Victor Ling - Former Vice President, Discovery, BCCA

Welcome to the Cancer Genetics and Developmental Biology Home Page.

The fundamental concept that cancers progress via accumulation of multiple genetic abnormalities is widely accepted. Loss of genome stability and integrity in the affected cells is a hallmark of the multi-step process of cancer, which progressively leads to uncontrolled cell growth and metastasis. Our Department focuses on identifying genomic changes, and signaling and metabolic pathways associated with tumour progression. Current activities include:

1. Development and application of highly sensitive techniques to identify and track mutations in patient biopsies at the genome-wide level;
2. Identification of novel tumour suppressor genes and oncogenes associated with various cancer;
3. Elucidating the mechanism of signal transduction mediated by the extracellular matrix (ECM) particularly the family of integral plasma membrane receptors called integrin;
4. Investigating the family of energy dependent ATP-binding membrane transport proteins associated with chemotherapy resistance, hormone secretion and programmed cell death.

Model systems such as the mouse, the zebrafish, the nematode worm, and the fruit fly are used as a comparative approach to investigate normal developmental and molecular pathways implicated in the cancer process. This approach is highly informative as to how genetic mutations associated with malignant transformation override normal control mechanisms.

 Array CGH Laboratory

 The Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI)

 Interdisciplinary Oncology Program (IOP)

 UBC Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

 CIHR Training Program: Molecular Pathology in Cancer

 Victor Ling, Order of Canada

 Doug Hogue Obituary