British Columbia. He has specific expertise in clinical malignant hematology, molecular pathology, genomics and lymphoma biology. Dr Steidl’s translational research group focuses on the pathogenesis of B cell lymphomas, tumor microenvironment biology and applied genomics.

Dr Steidl contributed to the discovery of novel somatic gene mutations in B cell lymphomas using next generation sequencing, and established microenvironment composition, and tumor-associated macrophages and normal B cells in particular, as novel biomarkers for outcome prediction in Hodgkin lymphoma. These seminal studies have led to multiple high-impact publications with him as the first or senior author including publications in the New England Journal of Medicine, Nature, Nature Genetics, Cancer Discovery, the Journal of Clinical Oncology and Blood. His leading role in the Centre for Lymphoid Cancer, associated membership to BCC’s Lymphoma Tumor Group as well as active collaborations with scientific consortia (Leukemia and Lymphoma Molecular Profiling Project, Interlymph Hodgkin lymphoma group) and clinical trials groups (Canadian Cancer Trials Group, Eastern Clinical Oncology Group, Children’s Oncology Group) enable the use of primary biopsy material as the start and end points of discovery and biomarker studies in his lymphoma program promoting precision oncology. The Steidl lab is ideally positioned to perform next generation sequencing experiments, downstream data analysis and biological/clinical interpretation of large datasets. With specific relevance to the feasibility of the experiments in the current proposal, the Steidl lab has produced single-cell RNAseq data in primary cell suspension of Hodgkin lymphoma and follicular lymphoma to characterize microenvironment composition and functional state at unprecedented resolution. Single-cell sequencing methodologies will form the basis of novel and detailed genetic and phenotypic investigations into the crosstalk of malignant cells with their microenvironment as proposed in this grant application in the context of ovarian cancer.

Dr Steidl holds a CIHR Foundation grant investigating the biological underpinnings of cellular crosstalk in lymphoma and is lead investigator of a team grant on treatment failure in lymphoid cancers funded by the Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI). He is also project leader of a Genome Canada Large-Scale Applied Research Project (LSARP) to advance personalized treatments of lymphoid cancer patients. Dr Steidl is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Lymphoma Research Foundation, past Chair of the American Society of Hematology Scientific Committee on Lymphoid Neoplasia and Member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee. In 2017, he was inducted as a member of the Royal Society of Canada, College for New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.

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Academic Background

PhD equivalent, Universitat Witten / Herdecke, Germany. 2003
MD, University of Muenster Medical School, Germany. 2001

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Recent publications

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

The research of my laboratory focuses on the molecular characterization of lymphoid cancers and biomarker discovery in a variety of Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma subtypes. Our translational lymphoma research group uses a variety of state-of-the-art genome-wide discovery tools including array-based and digital gene expression profiling, single-nucleotide polymorphisms analysis and massively parallel sequencing techniques. A main research goal of the lab is to identify and functionally study underlying genetic mechanisms of immune privilege in lymphoid cancers. In previous work using next-generation sequencing, we identified several driver mutations and gene fusions, in particular, that have been shown to arise from specific chromosomal rearrangements in Hodgkin lymphoma and primary mediastinal large B cell lymphoma. Most of the identified genes (CIITA, CD274, PDCD1LG2) feature prominently in immune cell function impacting non-neoplastic cells in the tumor microenvironment. The discovery of these changes across a wide spectrum of lymphomas will likely reinforce the paradigm that immune privilege is a critical component of cancer phenotypes.

Another focus of the laboratory is on the specific composition of the tumor microenvironment in Hodgkin lymphoma. Using gene expression profiling and immunohistochemistry we have identified that the number of tumor-associated macrophages in lymph node biopsies is linked to unfavorable treatment outcome. However, many questions remain regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction of the malignant cells with infiltrating macrophages and immune cells in the microenvironment in general. Recently, CSF1R has been identified as a key molecule expressed on Hodgkin Reed Sternberg (HRS) cells and tumor-associated macrophages in Hodgkin lymphoma. We now seek to better describe the phenotype of tumour-associated macrophages found in lymphoma biopsies to shed more light on this tumor-microenvironment interaction and to test in-vitro if this cross-talk can be targeted by small molecule inhibitors.

Lymphoma relapse and progression is still one of the major clinical challenges in clinical care and our knowledge about the underlying biology of relapse is still rudimentary. Our preliminary data indicate that certain gene findings have developed during treatment and might be characteristic of this relapse biology. Therefore, we specifically focus on ongoing translational studies on lymphoma relapse biopsies using highly-annotated clinical data sets. By collaboration with our clinical colleagues, we are working on solutions how to develop better outcome predictors and predictive biomarkers that inform on individualized treatment options. These studies encompass biomarker evaluation in Hodgkin lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, large B cell lymphomas, and mantle cell lymphoma.

Collaborations
As a translational research laboratory, we pursue the goal of translating our research findings into better treatments for our patients. The Centre for Lymphoid Cancer (CLC) provides an excellent infrastructure to answer clinically relevant questions in collaboration with clinical oncologists (Joseph Connors, Laurie Sehn, Kerry Savage), hemato-pathologists (Randy Gascoyne), genome researchers (Marco Marra) and computational biologists (Sohrab Shah). The Centre for Translational and Applied Genomics (CTAG) and the Genome Sciences Centre (GSC) is providing cutting technology to facilitate translational research from bench to bedside. Multiple collaborations with researchers inside and outside the Cancer Agency complement the research focus areas to provide additional expertise in epigenomics (Martin Hirst) in vivo modeling (Steidl lab, Einstein College, NY), endogenous retroviruses and epigenetics (Mager lab, Terry-Fox Laboratory, BCCA), immune pathology (Anke van den Berg, Arjan Diepstra, University of Groningen, NL), and childhood lymphomas (Horton lab, Baylor College, Houston, TX).

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Job opportunities

Projects:
Allen Distinguished Investigators (ADI Program)
Dr. Steidl was recognized as a pioneer scientist and received a prestigious award, the Allen Distinguished Investigators Award, from the Paul Allen Frontiers Group, a non-for-profit organization based in the United States, which invests in emerging frontiers in science. A total of $1.5 Million-USD was awarded to Dr. Steidl and his research team at BC Cancer to support a study of the dynamic, complex networks of normal and cancer cells constituting the tumor microenvironment using novel, multidimensional approaches. This project is in collaboration with a Cancer Imaging scientist, Dr. Akil Merchant at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and aims to comprehensively characterize the microenvironment composition and spatial architecture of cHL in correlation with somatic gene alterations in the malignant Hodgkin Reed Sternberg (HRS) cells to potentiate therapeutic advancements. Integration of the cutting edge technologies in single cell genomics and cancer imaging allows for simultaneous measurements of over 40 markers in primary patient samples at single cell resolution and unveils the complex spatial architecture and cellular crosstalk of this disease. This is the first-of-its-kind collaboration of bringing together two world-leading programs, which are focused on tumor microenvironment and cHL pathogenesis. The knowledge gained from this research will lead to development of novel biomarkers and immunotherapies targeting the tumor-host interactions, which will ultimately improve patient outcomes.

Lymphoma/Leukemia Molecular Profiling Project (LLMPP Program)
Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive form of B-cell non Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and the most common type of NHL. With its heterogeneous nature in clinical behavior, morphology and immunophenotype, reliable biomarkers are needed to accurately categorize the tumor subtypes. Recent advancement in gene expression profiling has defined clinically important predictive biomarkers based on “cell-of-origin” (COO), which categorizes DLBCL into 2 specific subtypes with distinct mutational patterns and clinical outcome. MYC and BCL2 translocations are other genomic characteristics which are used as an additional prognostic tool to further characterize the COO subtypes to determine prognosis for DLBCL patients. Recently, the team led by Dr. Scott has revealed the location of MYC rearrangement at base pair resolution by performing targeted sequencing of MYC, BCL2, BCL6 and IG loci. The team discovered a novel recurrent MYC partner, RFTN1, and identified clinically relevant architecture of MYC rearrangement in DLBCL (Chong et al., Blood Advances, 2018). To further dissect the subtypes of DLBCL, RNA sequencing, targeted sequencing and whole-exome sequencing data from 157 de novo GCB-DLBCLs were analyzed, and a new clinically relevant assay was developed based on 104-gene double-hit signatures (DHITsig). Our data showed that DHITsig positive patients have inferior outcomes compared to DHITsig negative patients. The new assay, DLBCL90, identifies a clinically and biologically distinct group within GCB-DLBCL characterized by a gene expression signature of high-grade B-cell lymphoma with double/triple hit (HGBL-DH/TH-BCL2) and helps guide clinical management of this aggressive disease (Ennishi et al., J. Clin. Oncol, 2018). The aim of this program is to improve patient outcomes by comprehensively characterizing the aggressive B-cell lymphoma subtypes and developing clinically relevant assays.

Overcoming Treatment Failure in Lymphoid Cancer (TFRI-funded Program)
This team grant is a collaborative effort, which experts in lymphoid cancer biomarkers and tumor microenvironment, hematology and cancer genomics jointly aim to understand and overcome treatment failure in lymphoid cancers. The team will identify and validate target-specific molecular tests characterizing genetic changes and molecular pathways which provide the preclinical rationale for novel drug development.

Large-Scale Applied Research Project (LSARP Program)
Dr. Steidl and Scott teams have successfully won a large-scale applied research project worth $11.9 million funded by Genome Canada, Genome BC, Canadian Institutes of Health Research and BC Cancer Foundation to study the genome biology of relapsed lymphoid cancers. Our large-scale, pan-Canadian study was launched last year to discover novel, actionable markers of relapsed lymphoma from which clinically relevant assays can be developed. This study also aims to implement genomic-based clinical tests, which have been previously developed by our research team, in the publicly funded health care system across the country to enhance more patient centric approaches and improve outcomes for lymphoma patients.

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

van den Elzen, Peter

MD, FASCP

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Associate Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Hematopathologist, LifeLabs

Affiliation(s): LifeLabs

Research and Scholarly Interests: Blood research, Endocrinology, Metabolism & Nutrition, Infectious Diseases and Immunology Microbiology

Clinical Interests:

peter.vandenelzen@lifelabs.com

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Dr. van den Elzen is a consultant hematopathologist at LifeLabs. After completing a BSc in biochemistry and an MD at the University of Calgary, he did postdoctoral research in immunology at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology (San Diego) with Dr. Eli Sercarz studying autoimmunity and T cell repertoires. He then did further clinical training in Clinical Pathology with a residency at Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston). This was followed by another research fellowship in immunology at Harvard Medical School with Dr. Michael Brenner studying the immune response to lipids. In 2006, he joined the University of British Columbia, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and established an active research program in immunology studying autoimmune disease and multiple sclerosis at the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute. He also taught immunology and hematopathology to medical, graduate, and undergraduate students at UBC and did clinical work as a hematopathologist at BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital. In 2018, Dr. van den Elzen transitioned mostly to clinical work, as a consultant hematopathologist at St. Paul’s Hospital and most recently to LifeLabs. He joined the permanent Medical Science staff at LifeLabs in 2021.

Academic

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Academic Background

MD, University of Calgary, Canada. 1999
BSc (Biochemistry), University of Calgary, Canada. 1995

Professional Qualification

Full Medical License, State of Washington. 2007 – present
American Board of Pathology – Primary Certification in Clinical Pathology. 2007
Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC II). 2006
Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC I). 1999
Licensed in Hematopathology and Clinical Immunology, British Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Peter van den Elzen PUBMED

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Immunology and Autoimmune disease
Lipid antigen presentation and apolipoproteins
Immune monitoring, clinical immunology, flow cytometry

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Weng, Andrew

MD, PhD

Academic Rank(s): Professor, UBC | Senior Scientist, Terry Fox Laboratory

Affiliation(s): BCCA/BCCRCVCH/VGH

Research and Scholarly Interests: Blood research, Cancer

Clinical Interests:

aweng@bccancer.bc.ca

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Weng Lab

Dr. Andrew Weng pursued his undergraduate studies in Biological Sciences at Stanford University before earning both MD and PhD degrees from the University of Chicago/Pritzker School of Medicine. His professional journey continued with residency training in Anatomic Pathology and a fellowship in hematopathology, followed by postdoctoral research at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston. In 2004, he joined the University of British Columbia (UBC) as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and established his research laboratory at BC Cancer Research Institute (BCCRI). He then advanced to Associate Professor in 2011 and attained full Professorship in 2018. Dr. Weng serves as a staff hematopathologist and Director of the clinical flow cytometry lab at the BC Cancer Agency. His research focuses on the pathogenetic mechanisms in acute lymphoblastic leukemia and exploring tumor heterogeneity in B-cell lymphoma, drawing on his expertise in hematology, hematopathology, leukemia, lymphoma, and Notch signaling. Currently, his research is supported by funding from CIHR, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada, and the Terry Fox Research Institute.

