Experimental Oncology
This Division performs laboratory-based research concerned with the basic mechanisms of cancer and the clinical applications of basic cancer research.
Twelve of our principal investigators, along with six associated members, work within the Cross Cancer Institute, and an additional four, along with three associated members are located in the Katz building on the main campus of the University of Alberta.
Academic Staff supervise graduate students and medical residents, and teach in the undergraduate M.D. program, in graduate level courses in Oncology, and in graduate and undergraduate courses in related disciplines (Immunology, Biochemistry, Physics, Experimental Hematology). There are currently 29 graduate students and 12 post-doctoral fellows in Experimental Oncology.
Our principal investigators perform basic scientific research and translational (bench-to-bedside) research in molecular oncology, cellular oncology, radiobiology, chemotherapy and imaging. Their work involves a variety of academic disciplines, including cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry, developmental biology, immunology, and pharmacology. Research interests include:
- Molecular analysis of breast cancer, brain tumours, melanoma, pediatric cancers and blood cancers
- Mechanisms underlying the repair of DNA damage caused by ionizing radiation and chemotherapeutic drugs
- Cell adhesion, cell migration and metastatic spread
- Epigenetics of cancer
- Tumour suppressor genes
- Tumour targeting viruses as cancer therapeutic agents
- Computational biology approaches to drug discovery
- Cell cycle regulation
- Membrane transporters and their role in drug transport and resistance
Principal Investigators
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Dr. Vickie Baracos |
Muscle atrophy in cancer associated cachexia |
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Dr. Kristi Baker |
Anti-tumor immunity; genetic instability; colorectal cancer |
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Dr. Gordon Chan |
Mitotic cell cycle checkpoint and cancer |
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Dr. YangXin Fu |
Signaling pathways and gene regulation in ovarian cancer and therapeutics |
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Dr. Armin Gamper |
DNA damage response: radiation biology |
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Dr. Spencer Gibson |
Understanding the cell survival and cell death signaling in the lymphatic system and leukemias |
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Dr. Roseline Godbout |
rgodbout@ualberta.ca |
Cancer as a developmental disease; retinoblastoma; brain tumors |
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Dr. Michael Hendzel |
Nuclear components; DNA damage response; chromatin-based epigenetic mechanisms |
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Dr. Mary Hitt |
Oncolytic viruses; adenovirus replication; gene regulation; RNA interference; gene therapy |
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Dr. Ismail Ismail |
Targeting the DNA damage response in B cell malignancies |
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Dr. John Lewis |
Translational prostate cancer research; nanoparticles, novel therapeutics, in vivo imaging |
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Dr. Lynne Postovit (Adjunct Professor) |
Environmental control of normal and cancer stem cell plasticity |
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Dr. Wilson Roa |
Nono-carrier platforms for therapeutic applications; image guided radiotherapy |
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Dr. Michael Sawyer |
Cell biology, cell signaling and cancer, drug transporters |
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Dr. Ralf Schirrmacher |
Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry, development of PET imaging agents for neuro- and cancer imaging, medicinal chemistry and drug development |
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Dr. Jack Tuszynski (Adjunct Professor) |
Computational biophysics; rational drug design; pharmacokinetics |
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Dr. Alan Underhill |
Transcription factors in melanoma; gene regulation & epigenetics |
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Dr. Michael Weinfeld |
Detection and repair of DNA damage |
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Dr. Frank Wuest |
Probe development for molecular imaging of cancer |
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