Children's Health Research Institute

Current Research Activities

Ongoing research in my lab focuses on (a) defining the functional important of DNA methylation changes in tumour formation in general and cancer metastasis in particular, (b) determining how cancer-causing compounds in the environment alter epigenetic patterns and contribute to tumour formation and (c) defining how these environmental pollutants alter epigenetic patterns and compromise embryonic development.

Research Team

At present my lab consists of a technician and bioinformatics specialist (Joe Andrews) and I co-supervise a PhD student (Kay Skrowonski) along with Dr Brenda Coomber at the University of Guelph.  A number of former trainees from my lab have gone on to medical school, as well as to further graduate work at academic institutions in Canada and the US (Princeton, Baylor and Toronto), and into industry (Myriad Genetics).

Future Research Plans

I have a long-term interest in understanding how cells respond at the molecular level to environmental stress.  Epigenetic processes are critically important to these responses and when these processes are impaired, embryonic development can be altered (leading to paediatric disorders) or cells can become uncontrollable (tumours can develop).  My research program has multiple foci, including studying epigenetic changes due to chemical exposure during Xenopus development (with Dr. Tom Drysdale) the evolutionary impact of epigenetic processes in cancer metastasis (with Dr. Ann Chambers), looking at epigenetic regulation of new blood vessels in response to hypoglycemia and hypoxia (with Dr. Brenda Coomber) and on the contribution of epigenetic factors in pancreatitis (with Drs. Chris Pin and Rashid Mehmood).