CE2C Team
Dr. Graham Dellaire (Dalhousie University)
CFI Team Leader
Dr. Graham Dellaire, Professor and Director of Research in the Department of Pathology at Dalhousie University, is an internationally known cancer cell biologist, microscopist, and expert in DNA repair and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. Dr. Dellaire obtained his Ph.D. in Experimental Medicine from McGill University, and completed postdoctoral training at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh Scotland, and the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario.
Dr. Dellaire joined Dalhousie University in 2007, as Cameron Scientist in Cancer Biology and a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) New Investigator. Dr. Dellaire was co-chair of the Cancer Research Training Program at Dalhousie University (2010-2018), is a member of the Centre for Genomics Enhanced Medicine (CGEM), and is a Senior Scientist of the Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institutes (BHCRI). He currently serves on the Editorial Board of the journal Chromosome Research, and is the co-editor and author of two books, "The Functional Nucleus" and "Cancer Genomics: From Bench to Personalized Medicine". To date his laboratory has published more than 80 research papers and has received over $4 million in research funding to study DNA repair and mechanisms of cancer development and chemotherapy resistance from agencies including: CIHR, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Prostate Cancer Canada, Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
Dr. Aaron Goodarzi (University of Calgary)
CFI Team Co-Leader
Dr. Goodarzi is the Canada Research Chair for Genome Damage and Instability Disease and is both the Education Lead and Microscopy Lead for the University of Calgary’s Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute. He obtained his PhD from University of Calgary in 2005 and trained as a post doctoral scholar at the Genome Damage and Stability Centre at the University of Sussex (UK) until 2010. In 2011, he opened his own laboratory at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine. In 2015, he was named one of Calgary's Top 40 Under 40 for achievements in science and education and, in 2016, was named a "Peak Scholar" by University of Calgary President Elizabeth Cannon for his efforts in knowledge engagement in the area of the health impact of radon gas inhalation.
Core Research Team Members
Dr. Wan Lam
University of British Columbia
Dr. Lam received his graduate training in Biochemistry at Dalhousie University with Dr. W. Ford Doolittle. As a post-doctoral fellow, he trained with Nobel Laureate Dr. Walter Gilbert at Harvard University. Dr. Lam returned to Canada in 1998 as a Senior Scientist in Cancer Genetics and Developmental Biology at the British Columbia Cancer Agency. Currently, he is Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, and a faculty member of the Interdisciplinary Oncology Program, at the University of British Columbia.
Dr. Lam’s primary research interest is in understanding the events leading to cancer progression. Early detection and treatment is key to a favorable prognosis in cancer. His laboratory has developed novel whole genome approaches for tracking genetic, epigenetic and gene expression changes in order to identify genes and pathways critical to cancer progression, and signatures for treatment response.
Dr. Brenner is a molecular cancer epidemiologist in the Departments of Oncology and Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary where he is currently the Armstrong Investigator in Molecular Epidemiology. He completed his PhD at the University of Toronto followed by a post-doctoral fellowship at the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization in Lyon France. His research is focused on the intersection of lifestyle, genetics and molecular pathways in the development of several cancers. Dr. Brenner is currently leading studies to examine the utility of biomarkers in the prediction of cancer risk. The team is also examining the impact of lifestyle (obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, poor nutrition) and environmental factors on relevant genetic and molecular pathways in colorectal, breast and lung cancer risk. Darren is also leading several national and international analyses of disease burden modelling in the oncology space.
Dr. Trevor Dummer
University of British Columbia
Trevor Dummer is an environmental epidemiologist and population health scientist with training in geographic information science (GIS). He is focused on how the environment influences health and has published 80 peer-reviewed papers in this field. His current work involves cancer prevention through community knowledge translation, especially related to environmental exposures. He is a member of the Centre of Excellence in Cancer Prevention, a unique collaboration between University of British Columbia (UBC) and the Canadian Cancer Society focused on vertical integration of researchers and practitioners to conduct scientific research that informs policy and practice for cancer control. Dr. Dummer had led several arsenic studies, including quantifying cancer risk in relation to arsenic levels around current maximum acceptable concentration levels and knowledge-to-action research identifying barriers to testing and remediation of arsenic in private wells. Current funded research connects population health, epigenomics, environmental exposures and risk assessment and communication.