Academic

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Academic Background

MD (Pritzker School of Medicine), University of Chicago, 1997
PhD (Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology), University of Chicago, 1995
BS (Biological Sciences), Stanford University, 1989

Post-Graduate Training:

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Pathology (Supervisor: Dr. Jon Aster)
Brigham & Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School
July 2000 – May 2004
Clinical Fellow in Hematopathology
Brigham & Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School
July 1999 – June 2000
Resident in Anatomic Pathology
Brigham & Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School
July 1997 – June 1999

Professional Experience (Research):

Distinguished Scientist, Terry Fox Laboratory, BC Cancer Agency (BCCA), 2018-present
Professor, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia (UBC), 2018-present
Scientific Director, Flow Core Laboratory, BCCA, 2014 – 2024
Associate Professor, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, UBC, 2011-2018
Senior Scientist, Terry Fox Laboratory, BCCA, 2005-2018
Medical Director, Stem Cell Assay Laboratory, BCCA, 2012 – 2023
Assistant Professor, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, UBC, 2004-2011
Clinician Scientist, Department of Pathology, BCCA, 2004-present
Instructor, Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, 2001-2006

Professional Experience (Clinical):

Consulting Staff, Department of Pathology, Hematopathology Division, Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), 2016-present
Director, Hematopathology, BCCA, 2006-2011
Director, Clinical Flow Cytometry Lab, BCCA, 2005-present
Hematopathologist, BCCA, 2004-present
Hematopathologist, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 2001-2004
Associate Pathologist, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, 2001-2004

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Complete list of Dr. Weng’s publications: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1TU9bZlugxi/bibliography/public/.

Selected Publications

Gusscott S, Jenkins CE, Lam SH, Giambra V, Pollak M, Weng AP. IGF1R derived PI3K/AKT signaling maintains growth in a subset of human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias. PLoS One. 11(8):e0161158, 2016.
Parker JDK, Shen Y, Pleasance E, Li Y, Schein JE, Zhao Y, Moore R, Wegrzyn-Woltosz J, Savage KJ,Weng AP, Gascoyne RD, Jones S, Marra M, Laskin J, Karsan A. Molecular etiology of an indolent lymphoproliferative disorder determined by whole-genome sequencing. Cold Spring Harb Mol Case Stud 2: a000679, 2016.
Townsend EC, Murakami MA, Christodoulou A, Christie AL, Köster J, DeSouza TA, Morgan EA, Kallgren SP, Liu H, Wu SC, Plana O, Montero J, Stevenson KE, Rao P, Vadhi R, Andreeff M, Armand P, Ballen KK, Barzaghi-Rinaudo P, Cahill S, Clark RA, Cooke VG, Davids MS, DeAngelo DJ, Dorfman DM, Eaton H, Ebert BL, Etchin J, FirestoneGarnache B, Fisher DC, Freedman AS, Galinsky IA, Gao H, Garcia JS, Garnache-Ottou F, Graubert TA, Gutierrez A, Halilovic E, Harris MH, Herbert ZT, Horwitz SM, Inghirami G, Intlekoffer AM, Ito M, Izraeli S, Jacobsen ED, Jacobson CA, Jeay S, Jeremias I, Kelliher MA, Koch R, Konopleva M, Kopp N, Kornblau SM , Kung AL, Kupper TS, LaBoeuf N, LaCasce AS, Lees E, Li LS, Look AT, Murakami M, Muschen M, Neuberg D, Ng SY, Odejide OO, Orkin SH, Paquette RR, Place AE, Roderick JE, Ryan JA, Sallan SE, Shoji B, Silverman LB, Soiffer RJ, Steensma DP, Stegmaier K, Stone RM, Tamburini J, Thorner AR, van Hummelen P, Wadleigh M, Wiesmann M, Weng AP, Wuerthner JU, Williams DA, Wollison BM, Lane AA, Letai A, Bertagnolli MM, Ritz J, Brown M, Long H, Aster JC, Shipp MA, Griffin JD, Weinstock DM. The Public Repository of Xenografts Enables Discovery and Randomized Phase II-like Trials in Mice. Cancer Cell 29(4):574-86, 2016.
Hoofd C, Wang X, Lam S, Jenkins C, Wood B, Giambra V*, Weng AP*. CD44 promotes chemoresistance in T-ALL by increased drug efflux. Exp Hematol. 44(3):166-171, 2016 (*equal contribution)
Giambra V, Jenkins C, Lam SH, Hoofd C, Belmonte M, Wang X, Gusscott S, Gracias D & Weng AP.
Leukemia stem cells in T-ALL require active Hif1α and Wnt signaling. Blood 125:3917-27, 2015.
Kwiatkowski N, Zhang T, Rahl PB, Abraham BJ, Reddy J, Ficarro SB, Dastur A, Amzallag A, Ramaswamy S, Tesar B, Jenkins CE, Hannett NM, McMillin D, Sanda T, Sim T, Kim ND, Look T, Mitsiades CS, Weng AP, Brown JR, Benes CH, Marto JA, Young RA, Gray NS. Targeting transcription regulation in cancer with a covalent CDK7 inhibitor. Nature 511: 616-620, 2014.
Gutierrez A, Pan L, Groen RWJ, Baleydier F, Kentsis A, Marineau J, Grebliunaite R, Kozakewich E, Reed C, Pflumio F, Poglio S, Uzan B, Clemons P, VerPlank L, An F, Burbank J, Norton S, Tolliday N, Steen H, Weng AP, Yuan H, Bradner JE, Mitsiades C, Look AT & Aster JC. Phenothiazines induce PP2A-mediated apoptosis in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The Journal of Clinical Investigation 124: 644-655, 2014. View Abstract
Sanda T, Tyner JW, Gutierrez A, Ngo VN, Glover J, Chang BH, Yost A, Ma W, Fleischman AG, Zhou W, Yang Y, Kleppe M, Ahn Y, ., Tatarek J, Kelliher M, Neuberg D, Levine RL, Moriggl R, Muller M, Gray NS, Jamieson CH, Weng AP, Staudt LM, Druker BJ & Look T. TYK2-STAT1-BCL2 pathway dependence in T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Cancer Discov 3: 564-577, 2013.
Aghaeepour N, Finak G, the FlowCAP Consortium, the DREAM Consortium, Hoos H, Mosmann TR, Gottardo R, Brinkman RR & Scheuermann RH. Critical assessment of automated flow cytometry data analysis techniques. Nature Methods 10: 228-38, 2013 (Weng AP is a member of the FlowCAP Consortium).
Yost AJ, Shevchuk OO, Gooch R, Gusscott S, You MJ, Ince TA*, Aster JC* & Weng AP*. Defined, serum-free conditions for in vitro culture of primary human T-ALL blasts. Leukemia 6: 1437-40, 2012 (* equal contribution).
Giambra V, Jenkins CR, Wang H, Lam SH, Shevchuk OO, Nemirovsky O, Wai C, Gusscott S, Chiang MY, Aster JC, Humphries RK, Eaves C & Weng AP. NOTCH1 promotes T cell leukemia-initiating activity by RUNX-mediated regulation of PKC-q and reactive oxygen species. Nat Med 18: 1693-8, 2012. (featured on the cover of the Nov 2012 issue)
Jenkins CR, Shevchuk OO, Giambra V, Lam SH, Holzenberger M, Pollak M, Humphries RK & Weng AP. IGF signaling contributes to malignant transformation of hematopoietic progenitors by the MLL-AF9 oncoprotein. Exp Hematol 40:715-723, 2012.
Gusscott S, Kuchenbauer F, Humphries RK & Weng AP. Notch-mediated repression of miR-223 contributes to IGF1R regulation in T-ALL. Leuk Res 36:905-11, 2012.
Bashashati A, Johnson NA, Khodabakhshi AH, Whiteside MD, Zare H, Scott DW, Lo K, Gottardo R, Brinkman FSL, Connors JM, Slack GW, Gascoyne RD, Weng AP* & Brinkman RR* (*co-senior authors). B-cells with high side scatter parameter by flow cytometry correlate with inferior survival in diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Am J Clin Pathol 137: 805-814, 2012.
Kridel R, Messner B, Rogic S, Boyle M, Telenius A, Woolcock B, Gunawardana J, Jenkins C, Cochrane C, Ben-Neriah S, Tan K, Opat S, Sehn LJ, Connors JM, Weng AP*, Steidl C* & Gascoyne RD* (*co-senior authors). Whole transcriptome sequencing reveals recurrent NOTCH1 mutations in mantle cell lymphoma. Blood 119: 1963-1971, 2012.
Zare H, Bashashati A, Kridel R, Aghaeepour N, Haffari G, Connors HM, Gupta A, Gascoyne RD, Brinkman RR* & Weng AP* (*co-senior authors). Automated analysis of multidimensional flow cytometry data improves diagnostic accuracy between mantle cell lymphoma and small lymphocytic lymphoma. Am J Clin Pathol 137:75-85, 2012.
Dakappagari N, Ho SN, Gascoyne RD, Ranuio J, Weng AP*, Tangri S* (*co-senior authors). CD80 (B7.1) is expressed on both malignant B cells and non-malignant stromal cells in non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Cytometry B Clin Cytom 82: 112-119, 2012.
Maddigan A, Truitt L, Arsenault R, Freywald T, Allonby O, Dean J, Narendran A, Xiang J, Weng A, Napper S, Freywald A. EphB receptors trigger Akt activation and suppress Fas receptor-incuced apoptosis in malignant T lymphocytes. J Immunol 187:5983-5994, 2011.
Habibi D, Ogloff N, Jalili RB, Yost A, Weng AP, Ghahary A & Ong CJ. Borrelidin, a small molecule nitrile-containing macrolide inhibitor of threonyl-tRNA synthetase, is a potent inducer of apoptosis in acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Invest New Drugs 30:1361-70, 2011.
Medyouf H, Gusscott S, Wang H, Tseng JC, Wai C, Nemirovsky O, Trumpp A, Pflumio F, Carboni J, Gottardis M, Pollak M, Kung AL, Aster JC, Holzenberger M, Weng AP. High level IGF1R expression is required for leukemia-initiating cell activity in T-ALL and is supported by Notch signaling. J Exp Med 208: 1809-1822, 2011. (featured on the cover of Nov 2011 issue)
Finak G, Perez J-M, Weng A & Gottardo R. Optimizing transformations for automated, high throughput analysis of flow cytometry data. BMC Bioinformatics 11: 546, 2010.
Petriv OI, Kuchenbauer F, Delaney AD, Lecault V, White A, Kent D, Marmolejo L, Heuser M, Berg T, Copley M, Ruschmann J, Sekulovic S, Benz C, Kuroda E, Ho V, Antignano F, Halim T, Giambra V, Krystal G, Takei F, Weng AP, Piret J, Eaves C, Marra MA, Humphries RK & Hansen CL. Comprehensive microRNA expression profiling of the hematopoietic hierarchy. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 107:15443-8, 2010.
Medyouf H, Gao XH, Armstrong F, Gusscott S, Liu Q, Gedman AL, Matherly LH, Schultz KR, Pflumio F, You MJ & Weng AP. Acute T-cell leukemias remain dependent on notch signaling despite PTEN and INK4A/ARF loss. Blood 115:1175-84, 2010.
Hahne F*, Khodabakhshi AH*, Bashashati A, Wong C-J, Gascoyne RD, Weng AP, Seifert-Margolis S, Bourcier K, Asare A, Lumley T, Gentleman R & Brinkman RR. Per-channel basis normalization methods for flow cytometry data. Cytometry A 77: 121-31, 2010.
Heuser M, Sly LM, Argiropoulos B, Kuchenbauer F, Lai C, Weng A, Leung M, Lin G, Brookes C, Fung S, Valk PJ, Delvel R, Lowenberg B, Krystal G & Humphries RK. Modeling the functional heterogeneity of leukemia stem cells: Role of STAT5 in leukemia stem cell self-renewal. Blood, 114:3983-3993, 2009. View Abstract
Johnson NA, Boyle M, Bashashati A, Leach S, Brooks-Wilson A, Sehn LH, Chhanabhai M, Brinkman RR, Connors JM, Weng AP & Gascoyne RD. Diffuse large B cell lymphoma: reduced CD20 expression is associated with an inferior survival. Blood 113: 3773-80, 2009.
Chan SM, Weng AP, Tibshirani R, Aster JC, & Utz PJ. Notch signals positively regulate activity of the mTOR pathway in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood 110 (1): 278-86, 2007.
Rodig SJ, Savage KJ, LaCasce AS, Weng AP, Harris NL, Shipp MA, Hsi ED, Gascoyne RD, & Kutok JL. Expression of TRAF1 and nuclear c-Rel distinguishes primary mediastinal large cell lymphoma from other types of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Am J Surg Pathol 31 (1): 106-12, 2007.
Palomero T, Lim WK, Odom DT, Sulis ML, Real PJ, Margolin A, Barnes KC, O’Neil J, Neuberg D,Weng AP, Aster JC, Sigaux F, Soulier J, Look AT, Young RA, Califano A, & Ferrando AA. NOTCH1 directly regulates c-MYC and activates a feed-forward-loop transcriptional network promoting leukemic cell growth. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 103 (48): 18261-6, 2006.
Weng AP, Millholland JM, Yashiro-Ohtani Y, Arcangeli ML, Lau A, Wai C, Del Bianco C, Rodriguez CG, Sai H, Tobias J, Li Y, Wolfe MS, Shachaf C, Felsher D, Blacklow SC, Pear WS, & Aster JC. c-Myc is an important direct target of Notch1 in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma. Genes Dev 20 (15): 2096-109, 2006.
Ringrose A, Zhou Y, Pang E, Zhou L, Lin AE, Sheng G, Li XJ, Weng A, Su MW, Pittelkow MR, & Jiang X. Evidence for an oncogenic role of AHI-1 in Sezary syndrome, a leukemic variant of human cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. Leukemia 20 (9): 1593-601, 2006.
Weng AP, & Lau A. Notch signaling in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Future Oncol 1 (4): 511-9, 2005.
Sanchez-Irizarry C, Carpenter AC, Weng AP, Pear WS, Aster JC, & Blacklow SC. Notch subunit heterodimerization and prevention of ligand-independent proteolytic activation depend, respectively, on a novel domain and the LNR repeats. Mol Cell Biol 24 (21): 9265-73, 2004.
Weng AP, Ferrando AA, Lee W, Morris JPt, Silverman LB, Sanchez-Irizarry C, Blacklow SC, Look AT, & Aster JC. Activating mutations of NOTCH1 in human T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Science 306 (5694): 269-71, 2004.
Maillard I, Weng AP, Carpenter AC, Rodriguez CG, Sai H, Xu L, Allman D, Aster JC, & Pear WS. Mastermind critically regulates Notch-mediated lymphoid cell fate decisions. Blood 104 (6): 1696-702, 2004.
Lacasce A, Howard O, Lib S, Fisher D, Weng A, Neuberg D, & Shipp M. Modified magrath regimens for adults with Burkitt and Burkitt-like lymphomas: preserved efficacy with decreased toxicity. Leuk Lymphoma 45 (4): 761-7, 2004.
Brown JR, Weng AP, & Freedman AS. Hodgkin disease associated with T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas: case reports and review of the literature. Am J Clin Pathol 121 (5): 701-8, 2004.
Das I, Craig C, Funahashi Y, Jung KM, Kim TW, Byers R, Weng AP, Kutok JL, Aster JC, & Kitajewski J. Notch oncoproteins depend on gamma-secretase/presenilin activity for processing and function. J Biol Chem 279 (29): 30771-80, 2004.
Weng AP, & Aster JC. Multiple niches for Notch in cancer: context is everything. Curr Opin Genet Dev 14 (1): 48-54, 2004.
Weng AP, & Aster JC. No T without D3: a critical role for cyclin D3 in normal and malignant precursor T cells. Cancer Cell 4 (6): 417-8, 2003.
Dorfman DM, van den Elzen P, Weng AP, Shahsafaei A, & Glimcher LH. Differential expression of T-bet, a T-box transcription factor required for Th1 T-cell development, in peripheral T-cell lymphomas. Am J Clin Pathol 120 (6): 866-73, 2003.
Weng AP, Shahsafaei A, & Dorfman DM. CXCR4/CD184 immunoreactivity in T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas with an overall Th1- Th2+ immunophenotype. Am J Clin Pathol 119 (3): 424-30, 2003.
Nam Y, Weng AP, Aster JC, & Blacklow SC. Structural requirements for assembly of the CSL.intracellular Notch1.Mastermind-like 1 transcriptional activation complex. J Biol Chem 278 (23): 21232-9, 2003.
Weng AP, Nam Y, Wolfe MS, Pear WS, Griffin JD, Blacklow SC, & Aster JC. Growth suppression of pre-T acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells by inhibition of notch signaling. Mol Cell Biol 23 (2): 655-64, 2003.
Wohlschlegel JA, Kutok JL, Weng AP, & Dutta A. Expression of geminin as a marker of cell proliferation in normal tissues and malignancies. Am J Pathol 161 (1): 267-73, 2002.
Gaudet G, Friedberg JW, Weng A, Pinkus GS, & Freedman AS. Breast lymphoma associated with breast implants: two case-reports and a review of the literature. Leuk Lymphoma 43 (1): 115-9, 2002.
Izon DJ, Aster JC, He Y, Weng A, Karnell FG, Patriub V, Xu L, Bakkour S, Rodriguez C, Allman D, & Pear WS. Deltex1 redirects lymphoid progenitors to the B cell lineage by antagonizing Notch1. Immunity 16 (2): 231-43, 2002.
Shipp MA, Ross KN, Tamayo P, Weng AP, Kutok JL, Aguiar RC, Gaasenbeek M, Angelo M, Reich M, Pinkus GS, Ray TS, Koval MA, Last KW, Norton A, Lister TA, Mesirov J, Neuberg DS, Lander ES, Aster JC, & Golub TR. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma outcome prediction by gene-expression profiling and supervised machine learning. Nat Med 8 (1): 68-74, 2002.
Weng A, Magnuson T, & Storb U. Strain-specific transgene methylation occurs early in mouse development and can be recapitulated in embryonic stem cells. Development 121 (9): 2853-9, 1995.
Weng A, Engler P, & Storb U. The bulk chromatin structure of a murine transgene does not vary with its transcriptional or DNA methylation status. Mol Cell Biol 15 (1): 572-9, 1995.
Engler P, Weng A, & Storb U. Influence of CpG methylation and target spacing on V(D)J recombination in a transgenic substrate. Mol Cell Biol 13 (1): 571-7, 1993.
Storb U, Engler P, Klotz E, Weng A, Haasch D, Pinkert C, Doglio L, Glymour M, & Brinster R. Rearrangement and expression of immunoglobulin genes in transgenic mice. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 182: 137-41, 1992.
Chensue SW, Shmyr-Forsch C, Weng A, Otterness IG, & Kunkel SL. Biologic and immunohistochemical analysis of macrophage interleukin- 1 alpha, – 1 beta, and tumor necrosis factor production during the peritoneal exudative response. J Leukoc Biol 46 (6): 529-37, 1989.

