Dr. Fred Dick, Ph.D.


Children’s Health Research Institute
Scientist, Molecular Genetics Program


University of Western Ontario
Assistant Professor, Departments of Biochemistry, Paediatrics, and Oncology


Other Appointments
Scientist, London Regional Cancer Program


Contact Information
Tel: (519) 685-8620
Fax: (519) 685-8646
E-mail: fdick@uwo.ca
Web: www.biochem.uwo.ca/fac/dick/dick.html


Brief Biography

Dr. Fred Dick graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry in 1992. He continued his education at Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, New Hampshire, where received a Ph.D. degree in 1997. During this time, he studied the regulation of protein synthesis under the supervision of Dr. Bernard Trumpower. He was supported by Fellowships from the American Heart Association and the Albert J. Ryan Foundation. In 1997, Dr. Dick began post-doctoral research at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Centre and Harvard Medical School under the direction of Dr. Nick Dyson. His research focused on the regulation of cell cycle entry and its disruption in cancer. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the Medical Foundation of the Charles A. King Trust supported his research during this time.


Dr. Dick joined CHRI as a scientist and was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Biochemistry, Paediatrics and Oncology with the University of Western Ontario in August 2003. He is a Research Scientist of the NCIC and his lab’s research is currently funded by the CIHR and NCIC.


Research Interests

• Cancer Genes
• Cell Cycle
• Apoptosis
• Mouse Models of Cancer


Research Activities

Human cancer arises when normal cells become damaged and as a result reproduce uncontrollably.  These fast growing, abnormal cells can form large tumors at their place of origin.  In addition, individual cells can escape the primary tumor and begin to populate other tissues.  This process is known as metastasis.  In all cases one of the crucial events in the progression of normal cells to becoming cancerous is the loss of control of cell proliferation which means the rapid reproduction of similar cells.

Dr. Dick’s research seeks to better understand how RB operates cell growth and cell death control mechanisms.  Understanding how and when RB uses the cell death mechanism will create the opportunity to develop better cancer treatments.  This will include developing new methods to classify tumors to ensure the most appropriate treatments are selected.  In addition, understanding how RB controls cell death will allow for the creation of new drugs that specifically induce cell death and directly kill cancer cells.   

 

Awards and Recognition

Early Researcher Award in support of "Structure-Function Analysis of the Retinoblastoma Tumor Suppressor Protein in Cell Cycle Control and Oncogenesis"- Awarded by Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation

 

Canadian Cancer Society Research Scientist Award - Awarded by National Cancer Institute of Canada

 

Funding in support of "Defining Oncogenic Determinants in the Retinoblastoma Tumor Suppressor Protein II: Regulation of heterochromatin by the retinoblastoma protein in cell cycle control and cancer" - Awarded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research

 

Funding in support of "The Retinoblastoma Gene as a Genetic Risk Factor in Inherited Breast Cancer" - Awarded by Cancer Research Society

 

Funding in support of "London Strategic Training Initiative in Cancer Research and Technology Transfer" - Awarded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research


Publications

  1. Francis, S.M., Bergseid, J., Coschi, C.H., Hojilla, C., Isaac, C.E., Chakrabarti, S., DiMattia, G., Khoka, R., Wang, J.Y.J. and Dick, F.A. (2008).  A unique role for pRB in TGF-b induced growth arrest and mammary gland development.  In preparation
  2. Talluri, S., Isaac, C.E., Ahmad, M., Lee, S.A.,  Martens, A., Bremner, R., and Dick, F.A. (2008).  A senescence specific checkpoint mediated by the retinoblastoma protein.  In preparation
  3. Seifried, L. A., Talluri, S., Cecchini, M., Julian, L.M., Mymryk, J.S., and Dick, F.A. (2008).  E2F1 is resistant to E1A mediated displacement from pRB.  J. Virol. 82, 4511-20.
  4. Ritchie, K., Seah, C., Moulin, J., Isaac, C., Dick, F., and Berube, N.G. (2008).  The ATR-X syndrome protein associated with microcephaly is required for mitotic chromosome congression. J. Cell Biol. 180, 315-24.   
  5. Julian, L.M., Palander, O., Seifried, L.A., Foster, J.E.G. and Dick, F. A. (2008). Characterization of an E2F1 Specific Binding Domain in pRB and its Implications for Apoptotic Regulation. Oncogene. 27, 1572-9 advance online publication 24-Sept.-2007
  6. Binne UK, Classon MK, Dick FA, Wei W, Rape M, Kaelin WG Jr, Naar AM, Dyson NJ. (2007).  Retinoblastoma protein and anaphase-promoting complex physically interact and functionally cooperate during cell-cycle exit.  Nat Cell Biol.9:225-32.
  7. Balsitis S, Dick F, Dyson N, Lambert PF. (2006). Critical Roles for Non-pRb Targets of Human Papillomavirus Type 16 E7 in Cervical Carcinogenesis. Cancer Res. 66:9393-9400.
  8. Isaac CE, Francis SM, Martens A, Julian LM, Seifried LA, Erdmann N, Binne UK, Harrington L, Sicinski P, Berube NG, Dyson NJ, Dick FA. (2006). The retinoblastoma protein regulates pericentric heterochromatin. Mol Cell Biol. 26:3659-71.
  9. Dick FA, Dyson NJ. (2003). pRB Contains an E2F1 Specific Binding Domain that Allows E2F1 Induced Apoptosis to be Regulated Separately from other E2F Activities. Mol Cell. 12:639-649.