Scientist and Lab Director

Current Positions
Laboratory Director, Tumour Biology Seminar Series Co-ordinator and Scientist, Northeast Cancer Centre, Health Sciences North/Horizon Santé-Nord, Sudbury, Ontario

Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario

Associate Professor, Program in Biomolecular Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario

Associate Professor, Division of Medical Sciences, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, Ontario

Education/Training
1993-1997 Visiting Fellow, National Institute of Dental Research, National Institutes of Health

1988-1994 Ph.D. McMaster University, Medical Sciences

1986-1989 M.Sc. McMaster University, Medical Sciences

1979-1984 B.Sc. University of British Columbia, Biochemistry

Research Investigations
Cell adhesion alters cellular signals and gene expression
Cell adhesion to the connective fibers that hold tissue together, called extracellular matrix, plays an important role in controlling how cells grow and specialize. These adhesive interactions are mediated by integrin adhesion molecules. One of the defining characteristics of cancer cells is that they show unusual cell adhesive interactions. We have shown that the adhesion of cancer cells and non-malignant cells to extracellular matrix activates specific cell signaling pathways that regulate gene expression, cell growth and cell differentiation. Further, adhesion of white blood cells, called monocytes, to extracellular matrix also activates cellular signals that increase the expression of genes associated with inflammation. Current work in the laboratory involves determining the role of the MAP kinase and protein kinase C signaling pathways in mediating cell activation following adhesion.

Prognostic indicators for women with breast cancer
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in Canadian women and in 2010 it is expected that there will be 23,200 new diagnoses.  Early diagnosis and improved anti-cancer treatments have improved life expectancies for women diagnosed with breast cancer. However, there is great variability in the clinical outcome among patients undergoing chemotherapy. In part, this has been related to genetic differences between individuals and in the genes that break down the chemotherapeutic drug or that repair the damage caused by treatment.  In collaboration with the Design, Measurement and Evaluation research group at the Sudbury Regional Hospital, we have been correlating genetic differences with the risk of being diagnosed with cancer or with the relative success of anti-cancer treatments. Genetic differences are measured as the incidence of “single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)” in patients which allow us to identify individuals with a specific DNA sequence. Our work has indicated that a specific DNA sequence for a detoxification enzyme (called NAT2) can increase the risk of breast cancer for patients who smoke.   We have also shown that patients with breast cancer that have a DNA sequence that indicates an effective DNA repair pathway do not respond as well to chemotherapy that damages DNA.

Evaluation of alternate therapy approaches in the treatment and control of cancer
The most common forms of anti-cancer treatment, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, target rapidly growing cells but also cause significant damage to normal cells resulting in unpleasant side effects. In addition, many patients are using alternate therapies and natural health products as new products are developed and marketed even though the efficacy and mechanisms of action of these compounds are unknown. Current research in our laboratory is involved in evaluating the mechanisms of action of alternate therapeutics, including exposure to magnetic fields and treatment with various plant extracts. We have shown that exposure of cancer cells to a specific time-varying magnetic field can inhibit their growth and ability to form tumours in mice while not having significant effects on non-cancerous cells. Similarly, treating cancer cells with flax seed oil caused them to die while non-cancerous cells are not killed at similar doses. Further, herbal preparations with a history of traditional use, such as the South American plant, Cats Claw, as well as some Northern Ontario flora have been shown to inhibit specific signaling pathways and are involved in promoting cancer cell death. These studies are done in collaboration with Dr. Pablo Cano at the Sudbury Regional Hospital, Drs. Michael Persinger and Eduardo Galliano at Laurentian University, and Dr. Mamdouh Abou-Zaid at the Sault Ste. Marie Forestry Centre. 

Jordana Fera, Alison Buckner, Rob Lafrenie and Carly Buckner