Research

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Research Interest

Expertise:

Hematology
Hematopathology
Leukemia
Lymphoma
Notch Signaling

My research program focuses on the pathogenesis of lymphoid malignancy and entails two major arms. First, we have explored the role of NOTCH1 and other oncogenes/tumor suppressors in the genesis and propagation of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) including studies on downstream target genes/pathways and identifying mechanisms operative in leukemia stem cells. We have addressed these questions in cells from different developmental stages and tissue contexts on the hypothesis that preset epigenetic programs may restrict the oncogenic trajectories available to the cells as they undergo the initial stages of transformation and clonal establishment. Many of our findings have direct clinical relevance in that they serve as basis for the development of rational therapies that target disease-specific phenotypes.

As a second and more recent focus, my lab has explored the use of state-of-the-art mass cytometry (CyTOF) to obtain highly resolved phenotypic maps of heterogeneous cell populations in present in patient lymphoma biopsy samples including both malignant and reactive immune cell compartments. We have used this methodology to characterize intratumoral heterogeneity/subclonal diversity among malignant cell populations and stereotyped or patient-specific immune responses. This work is also of direct clinical relevance in providing detailed phenotypic characterizations that are required in order to define biomarkers for lymphoma classification and prognosis, and monitoring of patient-specific responses to therapy.

Currently Established Methodologies and Approaches

Synthetic human models of leukemia/lymphoma
Conventional mouse models of leukemia/lymphoma
Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of leukemia
Access to clinically annotated primary human lymphoma specimens
Lentiviral gene transduction, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing
RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, single cell RNA-seq, whole exome seq
High parameter flow cytometry (BD FACSymphony), mass cytometry (CyTOF)

Access to primary human lymphoma specimens

Dr. Weng is the Director of the BCCA Clinical Flow Cytometry Lab and co-manages the Lymphoma Tumor Repository with Drs. Christian Steidl and David Scott. The clinical flow lab accessions nearly 4,000 specimens each year for assessment of lymphoproliferative disease (LPD) including representative portions of ~1,000 excisional lymph node (LN) biopsies. Among these, approximately 100 per year represent follicular lymphoma (FL) and another 100 per year represent diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Single cell suspensions are generated by manual disaggregation and processed for flow cytometric phenotyping using our routine 13-color clinical assay (BD LSRFortessa platform). After diagnostic testing is completed, there are often several to tens of millions of excess viable cells remaining which are prospectively banked with DMSO cryoprotectant. This has been going on for over 2 decades as part of the well established BCCA Lymphoma Program. There are currently over 1,300 cases each of FL and DLBCL in the tumor bank, as well as abundant reactive (normal) lymph nodes to serve as a source of normal control material.

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Open Positions:

The Weng lab currently has open positions available at the Postdoctoral or Graduate student level working on pathogenetic mechanisms in T-ALL and/or analysis of tumor ecosystem in human lymphoma by mass cytometry (CyTOF). Interested applicants may submit letter of interest and CV to aweng@bccrc.ca.

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Yip, Stephen

MD, PhD, FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Associate Professor, UBC | Clinician-Scientist/Consultant Neuropathologist, BCCA | Associate Member at Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, Neuropathologist, VGH

Affiliation(s): VGH/VCHRI

Research and Scholarly Interests: Genetics genomics proteomics and related approaches, Molecular Pathology and Cell Biology

Clinical Interests:

syip@bccancer.bc.ca

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I obtained my combined MD-PhD degree at UBC in 1999. My PhD thesis, under the supervision of Julia Levy, was on the use of a photosensitizer for the purging of contaminating leukemic cells in autologous bone marrow transplantations. I was then accepted into the neurosurgery training program at VGH and completed four years of residency training before switching to the neuropathology program at VGH and obtained my FRCPC certification in 2006. Next, I completed two years of Royal College- funded CIP fellowship in molecular neuro-oncology at the Massachusetts General Hospital under the supervision of David Louis. Dr Louis, chief of pathology at MGH, through his description and characterization of 1p19q chromosomal loss in oligodendroglioma, propelled the field of molecular diagnostics in neuro-oncology. My research was focused on the molecular characterizations of recurrent glioblastomas specifically somatic mutations in the mismatch repair gene MSH6. I then completed fellowship training in molecular genetics pathology at Harvard Medical School under the supervision of John Iafrate at MGH. This one year clinical training consisted of rotations in different clinical molecular diagnostic laboratories affiliated with Harvard Medical School. I was exposed to different advanced molecular diagnostic techniques and was involved in trouble- shooting clinical molecular diagnostic problems.

Upon my return to Vancouver in 2009 I was initially appointed clinically at the BC Cancer Agency and performed brain tumour consultations. I am also affiliated with the Centre for Translational and Applied Genomics (CTAG) and involved in the developments of novel molecular diagnostic assays. My current research interests are in the genomic and epigenomic profiling of cancers especially primary brain tumours, taking advantage of the local expertise at the Genome Sciences Centre, BCCRC, and CTAG. Currently I am using 2nd generation sequencing technology to study brain tumours. Ultimately I want to take novel genomic/epigenomic discoveries to the clinic – by developing clinical molecular assays and than be used to better stratify cancer patients and to identify those that might respond to novel molecular targeting agents. I am also associated with the development of BrainCare, a local effort to develop multidisciplinary seamless care for brain tumour patients in this province and also in the establishment of a local neuro-oncology research network which includes the development of a brain tumour tissue bank. I am the course director for Oncology 502 (Concepts in Oncology) that is offered under the Interdisciplinary Oncology Program (IOP) and am a member of the IOP executive committee as well as the UBC M.D.-Ph.D. admission and advisory committee. I moved to Vancouver General Hospital in February 2012 and took on a full time neuropathology position and will maintain my research at CTAG which currently involves dissecting the role of CIC in the molecular pathogenesis of oligodendrogliomas and practical application of mid-size sequencing platforms such as the Ion Torrent PGM and Illumina MiSeq for sequence validation and clinical sequencing.

