Early detection and treatment is key to a favourable prognosis in cancer. Our primary research interest is in understanding the events leading to cancer progression, which is thought to be driven by cumulative genetic alterations affecting a small number of genes. Identification of these genes, especially those altered in early stage disease, would provide novel targets for diagnosis and treatment. We develop and use whole genome approaches for tracking mutations in order to identify critical changes in disease progression. To understand the effects of causal genetic alterations, we monitor changes in gene expression profiles associated with disease progression.
Our research focuses on:

1. Lung, oral, breast and prostate cancers: Identifying genes and pathways disrupted in cancer progression.
2. Lymphoma genetics: As part of the BCCA Centre for Lymphoid Cancer, we map recurrent chromosomal breakpoints for gene discovery and monitor gene expression changes associated with disease progression.
3. Genome comparison technology development: In order to study early stage disease, we develop a variety of new genomic technologies and computational tools suitable for genome-wide integrative analysis of the genome, methylome and transcriptome of minute clinical specimens.
4. Epigenomics: In addition to genomic alterations, we are investigating the epigenomic changes that parallel cancer progression.

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Our laboratory was established in May 1998 with assiatance from funds generously provided by the  Lotte and John Hecht Memorial Foundation.