Dr. Kasmintan Schrader received her medical degree from the University of Melbourne (2003), and completed her residency in Medical Genetics at the University of British Columbia, Canada. Dr Schrader undertook the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Clinician Investigator Program to undertake graduate studies in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine to investigate the association between germline mutations in CDH1 and lobular breast cancer. Her PhD work evolved to include use of next-generation sequencing technology to identify Mendelian disease genes.
She was subsequently awarded a Canadian Institutes of Health and Research training award to pursue her interests in using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology to determine novel susceptibility genes in familial colon cancer as a research fellow at MSKCC. Dr Schrader utilized NGS to co-discover PAX5 as a novel susceptibility gene to Pre-B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She has also utilized NGS to analyze DNA of multiple primary tumors in parallel with the germline DNA and successfully determined the underlying cancer susceptibility in the patient. In addition to looking for novel susceptibility genes, in view of the rapid sequencing advances in oncology, Dr. Schrader’s research involves assessing the scope and impact of incidental findings identified in the course of next generation sequencing in the research and clinical setting.
Dr Schrader has published on methodology to allow reproducible methods to determine the medical actionability of genes and has co-led a pilot study assessing the safety and efficacy study of receiving genome sequencing results. Dr. Schrader has the requisite technical experience to evaluate variant calls generated from next generation sequencing data and with board certification in Medical Genetics in both Canada and the U.S.. Dr Schrader is an active member of the Personalized OncoGenomics Policy and Ethics working group that has helped to develop a process for return of germline findings from whole genome sequence data generated at the time of tumor sequencing.
Dr Schrader collaborates on several projects looking at return of this type of information and has the expertise to interpret the clinical significance of incidental findings beyond those primarily associated with cancer.Her clinical genetics specialist training makes her ideally positioned to consider and answer questions regarding the return of incidental genetic information identified throughout the course of massively parallel sequencing projects.
Furthermore as co-Medical Director of the BC Cancer agency’s Provincial Hereditary Cancer Program, Dr Schrader is well-positioned to understand the impact of these findings on the public healthcare system.
Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar
Clinical-Scientist, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Genetics, The University of British Columbia
Clinical Geneticist, Hereditary Cancer Program, BC Cancer Agency
Affiliated Investigator, Pancreas Centre BC
Affiliated Investigator, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute
Associate Member, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Co-Medical Director, Hereditary Cancer Program, BC Cancer Agency
Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Genetics
Staff Physician, Hereditary Cancer Program, BC Cancer Agency
Scientist, Department Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Centre