Academic

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Academic Background

HMS – Molecular Genetic Pathology fellowship. 2009
MGH – Molecular neuro-oncology research fellowship (FRCPC certification – CIP). 2008
VGH – Neuropathology residency (FRCPC certification). 2006
VGH – Neurosurgery residency (year 1-4). 2003
BC – MD-PhD (Microbiology & Immunology). 1999
UBC – BSc (Microbiology & Immunology). 1991

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

High throughput genomic/epigenomic profilings of tumors and downstream validation, development of brain tumor tissue bank (Center for Translational and Applied Genomics – BCCA).
Specialties: Neuropathology, Cancer Genetics, Molecular diagnostics

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Al-Rawahi, Ghada

MD, DTM&H (London), D(ABMM), FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Honorary Adjunct Professor, UBC

Affiliation(s): Sultan Qaboos University, Sultanate of Oman

Research and Scholarly Interests: Infectious Diseases and Immunology Microbiology, C. difficile infection in children particularly oncology, Candidemia in children, Fungal infection in immunocompromised hosts

Clinical Interests:

Short Bio

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Academic

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Academic Background

Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CIC), USA, 2010
UBC Certificate in Laboratory Quality Management, University of British Columbia, 2009
UBC Certificate in Infection Prevention and Control, University of British Columbia, 2009
Diploma of The American College of Microbiology, D (ABMM), 2008
Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada (FRCPC – Medical Microbiology), 2007
UBC Residency Certificate (Medical Microbiology), Dept of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 2007
Diploma of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTM&H), London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK, 2002
MD, College of Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman, 1999
BSc (Health Sciences), College of Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman, 1996

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Al-Rawahi, Ghada – Pubmed

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Primary Area of Research

Evidence to Innovation

Research Areas

C. difficile infection in children particularly oncology
Candidemia in children
Fungal infection in immunocompromised hosts

My current research is focused on Clostridium difficile infection in children with cancer. Clostridium difficile is a common bacterium in the human gut that usually does not cause infection but in certain circumstances can cause diarrhea. It is significant because it can easily spread from patient to patient in hospitals if infection prevention measures and environmental cleaning practices are suboptimal. We have noted that a higher proportion of oncology patients have this infection compared to other hospitalized patients. We aim to determine whether patients get the infection in hospital or if they come to the hospital with it. This information will help us understand the true burden of C. difficile infection in oncology and improve the quality of care provided to these patients..

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Interested in teaching all areas in Microbiology, Infection Prevention & Control, Bacteriology, Mycology, Tropical Medicine, and Laboratory Quality Management.

Brown, Lindsay A

PhD, FCCMG

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC

Affiliation(s): BCCH/BCCHRI

Research and Scholarly Interests: Cancer, Genetics Genomics Proteomics and Related Approaches, Childhood Diseases, Clinical cytogenetics Cancer Genetics: Pediatric Leukemia and Lymphomas, and Solid Tumors

Clinical Interests:

lbrown5@cw.bc.ca

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Dr Brown completed her PhD (2007) in the Department of Pathology at the University of British Columbia. She then completed a CCMG clinical cytogenetics and molecular genetics fellowship in 2010 and 2013, respectively. She has been a clinical faculty member of the UBC Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine since 2010. Dr Brown is currently a clinical Cytogeneticist and Molecular Geneticist at Children’s and Woman’s Health Centre of BC.

Academic

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Academic Background

BSc, Honors Biology, University of Waterloo, 1999
PhD, University of British Columbia, 2007
Postdoctoral Fellow, CTAG, BCCA, 2008
Clinical Cytogenetics CCMG Fellowship, Vancouver, 2010

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Childhood Diseases, Clinical cytogenetics Cancer genetics: Pediatric leukemia and lymphomas, and solid tumors

My current research focuses on exploring chromosome abnormalities in patients diagnosed with acute leukemia.

Acute leukemia is the most common cancer affecting children. Although the outcome of treatment has improved substantially in recent decades, there remains approximately 20 per cent of children treated for leukemia who relapse and have a poor prognosis.

My research aims to use high resolution microarray analysis to better identify the genetic changes associated with acute leukemia. I am particularly interested in determining if there are genetic alterations unique to treatment-resistant leukemia. Obtaining a detailed understanding of the genetics of acute leukemia will enable other researchers to develop targeted, personalized treatments with greater success rates and less harmful effects.

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Ceballos, Katherine

BSc, MD

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Assistant Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC

Affiliation(s): BC Cancer Agency

Research and Scholarly Interests: Cancer, Breast and Gynecologic Pathology, Identifying Prognostic Features in Endometrial and Ovarian Carcinomas, Studying HPV Related Neoplasia of the Gynecologic Tract, Assessing the Reproducibility of the Diagnosis of Cervical Dysplasia, Assessing the Impact of Pathology Review on the Treatment of Breast Cancer Patients

Clinical Interests:

kceballos@bccancer.bc.ca

Short Bio

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Kathy Ceballos’s research while affiliated with BC Cancer Agency and other places

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UBC, Associate Member
Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, UBC, Clinical Assistant Professor
Department of Pathology, BC Cancer Agency, Oncologic Pathologist

Dr. Ceballos completed her medical school training at Dalhousie University, followed by an Anatomical Pathology Residency at UBC and a Gynecologic Pathology Fellowship with Dr. Dean Daya at McMaster University in 2001. Her areas of interest include breast and gynecologic oncologic pathology, especially as it relates to improving clinical practice and patient care. Her research interests include a range of topics in breast and gynecologic pathology. She has collaborated on projects identifying prognostic features in endometrial and ovarian carcinomas, and studying HPV related neoplasia of the gynecologic tract. She is involved in projects assessing the reproducibility of the diagnosis of cervical dysplasia and in assessing the impact of pathology review on the treatment of breast cancer patients.

Dr. Ceballos joined the BC Cancer Agency as a Consultant Pathologist in June 2006. She also has an appointment with the UBC Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine as a Clinical Assistant Professor. Prior to arriving in Vancouver Dr. Ceballos was a consultant pathologist at Henderson Hospital in Hamilton Ontario, the host hospital of the Juravinski Cancer Centre (formerly Hamilton Regional Cancer Centre).

Academic

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Academic Background

BSc (mathematics, cum laude), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS. 1989-1992
MD (cum laude), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS. 1992-1996
Anatomical Pathology Residency, University of British Columbia. 1996-2001
Gynaecological Pathology Fellowship with Dr. D. Daya, McMaster University. Hamilton, ON. Aug-Nov 2001
Fellow, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. 2001

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Ceballos, Katherine, PUBMED

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Breast and gynecologic pathology
Collaborated on projects identifying prognostic features in endometrial and ovarian carcinomas, and studying HPV related neoplasia of the gynecologic tract
Involved in projects assessing the reproducibility of the diagnosis of cervical dysplasia and in assessing the impact of pathology review on the treatment of breast cancer patients

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Doyle, Jason

MD, FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Assistant Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC |

Affiliation(s): Vernon Jubilee Hospital

Research and Scholarly Interests:

Clinical Interests:

jason.doyle@interiorhealth.ca

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Academic

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Academic Background

MD (with Distinction and Honors in Research). University of Alberta, 1994
BSc (First Class Honours), Biochemistry, University of Alberta. 1990

Professional Qualifications:

Province of British Columbia; British Columbia Medical Register, Medical License, College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia. 2001 – present
Diplomate of the American Board of Pathology (Anatomic and Clinical Pathology). 2000
Fellow of the College of American Pathologists. 2000
Fellow of the American Society for Clinical Pathology. 2000
Province of Alberta; Alberta Medical Register, Defined License (General Pathology), College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta. 1999-2003
Province of British Columbia; Temporary License, College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia. 1999-2000
Province of British Columbia; Temporary Educational License, College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia, Fellow. 1999-2000
Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, General Pathology. 1999
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; Department of State Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, Medical Physician and Surgeon. 1997-2000
Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC). 1996
Province of Alberta; Educational Register of College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta. 1994-1999

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Grant, Jennifer

MD CM (McGill University)

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Professor, Dept of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, UBC; Program Head and Medical Microbiologist, BCCDC

Affiliation(s): BCCDC

Research and Scholarly Interests: Infectious Diseases and Immunology Microbiology, Tropical Medicine, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Patient Safety and Quality

Clinical Interests:

jennifer.grant@bccdc.ca

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Dr. Jennifer Grant has practiced Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Vancouver since 2007, representing both CHICA (now IPAC) and AMMI as a board member. She is the program head for bacteriology at BCCDC with an interest in health systems, antimicrobial stewardship, and quality of patient care. Away from medicine, Jennifer is an avid mountain biker, making use of the coastal mountains whenever possible.

Academic

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Academic Background

Collège Des Médecins du Québec Certification ; Microbiology. Jun 2007
Royal College Certification; Microbiology; Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. May 2007
Royal College Certification; Infectious Diseases; Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Sep 2006
Royal College Certification; Internal Medicine; Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Aug 2004
MDCM; Medicine; McGill University. Jun 2000
BS; Molecular biophysics and biochemistry; Yale University, Graduus Cum Laude. Jun 1996

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Tropical Medicine
Infectious Diseases
Antimicrobial Stewardship
Patient Safety and Quality

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

I have experience in teaching medical students, residents, medical laboratory technicians.

Hoang, Linda

MSc, MD, DTM&H, FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC

Affiliation(s): BC Centre for Disease Control

Research and Scholarly Interests: Infectious Diseases and Immunology Microbiology, Molecular Pathology and Cell Biology, Antibiotic-resistant Organisms, Cryptococcus gattii, Enteric Bacterial Pathogens and Outbreaks

Clinical Interests:

linda.hoang@bccdc.ca

Short Bio

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Linda Hoang is a physician and the associate director and program head of the Bacteriology & Mycology Lab at BCCDC. She is also a clinical associate professor in the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at UBC.

Linda Hoang, MD, MSc, DTM&H, FRCPC, is a medical microbiologist. She is the associate director and program head of the Public Health Advanced Bacteriology & Mycology Lab in the BCCDC Public Health Laboratory and the co-medical director of the Provincial Infection Control Network (PICNet)

She enjoys teaching and is the site supervisor of the Medical Microbiology Residency Training Program in the BCCDC Public Health Laboratory. She is also a clinical associate professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC.

Dr. Hoang received her master’s and medical degrees, and her FRCPC qualification in medical microbiology from UBC. She also obtained a diploma in tropical medicine and hygiene from the London School of Hygiene & Epidemiology in the UK. She has been based at BCCDC since 2006, but has been involved in BCCDC-led projects in Vietnam and BC from 1998.

Academic

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Academic Background

BSc (Hons.), Area of research: Vascular Physiology, Dept of Physiology, Univ of British Columbia. 1991-1995
MSc, Area of research: Membrane Electrophysiology & Bacteriology, Dep of Physiology, Univ of British Columbia. 1995-1997
MD University of British Columbia. 1997-2001
FRCPC Medical Microbiology. Dept of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine. The University of British Columbia. Jul 2001-Jun 2006
DTM&H. Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Jan-Apr 2005
Residency in Medical Microbiology, Dept of Pathology & Lab Medicine, Univ of British Columbia. 2006

Awards and Recognition

Publications

For a list of publications, see PubMed.

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Dr. Hoang’s clinical and academic interests include agents of bioterrorism and containment-level-3 pathogens.

She is also interested in healthcare-acquired infections, antibiotic-resistant organisms and Cryptococcus gattii, as well as enteric bacterial pathogens and outbreaks in BC.

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Kasper, Richard

BSc, MD (Univ of Toronto), FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Associate Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Dermatopathologist, Kelowna General Hospital and Interior Health Region

Affiliation(s): Kelowna General Hospital

Research and Scholarly Interests: Infectious Diseases and Immunology Microbiology, Skin Conditions, Dermatopthology, Soft tissue pathology

Clinical Interests:

dr.richard.kasper@interiorhealth.ca

Short Bio

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After graduating from Uof T medicine in 1980 I completed my general pathology residency at U of Alberta and started working as a hospital and private pathologist in Edmonton. Our group grew Kasper Medical Laboratories and I moved to Calgary in the early 90’s while being a clinical assisstant professor at Uof A and U of Calgary and Medical director of the private laboratory. Alberta laboratory reorganization in the mid 90’s resulted in laboratory partnerships and I took the ooportunity to do a fellowship in dermatopthology with Philip LeBoit and Tim McCalmont at UCSF in San Francisco in 1998-99.

