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Cancer

Project Leader(s): 

Postdoctoral fellow: Dr. Raluca Eftimie, Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University Lead faculty member: Dr. Jonathan Bramson, Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University

Cancer emergence and progression are highly complex processes characterized by interactions among a large variety of cells and signalling molecules. It is very difficult to explain these complex interactions through linear thinking and molecular reductionist approaches. Mathematical modeling is a powerful tool that can substantially enhance our capacity for interpreting the data and generate new hypotheses.

Project Leader(s): 

Postdoctoral fellow: Dr. Paul Nguyen, Division of Biostatistics, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Lead faculty member: Dr. Patrick Brown, Division of Biostatistics, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto

This project aims to develop methods and software for performing spatio-temporal analysis of cancer incidence and smoking data in Ontario over long time periods with high spatial resolution. This will allow changes of cancer incidence over time to be better understood, and accommodate rare cancers that require long study periods in order to accumulate data. Because of small counts common to small area analysis, computationally intensive Bayesian inference methods will be needed.

Project Leader(s): 

Postdoctoral Fellow: Dr. Daniel Flores-Tapia, Department of the Mathematics, University of Manitoba

Lead faculty member: Dr. Kirill Kopotun, Department of the Mathematics, University of Manitoba

Non-academic participants: 

Breast Microwave Radar is a promising new technology for breast cancer detection. Nevertheless, current image formation methods face issues that limit the use of this technology in clinical scenarios. The goal of this project is to use mathematical modeling and analysis to develop a novel image formation method for breast microwave radar suitable for use in realistic breast imaging settings. This technique will be capable of generating accurate and high contrast images for a specific patient in real time.

Project Leader(s): 

Postdoctoral Fellow: Dr. Yildiz Yilmaz, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto

Lead faculty member: Dr. Shelley Bull, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto

The objective of the project is to develop, evaluate and apply informative statistical methods to the task of identifying novel genes/pathways involved in breast cancer recurrence. A model for time to cancer recurrence using clinical, pathological, and molecular measures in the setting of high-dimensional genome-wide genetic scans will be developed that allows for a proportion of the patients to be long-term survivors.

Project Leader(s): 

Dr. Jack A. Tuszynski , University of Alberta

Project team: 
Dr. Thoms Hillen, (University of Alberta)
Dr. Gerda de Vries, (University of Alberta)
Dr. Michael Y. Li, (University of Alberta)
Dr. D. Peter Tieleman, (University of Calgary)
Dr. Lukasz Kurgan, (University of Alberta)
Dr. Eric Cytrynbaum, (University of British Columbia)
Dr. Stephane Portet, (University of Manitoba)
Dr. Siv Sivaloganathan, (University of Waterloo)
Dr. Roderick Melnik, (Wilfrid Laurier University)
Funding period: 
July 1, 2021 - March 31, 2021
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Project Leader(s): 

Dr. Shelley Bull, University of Toronto

Project team: 
Dr. Rafal Kustra, University of Toronto
Dr. David Tritchler, University of Toronto
Dr. Gerarda Darlington, University of Guelph
Dr. Celia Greenwood, University of Toronto
Dr. Kenneth Morgan, McGill University
Dr. Jinko Graham, Simon Fraser University
Dr. Brad McNeney, Simon Fraser University
Dr. J.C. Loredo-Osti, Memorial University of Newfoundland
Dr. Joseph Beyene, University of Toronto
Funding period: 
February 25, 2022 - March 31, 2021

Complex traits, such as susceptibility to diabetes, cancer or tuberculosis, which vary in human and natural populations, are determined by multiple genetic and environmental factors that interact with one another in complicated ways. This interaction depends upon population characteristics as well as characteristics of the individual and the family.

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