I taught and worked at Calgary Laboratory Services and U of C, mostly in dermatopathology, until 2005, when I was recruited back to UCSF San Francisco. I was a clinical associate professor in the departments of pathology and dermatology at UCSF until 2007, with about 30% teaching time with dermatology and pathology residents. In 2007, I reluctantly resigned from UCSF due to Canadian departure tax laws which would have caused too high a price to stay in the United States. Currently, I am a staff pathologist at Kelowna General Hospital with about 70% of time spent in dermatopathology and consults, with the remainder in clinical and general surgical pathology.

Academic

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Academic Background

MD, University of Toronto. 1980
FRCPC (General Pathology). 1985
Diplomate, American Boards of Dermatopathology and Anatomical Pathology. 1999

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Horst BA, Kasper R, LeBoit PE. CD4+, CD56+ mycosis fungoides: case report and review of the literature. Am J Dermatopathol. 2009 Feb;31(1):74-6.
Pincus LB, McCalmont TH, Neuhaus IM, Kasper R, Oh DH. Basal cell carcinomas arising within multiple trichoepitheliomas. J Cutan Pathol. 2008 Oct;35 Suppl 1:59-64. Epub 2008 Jun 9.
Ting PT, Kasper R, Arlette JP. Metastatic basal cell carcinoma: report of two cases and literature review. J Cutan Med Surg. 2005 Jan;9(1):10-5. Review.
Elsayed S, Kuhn SM, Barber D, Church DL, Adams S, Kasper R. Human case of lobomycosis. Emerg Infect Dis. 2004 Apr;10(4):715-8.
Kasper RC, Wood GS, Nihal M, LeBoit PE. Anetoderma arising in cutaneous B-cell lymphoproliferative disease. Am J Dermatopathol. 2001 Apr;23(2):124-32.

Research

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Research Interest

My interests are in dermatopthology, soft tissue pathology and pathology of infectious diseases

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Teaching Narrative

At the University of Calgary:
At the medical school, I assisted in the pathology-teaching component of the medical school reproduction course taught to first year students. In the anatomical pathology program, I had been responsible for teaching didactic courses in Dermatopathology and infectious disease pathology. I was responsible for regular Dermatopathology slide sessions with the residents and individual teaching as residents rotate through Dermatopathology. More informal teaching was done at the weekly Friday morning slide sessions with the pathology staff and residents who examine unknown slides supplied by the pathologists where I regularly submitted cases. I had also volunteered to give occasional CPC discussions and formal lectures at the CME sessions for the Pathology department.

At UCSF:
Regular sessions at the multi-headed microscope for sign out of routine and consultation cases of the UCSF dermatopathology service, with dermatology and pathology residents and visiting international fellows. Separate review sessions of more challenging or instructive cases for the dermatology residents occurred on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Presentation of dermatopathology for UCSF Department of Dermatology clinical case conference occurred on Wednesday mornings. Daily, noon-hour conferences occurred with the UCSF dermatopathology group and all residents, visitors and fellows to discuss interesting and challenging cases. One afternoon per week, each at the VA hospital and San Francisco General Hospital, I was responsible for sign-out and discussion of those hospitals’ dermatopathology cases with the rotating residents in pathology and dermatology.

At Sunnybrook Hospital, U of Toronto:
Attended Thursday noon pathology rounds with presentation of interesting cases and was assigned a monthly resident for dermatopathology teaching. Attended and presented melanoma cases for the Sunnybrook melanoma study group. Gave invited lectures to dermatology residents and pathology staff.

At Interior Health Authroity, B.C.:
I have had the pleasure of teaching and mentoring three colleague Interior Health pathologists who chose to spend one of their CME weeks learning dermatopathology at Kelowna General Hospital with me. A final year dermatopathology resident from U of Alberta also spent a week at KGH with me learning dermatopathology. A pathologist from Edmonton, about to write her international dermatopathology diploma examination, spent a week at KGH with me preparing for this examination. We have weekly telepathology conferences to share cases around Interior Health Authority and dermatopathology takes up most of these rounds.

Li, Dailin

MD, PhD, FCACB

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Assistant Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Clinical Biochemist, Kelowna General Hospital

Affiliation(s): Kelowna General Hospital

Research and Scholarly Interests: Cardiovascular and Pulmonary, Endocrinology, Metabolism & Nutrition, Knowledge translation

Clinical Interests:

dailin.li@interiorhealth.ca

Short Bio

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Dr. Li joined Vancouver General Hospital as a Clinical Chemist in December 2006 (in Dec 2022 Dr. Li moved to Kelowna and is now a Clinical Biochemist at Interior Health) and the UBC Faculty of Medicine as a Clinical Assistant Professor in July 2007. She started her career as a Pediatrician in China. Her professional development was furthered by a PhD degree from Karolinska Institute, Sweden. She then did a Postdoctoral Fellowship with Dr. Amira Klip at the Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. After her Postdoctoral Training in Clinical Chemistry at University of Toronto, she took the position of Clinical Chemist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Prince Edward Island and spent 2.5 years there. In addition to her routine work as a clinical chemist at VGH, Dr. Li is involved in teaching in the UBC Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science Program and General Pathology and Medical Biochemistry Residency Training Program.

Academic

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Academic Background

Diplomate of the American Board of Clinical Chemistry (DABCC). 2007
Fellow of Canadian Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (FCACB). 2005
PhD, Karolinska Institute, Sweden. 1999
MS, Tongji Medical University, China. 1990
MD, Hubei Medical University, China. 1984

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Dr. Li’s clinical research interests include developing new lab tests by HPLC/UPLC and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in the fields of endocrinology and therapeutic drug monitoring.

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Medvedev, Nadejda

BSc, MD (UBC)

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Associate Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Hematopathologist, Transfusion Medicine Medical Director, St. Paul’s Hospital

Affiliation(s): VGH

Research and Scholarly Interests: Blood research

Clinical Interests:

nadia.medvedev@vch.ca

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Dr. Nadejda Medvedev graduated from Moscow Medical Academy, Russia in 1994. She moved to Canada in 1997, entered UBC Hematopathology Program in 2001 and graduated in 2007. Currently, she is working at St. Paul’s Hospital as a General Hematopathologist and Blood Bank Supervisor.

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Academic Background

FRCPC Hematopathology. 2007
Full registration with College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC. 2004
Full LMCC certification effective 2001
BCIT, Advanced Specialty Certificate in Molecular Genetics Upgrading. 1999
MD, Moscow Medical Academy, Russia. 1994

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Therapeutic cells via functional modification: influence of molecular properties of polymer grafts on in vivo circulation, clearance, immunogenicity, and antigen protection. Chapanian R, Constantinescu I, Medvedev N, Scott MD, Brooks DE, Kizhakkedathu JN. Biomacromolecules. 2013 Jun 10;14(6):205262. doi: 10.1021/bm4003943. Epub 2013 May 28.
Influence of polymer architecture on antigens camouflage, CD47 protection and complement mediated lysis of surface grafted red blood cells.Chapanian R, Constantinescu I, Rossi NA, Medvedev N, Brooks DE, Scott MD, Kizhakkedathu JN. Biomaterials. 2012 Nov; 33(31):787183. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2012.07.015. Epub 2012 Jul

Research

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Research Interest

Collaborative research involvement on developing universal red blood cells by polymer grafting techniques carried out at the Centre for Blood Research by Drs. N. Rossi and J. Kizhakkedathu..

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Medical students teaching:

BMLS teaching – myelodysplastic and myeloproliferative disorders, 2009, 2010, 2011
Review of the summer students research project application bursaries 2008, 2009
Hematology Expert in the laboratory sessions for the Blood and Lymphatics block in 2nd year medical school in 2007, 2008, 2009
Tutoring Problem-Based Learning classes for hematological malignancies in 2006

Residents and fellows teaching:

Site supervision and daily teaching involvement with residents and fellows from residency programs and fellowship training in Hematopathology, Internal Medicine, Hematology, General Pathology, Transfusion Medicine
Coordination of rotations, evaluation of students/residents/fellows and attendance of Hematopathology Residency Committee Training meetings as site supervisor
Didactic lectures for residents and fellows at the hematology/hematopathology half days, hematopathology rounds

Torbati, Bibi Naghibi

MB BS, FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Associate Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Anatomical Pathologist, Kelowna General Hospital

Affiliation(s): Kelowna General Hospital

Research and Scholarly Interests: Cancer

Clinical Interests:

dr.bibi.naghibitorbati@interiorhealth.ca

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Born in Mashhad, Iran
Completed MB BS degree at Dow Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan in 1983
Immigrated to Canada in 1983
Worked as a research assistant at the University of Toronto from 1984 to 1988, publishing several papers in pathology
Completed residency training in Anatomical Pathology at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1993
Completed fellowship training in Forensic Pathology in Calgary, Alberta
Worked as a Clinical Assistant Professor of pathology at Memorial University, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador from 1994 to 2007. Responsibilities included anatomical pathology and teaching medical students and residents. Several publications were produced during these years.
Currently working as a Clinical Associate Professor of Pathology at the University of British Columbia, 2007 to present
Credentialed by the British Columbia Cancer Agency (BCCA) in 2008

Academic

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Academic Background

MB BS, University of Karachi, Pakistan. 1983

Professional Qualifications

Fellow of Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, June 2004
Wrote American Board Examination in Anatomical Pathology, Nov 1996.
Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Examination (MCCEE), 1986.
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland.
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta, Registration.
College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia MSP.

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Yousef GM, Naghibi B, Hamodat MM. Malakoplakia outside the urinary tract. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2007 Feb;131(2):297-300. Review.
Miraliakbari BA, Kovacs K. The value of a monoclonal anti-epithelial antibody (mAB lu-5) in the differential diagnosis of tumors. Immunohistochemical study. Oncology. 1988;45(2):98-102. 1998
Miraliakbari BA, Asa SL, Boudreau SF. Parathyroid hormone-like peptide in pancreatic endocrine carcinoma and adenocarcinoma associated with hypercalcemia. Hum Pathol. 1992 Aug;23(8):884-7.

Research

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Research Interest

Prostate, Breast and Pulmonary pathology
Contribution to provincial synoptic reporting of prostate carcinoma, Core, TURP and Prostatectomy specimen
Review of cancer cases upon oncologist request for breast carcinomas
Member of Quality control and peer review of surgical pathology cases, frozen section and breast core needle biopsy, Kelowna General Hospital

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Small group sessions (CPC) for first and second year medical students in the Southern Medical Program
Organizer and preceptor for 4th year medical student elective rotations in the department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Kelowna General Hospital
Organizer and preceptor of third year medical students gynecology rotation for GYN pathology/ gynecology correlation
Organizer and preceptor of third year medical student gynecology rotation for follow up of cases from the operating room to the pathology lab and preparation of student for monthly clinical and pathological conference

Popescu, Oana-Eugenia

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Assistant Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC

Affiliation(s): Vernon Jubilee Hospital

Research and Scholarly Interests: Cancer, Gastrointestinal systems, Pediatric tumors

Clinical Interests:

Oana.Popescu@interiorhealth.ca

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Dr. Popescu graduated from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Craiova, Romania. After completing a residency in forensic pathology in Romania, she completed on AP/CP residency at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY. This was followed by a fellowship in pediatric pathology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She joined the Children’s and Women’s Health Centre of British Columbia as a staff pathologist and UBC Faculty of Medicine as a Clinical Assistant Professor in July 2007. Her main interest is in GI pathology and pediatric solid tumors.

Academic

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Academic Background

Royal College of Physician and Surgeons, Anatomical Pathology, Fellow. May 2009
Diplomate of American Board of Pathology in Pediatric Pathology. September 2009
Diplomate of the American Board of Pathology in AP/CP. August 2006
MD (Romanian Medical License #109), University of Medicine and Pharmacy Craiova – School of Medicine. 1985-1991

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Gatrointestinal pathology
Pediatric tumors

My current practice is based on the diagnosis and study of neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases in children. My main interest is in pediatric solid tumors, gastrointestinal and liver pathology, and sudden infant death pathology.

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Ritchie, Gordon

BSc, BASc (Chemical Engineering), PhD (UBC)

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Associate Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Clinical Scientist (Molecular Diagnostics), St. Paul’s Hospital

Affiliation(s): St. Paul’s Hospital

Research and Scholarly Interests: Genetics genomics proteomics and related approaches, Molecular Pathology and Cell Biology, Molecular Diagnostics, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Next-Generation Sequencing

Clinical Interests:

gritchie@providencehealth.bc.ca

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Prior to joining St. Paul’s Hospital, I completed my Ph.D. in Experimental Medicine at UBC. My family and I then moved to the United Arab Emirates for 6 years. There, I established the first molecular reference laboratory at the Cleveland Clinic operated Sheikh Khalifa Medical City. We enjoyed the sun, sea, and sand (and cycling) in the Emirates. Since returning to Vancouver, I have served as the Clinical Molecular Scientist for St. Paul’s Hospital. The molecular diagnostics team and I have expanded our test menu by developing and validating numerous new molecular tests. We have developed PCR assays for a number of viruses, and established various assays for detection of bacteria and fungi, and antibiotic resistance. Molecular tests have also been established for the chemistry lab. In addition, our virology lab is the BC reference centre for viral load testing for HIV, hepatitis, and transplant associated viruses. Recently, we have been busy with next-generation sequencing tests for viral genotyping and drug resistance, and bacterial identification.

Academic

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Academic Background

PhD, Experimental Medicine, University of British Columbia. 2001
BASc, Chemical Engineering, University of British Columbia. 1988
BSc, Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of British Columbia. 1980

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Molecular Diagnostics
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Next-Generation Sequencing

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Molecular Diagnostic Methods
Quality Assurance and Quality Control
Regulation of Gene Expression

Roland, Kristine

BSc, MD (Queen’s University)

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Associate Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Hematopathologist, VGH | Regional Medical Leader for Transfusion Medicine, VCH

Affiliation(s): Vancouver General Hospital

Research and Scholarly Interests: Blood research, Scholarship of Teaching of Education Research

Clinical Interests:

Short Bio

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Academic

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Academic Background

Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Hematological Pathology. May 2006
Medical Council of Canada: LMCC Part 1 – completed May 2001; LMCC Part 2 – completed October 2002
MD, Queen’s University, ON. 2001
BSc (Hons), Queen’s University, ON. 1997

Awards and Recognition

Dr. R.S.A. Prentice Award (for best presentation by a Pathology Resident), Queen’s University. 2005
Lister Award (for exceptional proficiency in General Surgery), University of Calgary. 2002
Reuben Wells Leonard Penultimate Year Scholarship and W.W. Near and Susan Near Scholarship (3rd highest standing in the third medical year), Queen’s University. 2000
Rattray Scholarship in Physiology (1st highest standing in Physiology), Queen’s University. 2000
Daniel Mactavish Baker Scholarship (3rd highest standing in the first medical year), Queen’s University. 1998
Ben Kropp Prize in Anatomy (1st highest standing in Anatomy), Queen’s University. 1997

Publications

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Teaching one lecture in Pathology 402 for BMLSc students 2014
Teaching three lectures in Pathology 300 for BMLSc students 2013
Site Director for VGH Hematopathology rotations, 2012 to present
Co-director for Path 704 (Transfusion Medicine Course); responsibilities include curriculum planning, giving 4-5 lectures, and exam preparation.
Program Coordinator for Anesthesia residents rotation in Hematology (4 week-block).
Anywhere from 1-3 residents will be participate per block, for a total of 6 blocks annually. I am responsible for the preparation of CanMeds objectives, design of the rotation, most of the teaching (approximately 20 hours per block), and the final evalulations.
Participate in the ICU Seminar Series, giving an hour-long session on transfusion medicine twice per year since 2008 (ongoing)
Participated in Core Surgery Residents teaching, giving a one hour-long session on transfusion medicine in 2010

Sawyer, Douglas

MD (Univ of Alberta), FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Assistant Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC

Affiliation(s): Royal Jubilee Hospital

Research and Scholarly Interests: Skin Conditions

Clinical Interests:

Short Bio

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Academic

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Academic Background

Certificate of Special Competence in Dermatopathology, American Boards of Pathology and Dermatology. 1979
FRCPC (Anatomical Pathology). 1978
Diplomat, American Board of Pathology – AP. 1978
MD, University of Alberta. 1973
BSc, University of Alberta. 1971

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Schlade-Bartusiak, Kamilla

PhD FCCMG

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Cytogenetic Laboratory, BCCH | Investigator, BC Children’s Hospital

Affiliation(s): BCCH/BCCHRI

Research and Scholarly Interests: Genetics genomics proteomics and related approaches

Clinical Interests:

ksbartusiak@cw.bc.ca

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Academic

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Academic Background

MSc (Molecular Genetics) University of Wroclaw, Poland, 1993-1995
PhD (Cytogenetics) Wroclaw Medical University, Poland, 1995-2000
Postdoctoral Fellow (Cytogenetics) Wroclaw Medical University, 2000-2003
Postdoctoral Fellow (Medical Genetics) University of Alberta, Edmonton, 2003-2008
CCMG Fellowship (Clinical Cytogenetics), Calgary/Vancouver, 2008-2009
FCCMG (Clinical Cytogenetics), 2010

Awards and Recognition

Publications

(Link to Pubmed)

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Array applications in clinical cytogenetics
Mechanisms of formation of chromosome aberrations
Genotype-phenotype correlations

Chromosomal Microarry (CMA) is a technique enabling high-resolution, genome-wide screening of chromosomal imbalances. It has become and essential and routine diagnostic tool gradually replacing the lower resolution karyotype analysis. It allows for delineation of novel recurrent microdeletion/microduplication syndromes. SNP-based CMA technology allows also for detection of copy number neutral phenomena, like uniparental disomy and regions of homozygosity. As a cytogeneticist, I am interested in clinical and research applications of array technology. That includes better characterization of known and novel syndromes caused by chromosomal aberrations, as well as disease gene discovery.

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Senger, Christof

MD, FRCPC, FCAP

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Assistant Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC

Affiliation(s): BCCH/BCCHRI

Research and Scholarly Interests: Human Development and Aging, Placental pathology, Pediatric renal neoplasm, Bone/soft tisue pathology

Clinical Interests:

csenger@cw.bc.ca

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Decided to go to medical school and graduated from Julius-Maximilians-University, Wuerzburg, Germany in 1986; an interim followed to work as general practitioner for the US Army Europe until 1992 in Bamberg, Germany; then residency in anatomical/clinical pathology at Rush-Presbyterian-St.Luke’s Medical Center until 1997, to be followed by 2 years of pediatric pathology fellowship at Children’s Memorial Hospital until June 1999 with Dr. Frank Gonzalez-Crussi, both in Chicago, Illinois, USA; then interim at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Manchester, England until June 2003; since August 2003 employed here in Vancouver B.C. at Childrens’ and Women’s Health Centre of British Columbia as Pediatric Pathologist.

Academic

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Academic Background

MD, Julius-Maximilians-Universität, Würzburg, Bavaria, Federal Republic of Germany. 1980-1986
AP/CP residency, Rush- Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA. 1992-1997
Pediatric pathology fellowship, Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, USA. 1997-1999
Pediatric pathology fellowship, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 1999-2001

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Lehman A, Stittrich AB, Glusman G, Zong Z, Li H, Eydoux P, Senger C, Lyons C, Roach JC, Patel M. Diffuse angiopathy in Adams-Oliver syndrome associated with truncating DOCK6 mutations. Am J Med Genet A. 2014 Oct;164A(10):2656-62.
Cohen As, Townsend KN, Xang QS, Attariwala R, Bourchers C, Senger C, Picker W, Levi J, Ywechuck L, Tan J, Eydoux P, Lum A, Young SL, Mckinnon ML, Lear SA, Everett R, Jones SJ, Yip S, Gibson WT, Somatic mosaicism for the p.His1047Arg mutation in PIK3CA in a girl with mesenteric lipomatosis. Am J Med Genet A. 2014 Sep;164A(9):2360-4.
Sharma AA, Jen R, Brant R, Ladd M, Huang Q, Skoll A, Senger C, Turvey Se, Marr N, Lavoie PM. Hierarchical maturation o finnate immune defences in very preterm neonates. Neonatology. 2014; 106(1):1-9. doi: 10.1159/000358550. Epub 2014 Mar 6.
Mckinnon ML, Rozmus J, Fung SY, Hirschfeld AF, Del Bel KL, Thomas L, Marr N, Martin SD, Marwaha AK, Priatel JJ, Tan R, Senger C, Tsang A, Prendiville J, Junker AK, Seear M, Schultz KR, Sly LM, Holt RA, Patel MS, Friedman JM, Turvey SE. Combined immunodeficiency associated with homozygous MALT1 mutations. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014 May; 133(5): 1458-62, 1432.e1-7 doi:10.1016éj.jaci.2013.10.045. Epub 2013 Dec 12.
Tsang HH, Dolman PJ, Courtemanche DJ, Rassekh SR, Senger C, Lyons CJ. Prenatal Presentation of Fronto-orbital Congenital Infantile Fibrosarcoma: A Clinicopathologic Report. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2013 Jul 1;131(7):965-7.
Turvey SE, Leo SH, Boos A, Deans GD, Prendiville J, Crawford RI, Senger C, Conley ME, Tilley P, Junker A, Janz L, Azana R, Hoang L, Morton TL. Successful approach to treatment of Helicobacter bilis infection in X-linked agammaglobulinemia.J Clin Immunol. 2012 Dec;32(6):1404-8.
Gesundheit B, Parkin P, Greenberg M, Baruchel S, Senger C, Kapelushnik J, Smith C, Klement GL. The role of angiogenesis in the transformation of plexiform neurofibroma into malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors in children with neurofibromatosis type 1. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2010 Oct;32(7):548-53.
Gesundheit B, Klement G, Senger C, Kerbel R, Kieran M, Baruchel S, Becker L. Differences in vasculature between pilocytic and anaplastic astrocytomas of childhood. Med Pediatr Oncol. 2003 Dec;41(6):516-26.
Charoenkwan P, Senger C, Weitzman S, Sexsmith E, Sherman CG, Malkin D, Thorner PS. Significance of p53 expression in immature teratomas. Pediatr Dev Pathol. 2002 Sep-Oct;5(5):499-507.

Research

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Research Interest

Placental pathology
Pediatric renal neoplasms
Bone/soft tisue pathology

I am interested in exploring whether certain functional placental structures and their location and timing of development are factors in normal pregnancy outcome. Conversely, I am also interested in identifying specific placental development factors that are associated with poor pregnancy outcomes or long term health problems.

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Sinclair, Graham

PhD, FCCMG

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Associate Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Investigator, BC Children’s Hospital | Biochemical Geneticist, BC Newborn Screening Laboratory, BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre

Affiliation(s): BCCH/BCCHRI

Research and Scholarly Interests: Endocrinology, Metabolism & Nutrition, Genetics genomics proteomics and related approachesKnowledge translation

Clinical Interests:

gsinclair@cw.bc.ca

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Dr. Sinclair’s research interests focus on the laboratory diagnosis and pathophysiology of inborn errors of metabolism. This work is primarily translational in nature, using mass spectrometry approaches to apply basic research findings to the diagnosis, screening, and monitoring of patients with metabolic disorders. This work has included proteomic studies of murine models of lysosomal storage disorders for biomarker discovery and validation, along with population genetics studies of fatty acid oxidation variants and their potential clinical impact. Finally, the expansion of Newborn Metabolic screening in BC has provided a number of opportunities for the development of improved disease biomarkers and mass spectrometry-based diagnostic testing for rare diseases in BC.

Academic

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Academic Background

Fellowship (CCMG, Biochemical) University of British Columbia. 2007
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of British Columbia. 2004
PhD (Molecular Biology), University of Victoria. 2001
Bachelor of Science (Genetics), University of British Columbia. 1995

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Newborn screening
Inborn errors of metabolism
Fatty acid oxidation disorders
Mass Spectrometry
Aboriginal Health
Lysosomal storage disorders

Newborn screening is designed to identify infants with treatable rare disorders at birth in order to start therapies before the infants get sick. These disorders can lead to developmental disability, growth failure, liver disease, seizures, and even death if untreated. The investigation of potential new candidate disorders for screening, evaluation of new screening tests or improvement of existing methods, and the measurement of the long-term effectiveness of screening to improve health are all active aspects of my research.

We have a focus on disorders affecting the use of fats as an energy source and a variant of one of these disorders that is common to coastal BC First Nations. This variant is associated with an increased risk of infant death, but may also have benefits related to traditional diets.. Investigation of this variant will lead to a better understanding of its clinical impact and help to identify effective interventions.

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

CPT1a P479L Variant:
The carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1a) p.P479L variant has recently been found to be common in coastal First Nations communities in BC and also in aboriginal populations in Alaska, NWT, Nunavut, and Greenland. CPT1a is a central enzyme in fatty acid oxidation and is required for import of fatty acids into the mitochondrion to be utilized as an energy source. This variant (p.P479L) was first identified in individuals with symptoms suggestive of a fatty acid oxidation disorder and has been shown to decrease CPT1a activity in vitro. We have performed a population based retrospective study in BC to confirm that the variant is common to coastal communities and is associated with a small increased risk in sudden unexpected death in infancy. Similar results have been found in Nunavut and Alaska. There is evidence, however, that this variant is also associated with improved plasma lipid profiles and obesity markers in adults suggesting a selective advantage, possibly related to alterations in the regulation of enzyme activity. We are continuing to investigate both the potential harms and benefits of this variant through prospective studies with community participants and basic biochemical investigations using in vitro methods to better understand the biochemical and clinical implications of this common variant.GAMT Deficiency Screening:
Guanidinoacetate methyltransferase (GAMT) deficiency is an inherited disorder of creatine biosynthesis that leads to severe neurological complications in affected children. Treatment with supplemental creatine and other dietary restrictions has been shown to be effective when initiated early. This makes GAMT deficiency a potential candidate for newborn screening. We are investigating the carrier frequency for GAMT deficiency in BC to determine a theoretical disease incidence and evaluating the measurement of guanidinoacetate (GAA) in bloodspots as a potential approach to population-wide newborn screening for this treatable disorder.

Second-Tier Testing for Newborn Screening:
The performance of newborn screening programs can be defined by the positive predictive value (PPV) of the screening tests, a major component of which is the false positive rate. Traditional approaches to screening for some disorders have an unacceptable false positive rate, but attempts to minimize this rate by raising screening cutoffs can lead to increased false negative rates and the associated devastating outcomes of a missed case. We have developed a number of second-tier screening tests, sampled from the same original newborn screening bloodspot, as an approach to reduce false positive rates without negatively affecting the sensitivity of testing. Our work involves the development of a number of mass spectrometry-based testing approaches and evaluation of the performance impacts of these tests in routine use. To date, we have implemented second-tier testing for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD) and have methods in development for Propionic Acidemia (PA), Methylmalonic Acidemia (MMA), and Homocystinuria (HCY).

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Laboratory based teaching

Tha, Susan

MD, PhD, LMCC, FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Assistant Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC

Affiliation(s): Vancouver General Hospital

Research and Scholarly Interests:

Clinical Interests:

susan.tha@vch.ca

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Academic

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Academic Background

PhD, Physiology, McGill University, Montreal. 1987
MD, University of British Columbia. 1976
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, University of British Columbia. 1972-1976
Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia. 1970-1972
Faculty of Arts, Simon Fraser University. 1968-1970

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

van Niekerk, Dirk

MB, ChB, (Univ Of Pritoria, South Africa), Mmed (Univ of Stellenbosch), FFPath (South African College of Medicine), LMCC, FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Assistant Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Cervical Cancer Screening Program Medical Leader, BC Cancer Agency

Affiliation(s): BC Cancer Agency

Research and Scholarly Interests: Cancer

Clinical Interests:

dvanniek@bccancer.bc.ca

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Dirk van Niekerk’s research while affiliated with BC Cancer Agency

Academic

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Academic Background

FFPath, Anatomy, South African College of Medicine. 1989
Mmed, Anat Pathology, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch. 1989
MBChB, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa. 1982

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

The role of spectroscopy in cervical cancer screening. Participating in a PO1 study with the Cancer Imaging department of BC Cancer Agency and the MD Anderson Cancer Institute in Houston, TX. Along with Dr. Matisic we are the Vancouver Pathologists who evaluate the cervical biopsies for this project. We have also evaluated the role of the molecular markers p16 and Ki67 in the objective classification of cervical dysplasia. Co-author of two peer reviewed articles from this project.
Molecular markers in invasive cervical cancer. Constructed a tissue microarray of invasive cervical carcinomas from patients diagnosed in Leipzig, Germany. Partly supervised a Post Graduate student (Dr. Hamid Masoudi) in evaluating various cell cycle proteins and proliferation markers in the prognosis of cervical carcinoma. First author of a peer reviewed paper that was submitted for publication (Am J Surg Pathol). Senior Author on another paper soon to be admitted. Senior author of a platform presentation, presented at the 2004 USCAP meeting in Vancouver by Dr. Masoudi.
The automation of cervical cancer screening. Was a member of the committee to evaluate the FocalPoint automatic screener in the Cervical Cancer Screening Program. A report detailing the findings has been issued. There was also a poster presentation highlighting our findings at the 2003 BC Cancer Agency Research day.
Anal cancer screening. Conducted a trial with the HIV centre for excellence at St. Pauls hospital, evaluating anal cancer screening by cytology. A total of 400 patients were enrolled. Two anal smears were submitted on each patient (one self sampled). The project is complete and the findings are being documented. At least two peer reviewed papers are expected from this study.
Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) in urine cytology specimens. Did a preliminary assessment of the FISH assay (Vysis corp.) for urine specimens. Literature search showed promising results. Discussion with clinicians (Dr. Martin Gleave at VGH in particular) identified that the high cost of the assay and the relatively low cost of cystoscopies in BC will severely limit the use of this technology in BC.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing in cervical cancer screening

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Vercauteren, Suzanne

PhD, MD, FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC

Affiliation(s): BCCH/BCCHRI

Research and Scholarly Interests: Blood research, Cancer, Clinical Applied Research

Clinical Interests:

svercauteren2@cw.bc.ca

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Dr. Suzanne Vercauteren is a hematological pathologist at BC Children’s Hospital, who obtained her MD and PhD at the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands. She did her residency in hematological pathology at the University of British Columbia. She is the Director of BC Children’s Hospital BioBank as well as the Chair of the Childhood Cancer and Blood Research BioBank at BC Children’s Hospital. She participated in a “Permission to Contact” study with Dr. Peter Watson and is interested in increasing engagement and participation of pediatric patients in research studies.

Academic

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Academic Background

Certification in Hematological Pathology, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. 2008
Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Exam Part I, Medical Council of Canada. 2002
Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Exam, Medical Council of Canada. 2001
PhD, University of Utrecht. 2003
MD, University of Utrecht. 1999
MSc, University of Utrecht. 1997
BSc, University of Utrecht. 1977

Awards and Recognition

Publications

PUBMED

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Research areas of interest:

Biobanking and public education and engagement in research participation

Research Themes:

Maternal & Fetal Health

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Yeung, Wilson

MBBS (Univ of Hong Kong), FRCPA, FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Assistant Professor, UBC | Medical Director, Division of Hematopathology, Laboratory Medicine & Pathology Program; Hematopathologist

Affiliation(s): Abbotsford Regional Hospital

Research and Scholarly Interests: Blood research, Cancer, Morphologic hematology, Thrombosis and hemostasis

Clinical Interests:

wilson.yeung@fraserhealth.ca

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Academic

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Academic Background

MB, BS, University of Hong Kong. 1986

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Aplastic Anemia following Administration of a Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha Inhibitor. European Journal of Haematology. 2003.
Cheng FY, Tsui WM, Yeung WT, Ip LS, Ng CS. Intravascular lymphomatosis: a case presenting with encephalomyelitis and reactive haemophagocytic syndrome diagnosed by renal biopsy. Histopathology. 1997 Dec;31(6):552-4.
The Spectrum of Chronic Lymphoproliferative Disorders in Hong Kong. A Prospective Study. Leukemia 1997; 11:1964-1972.
Systemic presentation of malignant small round-cell solid tumor simulating acute leukemia. International Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. 1996; 3:233-238.

Research

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Research Interest

Morphologic hematology
Thrombosis and hemostasis

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Young, Sean

PhD DABMG FCCMG FACMG

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Associate Professor, UBC, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine | Molecular Geneticist, Cancer Genetics and Genomics Laboratory, BC Cancer

Affiliation(s): BC Cancer

Research and Scholarly Interests: Molecular monitoring of response to targeted cancer therapy, New test development

syoung@bccancer.bc.ca

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Dr. Young is currently a Clinical Molecular Geneticist in the Cancer Genetics Laboratory, BC Cancer. He completed his undergraduate studies in Biochemistry at the University of Waterloo (1992), a Master’s degree in Chemistry (Laurentian, 1995) and doctoral studies at the University of Ottawa in human molecular genetics/biology under the supervision of Dr Robert Korneluk (2000). Following his doctoral studies Dr. Young was certified as a Clinical Molecular Geneticist by both the American Board of Medical Genetics (ABMG, 2005) and the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists (CCMG, 2006).

As a Clinical Molecular Geneticist, Dr. Young has been involved in the results interpretation and reporting of the bulk of molecular genetic tests stemming from CGL. His main interests lie in molecular genetic service delivery, molecular monitoring, and the development/adoption of new tests and testing paradigms.

Academic

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Academic Background

PhD, University of Ottawa. 2000
MSc, Laurentian University. 1995
BSc, University of Waterloo. 1992

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Molecular Genetic Service Delivery: He is involved in the interpretation and reporting of molecular genetic tests, focusing on the delivery of these services in a clinical setting.
Molecular Monitoring: Monitoring and analyzing molecular genetic data for patient care and research purposes.
Development and Adoption of New Tests: Working on creating and implementing new molecular genetic testing methods and paradigms.
Cell Biology: He has extensive expertise in cell culture techniques, specifically with mouse and human cells, including EBV-mediated immortalization of cells isolated from peripheral blood, cell transfection, and infection.
Protein Biochemistry: Proficient in various biochemical techniques, including reporter gene expression analysis, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, recombinant protein expression, and protein electrophoresis

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Au, Nicholas

MD, FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Assistant Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine | Medical Director, Transfusion Medicine Laboratory

Affiliation(s): BCCH/BCCHRI

Research and Scholarly Interests: Blood Research, Childhood Disease, Pediatric Hematopathology, Pediatric Transfusion Medicine

Clinical Interests:

nau2@cw.bc.ca

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Academic

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Academic Background

FRCPC. 2008-present
Licenced to practice in British Columbia (College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC). 2008-present
MD, University of British Columbia. 2002
BSc (Immunology), McGill University. 1998

Awards and Recognition

Publications

ResearchGate

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

My research focuses on improvement of transfusion medicine practices, particularly as they apply to pediatric patients, childhood disease, pediatric hematopathology, pediatric transfusion medicine

Clinical Service

Current Projects

Neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (NAIT) is a blood disease in newborns which develops when the pregnant mother produces antibodies that destroy the newborns’ platelets. According to current guidelines, NAIT should be treated by transfusing a certain type of platelets (HPA-1a negative platelets). However, the availability of HPA-1a negative platelets is limited. I am currently conducting a study to determine if transfusion with random donor platelets is effective in treating NAIT.

Red blood cells are frequently transfused in acute care institutions for the management of anemia, however research has shown that approximately 30% of red cell transfusions may be inappropriate. Red blood cells are derived from voluntary human donors and represent a precious medical resource. Transfusions also carry risks to the recipient, some of which may lead to morbidity and even mortality. I am participating in a quality study to assess the appropriateness of medical red cell transfusions.

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Bosdet, Ian

PhD, FCCM

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Associate Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Clinical Molecular Geneticist, BC Cancer Agency

Affiliation(s): BC Cancer Agency

Research and Scholarly Interests: Cancer Genomics, Bioinformatics, Sequence-based Diagnostic and Predictive Test Development, Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Biology

Clinical Interests:

ibosdet@bccancer.bc.ca

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My clinical and research interests lie in the fields of cancer genetics and bioinformatics and where they intersect. I have particular interest in the application of second-generation sequencing for clinical diagnostic and predictive testing. My primary areas of focus are 1) the development of sequence-based testing for genes associated with hereditary cancers and 2) biomarker testing and discovery in non-small cell lung cancers.

Twitter https://twitter.com/ianbosdet

Plus.Google https://plus.google.com/+IanBosdet

Academic

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Academic Background

Children’s & Women’s Health Centre of British Columbia, CCMG Molecular Genetics Fellowship. 2012 – 2014
PhD, Genetics, UBC. 2001-2008;
BSc, Microbiology and Immunology, UBC. 1991 – 1995

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Dr. Bosdet, Ian PUBMED

Selected Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Cancer Genomics, Bioinformatics, Sequence-based Diagnostic and Predictive Test Development, Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Biology

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Daw, Zohra

MD, FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Associate Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Hematopathologist, Nanaimo Regional General Hospital Laboratory

Affiliation(s): Nanaimo Regional General Hospital

Research and Scholarly Interests: Blood research, Molecular Pathology and Cell Biology

Clinical Interests:

Zohra.Daw@viha.ca

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Professional Biography: Dr. Daw is hematopathologist at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital Laboratory and Clinical Assistant Professor of Pathology at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC. Dr. Daw obtained her medical degree from Tripoli University where she was honored with the top ten student scholarship award to complete her post graduate studies. In 2001, She obtained her Medical Council of Canada exams, and then enrolled in the hematopathology residency training program at Ottawa Hospital/ University of Ottawa. She obtained her FRCPC degree in Hematological Pathology in 2005 and then went on to a two year Transfusion Medicine fellowship program at the University of Ottawa/ Queens University and Canadian Blood Services. Dr. Daw joined LifeLabs hematology department from 2007 to 2015. Since 2015 she is a hematopathologist at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital Laboratory.

Academic

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Academic Background

Transfusion Medicine Fellowship, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. 2007
Fellow, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (Hematological Pathology). 2005
MBBch Medicine, Tripoli University. 1991

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss in a 33 year-old Woman. Zohra Daw, Ruth Padmore, Amy Chung, J. Cote, Melanie Tokessy, G. Tawagi, Janis Bormanis, and Antonio Giulivi. Lab Medicine. June 2010: Volume 41 Number 6, page 325-28.
Hemolytic transfusion reactions after administration of intravenous immune (gamma) globulin: a case series analysis Zohra Daw, Ruth Padmore, Doris Neurath, Nancy Cober, Melanie Tokessy, Diane Desjardins, Bernhard Olberg, Alan Tinmouth, and Antonio Giulivi. Transfusion. 2008:Volume 48 Issue 8, Pages 1598 – 1601
False positive HIV-1 test result in blood donors. Z.Daw, P. Lesley, V. Scalia, Canadian Blood Services, Ottawa, ON, Canada; M. Bigham, Canadian Blood Services, Vancouver, BC, Canada. CSTM Abstract 2007.
Laboratory testing and decision making for massive blood transfusion: The Kingston general hospital experience. Z.Daw, A M. Smith, T.Lively, L. Shepherd, Kingston General Hospital, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada. CSTM Abstract 2007.
A case report of a pregnancy involving anti-inb and factor v leiden. Z Daw, A Chung, J Cote, M Tokessy, G Tawagi, J Bormanis, A Giulivi1. The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Canadian Blood Services, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Vox Sanguinins. 2007;vol 93:supp 1. pages 178-179
Hemolytic transfusion reactions following administration of intravenous gammaglobulin. Z. Daw, R. Padmore, M. Tokessy, N. Cober, D. Neurath, D. Desjardins, B. Olberg, A. Tinmouth, A. Giulivi. Division of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital. ISBT Abstract & oral presentation 2007. Vox Sanguinins. 2007;vol 93:supp 1. pages 45-46
Adverse hemolytic transfusion complications associated with intravenous immune globulin (IVIG). D. Neurath, Z. Daw, M. Tokessy, N. Cober, B. Olberg, D. Desjardins, A. Giulivi. Transfusion 2006-vol 46:SP382;159A
Human T cell lymphotropic Virus Type I- associated Adult T cell Leukemia/ Lymphoma in the Inuit people of Nunavut: Simone Fahim, Robert Prokopetz, Robert Jackson, Carolyn Faught, Anne E. McCarthy, Anton Andonov, Michael Coulthart, Zohra Daw, Bernhard Olberg, Antonio Giulivi, and Ruth Padmore. CMAJ 2006:175(6);579-581.
Adverse Hemolytic transfusion complications associated with intravenous immune globulin (IVIG). Z. Daw, D. Neurath, M. Tokessy, N. Cober, B. Olberg, D. Desjardins, A. Giulivi. Abstract CSTM 2006.
Prognostic marker, ZAP -70 expression in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: Preliminary Flow Cytometry Analysis Dr. Zohra Daw, Dr. Ruth Padmore, A. Giulivi, Michel Leduc. The Acharya Research Award for University of Ottawa annual Research day 2007.

Research

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Research Interest

General hematopathology include neoplastic and non-neoplastic hematopathology. I have a great interest in blood and bone marrow morphology and hemoglobinopathies.

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Purych, Dale

BSc, MD (Univ of Alberta), LMCC, CCFP, FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Clinical Assistant Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC | Director – Fraser Health Medical Microbiology

Affiliation(s): Royal Columbian Hospital

Research and Scholarly Interests: Infectious Diseases and Immunology Microbiology

Clinical Interests:

dale.purych@fraserhealth.ca

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Academic

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Academic Background

MD (Honours in Research), University of Alberta, Edmonton. 1992
BSc (Distinction), Microbiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton. 1988

Professional Qualifications

Fellowship in the College of Family Physicians of Canada. November 4, 2006
Registered Medical Practitioner in the Province of British Columbia. (Aug 1, 1998), College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia.
Certification Examination in Medical Microbiology, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. 1998
Registered General Practitioner in the Province of Alberta, Aug 1, 1994, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (retired)
Medical Microbiology Residency Program, University of Alberta Hospitals Medical Microbiology Laboratory and Provincial Laboratory of Public Health for Northern Alberta University of Alberta. July 1994 – June 1998
Qualifying Examination Part II (MCCQE II), Medical Council of Canada. 1994
Certification Examination in Family Medicine, the College of Family Physicians of Canada. 1994
Family Medicine Residency, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta. June 1992 – June 1994
Qualifying Examination Part I (MCCQE I), Medical Council of Canada. 1992

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Selected Publications

Skowronski DM, Hottes TS, McElhaney JE, Janjua NZ, Sabaiduc S, Chan T, Gentleman B, Purych D, Gardy J, Patrick DM, Brunham RC, De Serres G, Petric M. Immuno-epidemiologic correlates of pandemic H1N1 surveillance observations: higher antibody and lower cell-mediated immune responses with advanced age. J Infect Dis. 2011 Jan 15;203(2):158-67.
McKay R, Vrbova L, Fuertes E, Chong M, David S, Dreher K, Purych D, Blondel-Hill E, Henry B, Marra F, Kendall P, Patrick D. Evaluation of the Do Bugs Need Drugs? program in British Columbia: Can We Curb Antibiotic Prescribing? The Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology. Spring 2011, volume 22 Issue 1: 19-24.
Skowronski DM, Hottes TS, Janjua NZ, Purych D, Sabaiduc S, Chan T, De Serres G, Gardy J, McElhaney JE, Patrick DM, Petric M. Prevalence of seroprotection against the pandemic (H1N1) virus after the 2009 pandemic. CMAJ. 2010 Nov 23;182(17):1851-6. Epub 2010 Oct 18.
Li D, McKay R, Purych D, Patrick DM. Update on Antibiotic Resistance in British Columbia. BC Medical Journal (BCMJ), May 2010, 52(4):226.
Patrick DM, Purych D, Blondel-Hill E, Fuertes E, Vrbova L, Dreher K, Marra F. How British Columbia physicians can address antibiotic resistance. British Columbia Medical Journal, October 2008, 50(8):443-44.
Gourishankar S, Doucette K, Fenton J, Purych D, Kowalewska-Grochowska K, Preiksaitis J. The use of donor and recipient screening for toxoplasma in the era of universal trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis. Transplantation. 2008 Apr 15;85(7):980-5.
Tomblin J, Purych D, Bonham T. Schistosomiasis: Current Issues. Clinical Microbiology Proficiency Testing Newsletter, CMPT Connections, Fall 2007, 11(3):2-4.
Guidelines for Infection Prevention and Control in the Physician’s Office. BC Centre for Disease Control. Reviewer. 2004.
Taylor DE, Ge Z, Purych D, Lo T, Hiratsuka K. Cloning and sequence analysis of two copies of a 23S rRNA gene from Helicobacter pylori and association of clarithromycin resistance with 23S rRNA mutations. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1997 Dec;41(12):2621-8.
Purych DB, Perry IL, Bulawka D, Kowalewska-Grochowska KT, Oldale BL. A case of Cyclospora infection in an Albertan traveller. Can Commun Dis Rep. 1995 May 30;21(10):88-91. English, French.

Research

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Research Interest

Infectious Diseases

Research Projects carried out from 1988:

Retrospective review of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in a tertiary care institution over a ten year period. Supervisor: Dr. G. Taylor, Infection Control Unit, University of Alberta Hospitals, Edmonton, Alberta.
Toxoplasma gondii in heart, lung heart/lung, liver, and renal transplant populations. Supervisors: Dr. K. Kowalewska-Grochowska, Dr. J. Preiksaitis, Microbiology Laboratory, University of Alberta Hospitals, Edmonton, Alberta.
Sequence analysis of 23S rRNA of clarithromycin susceptible and resistant isolates of Helicobacter pylori from related family members. Supervisor: Dr. D.E. Taylor, Dept. of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta.
Effects of extracellular hormones on the replication of the duck Hepatitis B virus. Summer student research project: June to August 1990. Supervisor: Dr. D.L.J. Tyrrell, Dept. of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta.
Side effects of 2’, 3’-dideoxynucleoside treatment in Pedking ducks with duck Hepatitis B. Summer student research project: June to August 1989.
Purification and characterization of a urease from Ureaplasma urealyticum. Summer student research project: May to August 1988. Supervisor: Dr.
J.A. Robertson, Dept. of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Alberta.

Clinical Service

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

Teaching activities are generally grouped into four general areas:

Hospital and community Medical Microbiology laboratory and general hospital laboratory education rounds. Presented to the technical and professional staff on range of topics, eg. pandemic influenza, SARS, Listeria, MALDI-TOF, etc.
Presentations to hospital or community laboratory groups outside of the laboratory setting, eg. Medicine rounds, committee education sessions, journal clubs, pharmacy, etc. Topics include antibiograms, hand hygiene, resistant organisms, etc.
Presentations at organized meetings and conferences, eg. AMMI-Canada annual conference, BCSLS Congress, Fraser Health education days, etc.
Interactions with UBC medical students and residents, eg. yearly Host Defenses and Immunity (HDI) laboratory for the first year medical students, electives with Medical Microbiology Residents and medical students at Royal Columbian Hospital, participation on the Medical Microbiology Residency Training Committee, consultations/interaction with the clinical teaching unit (CTU) residents at Royal Columbian Hospital.

Schaeffer, David

MD, FRCPC

Academic Rank(s): Associate Professor, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UBC | Co-director of Pancreas Centre BC and holds the Pancreatic Cancer Research Chair at Vancouver General Hospital.

Affiliation(s): VGH/VCHRI

Research and Scholarly Interests: Pancreatic and Colorectal Cancer. GI Pathology. NGS (Next-Generation Sequencing) and IHC (Immunohistochemistry)

Clinical Interests: diseases of the pancreas and colon, particularly pancreatic and colorectal cancer

David.Schaeffer@vch.ca

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Dr. David Schaeffer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and serves as the Head of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Vancouver General Hospital. He specializes in gastrointestinal pathology with a focus on pancreatic and colorectal cancers. Dr. Schaeffer completed his medical degree at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, followed by a residency in Anatomical Pathology in Vancouver and a gastrointestinal pathology fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. He is also the co-director of Pancreas Centre BC and holds the Pancreatic Cancer Research Chair at Vancouver General Hospital, actively engaged in translational research to improve diagnostics and treatments for pancreatic and colorectal cancer.

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Academic Background

University of Toronto, Clinical Fellow. 2011-2012
The University of British Columbia, Anatomical Pathology – Resident. 2006-2011
The University of British Columbia, Postdoctoral Fellow. 2004-2006

Awards and Recognition

Publications

Research

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Research Interest

Dr. David Schaeffer’s research primarily focuses on translational studies in pancreatic and colorectal cancers. His work involves applying advanced pathological techniques to improve the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of these diseases. Dr. Schaeffer is particularly interested in the molecular mechanisms that underpin cancer development and progression, aiming to translate these findings into practical diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. As the co-director of Pancreas Centre BC and the Pancreatic Cancer Research Chair at Vancouver General Hospital, he collaborates closely with other researchers and clinicians to bridge the gap between laboratory findings and clinical application, enhancing patient care and treatment outcomes

Current Projects In My Lab Include

Teaching

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Teaching Interest

As discipline lead for gastrointestinal pathology at Vancouver General Hospital, Dr. Schaeffer is actively involved in training programs for both medical students and residents.