Research Recipients - Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada

Muhammadvaseem Shaikh – 2022/2023 DUNN with Cancer Brain Tumour Research Fellowship

Muhammadvaseem Shaikh Postdoctoral Research Fellow at McMaster University, Hamilton, ON Project Entitled: “Allogeneic, “off-the shelf” CD133 CAR-T immunotherapy for Glioblastoma” […]

Sami Alrashed – 2022 Studentship Recipient

Sami Alrashed – Medical Student, University of Windsor Supervisor: Dr. Lisa Porter Project: “Uncovering activation and plasticity of tumour microenvironment […]

Daniel Mobilio – 2022 Studentship Recipient

Daniel Mobilio – Undergraduate Science Student, McMaster University Supervisor: Dr. Sheila Singh Project: “Uncovering novel small molecule drugs that prevents/blocks […]

Leandra Desjardins/Marco Bonanno – 2021 Pediatric Feature Grant Recipients

Leandra Desjardins / Marco Bonanno – Sainte-Justine Children’s Hospital Project Title: “Targeted transition readiness workshops for pediatric brain tumour survivors: […]

Cynthia Hawkins – 2021 Pediatric Feature Grant Recipient

Cynthia Hawkins – Hospital for Sick Children Project Title: “Investigating treatment targets in the DIPG immune landscape using single cell technology” […]

Xian Wang – 2021/2022 DUNN with Cancer Brain Tumour Research Fellowship

Xian Wang Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON Project Entitled: “Targeted mechanical ablation of Glioblastoma […]

Chantel Cacciotti – 2021 Research Grant Recipient

Funded through the generosity of donors Chantel Cacciotti – London Health Sciences Centre- Children’s Hospital – London, ON Project Title: “Pediatric […]

Daniel Schramek – 2021 Research Grant Recipient

Generously funded by Lori Stauber Daniel Schramek – Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute – Toronto, ON Project Title: “Elucidating the genes that trigger […]

Mary Jane Lim-Fat – 2021 Research Grant Recipient

Funded through the generosity of donors Mary Jane Lim-Fat – Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre – Toronto, ON Project Title: “Assessing molecular, […]

Andrew Beharry – 2021 Research Grant Recipient

Generously Funded by the DUNN with Cancer Research Fund Andrew Beharry – University of Toronto, Mississauga, ON Project Title: “Predicting Temozolomide […]

Rolando Del Maestro – 2021 Research Grant Recipient

Generously funded by an anonymous research fund Rolando Del Maestro – Neurosurgical Simulation and Artificial Intelligence Learning Centre, McGill University Montreal, […]

Alan Nichol – 2021 Research Grant Recipient

Generously funded by an anonymous research fund Alan Nichol – BC Cancer Project Title: “The Relationship between Magnetic Resonance Imaging White […]

Adrian Levine – 2021 Richard Motyka Research Fellowship Recipient

Adrian Levine Resident Physician, Neuropathology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver General Hospital Project Entitled: “Improving Precision Medicine for Pediatriac Glioma” […]

Aiyireti (Dina) Dilinaer – 2021 Studentship Recipient

Aiyireti (Dina) Dilinaer Undergraduate Science Student, University of Windsor Supervisor: Dr. John Trant Project: “Self-Immolative NanoCapsule – A New Form […]

Yujin Suk – 2021 Studentship Recipient

Yujin Suk Medical Student, McMaster University Supervisor: Dr. Sheila Singh Project: “Identification of ITGA5 as a novel immunotherapeutic target against […]

Leonaes Brahel Tatchinda Kuete – 2021 Studentship Recipient

Leonaes Brahel Tatchinda Kuete Undergraduate Science Student, McGill University Supervisor: Dr. Leandra Desjardins Project: “Understanding Social Behaviors in Pediatric Brain […]

Sheila Singh – 2020 Feature Grant Recipient

Project Title: “Targeting Glioblastoma Recurrence with anti-ROBO1 Immunotherapy”

Amit Singnurkar – 2020 Feature Grant Recipient

Project Title: “Mapping of Essential Amino Acid Metabolism for the Detection of Glioblastoma Multiforme Spread in Post-Surgical Patients”

David Fortin – 2020 Feature Grant Recipient

David Fortin - Universite de Sherbrooke - Project Title: “Radioisotope Embedded in GlioTrap for Glioblastoma Treatment”.

Phedias Diamandis – 2020 Feature Grant Recipient

Project Title: “Development of deep learning approaches for deciphering and targeting intra-tumoural heterogeneity in Glioblastoma”

John Trant – 2020 Feature Grant Recipient

Project title: “A universal drug delivery vehicle to transport drugs across the blood-brain barrier to target Glioblastoma”

2020 William Donald Nash Brain Tumour Research Fellowship Recipient

2020 William Donald Nash Brain Tumour Research Fellowship Recipient Nicholas Mikolajewicz Postdoctoral Researcher Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research University […]

Arun Parmar – 2020 Studentship Recipient

Arun Parmar is entering his fourth year of Health Sciences at McMaster University. What does receiving this award mean to […]

Peter Liu – 2020 Studentship Recipient

Peter Liu is a second-year Medical Sciences student at Western University in London, Ontario. What are you studying/specializing in? I […]

Sara Elkashef – Research Fellow – 2019

Dr. Sara Elkashef, University Health Network. Project Title: "Radiation-immunotherapy combination treatment for glioblastoma: improving the therapeutic ratio"

Janet Ellis – 2019 Feature Grant Recipient

Janet Ellis, University of Toronto. Project Title: “Evaluating the Impact of Dignity Therapy on Quality of Life in Patients with Brain Tumour: A Pilot Study”

Derek Tsang and Fiona Schulte – 2019 Feature Grant Recipients

Derek Tsang and Fiona Schulte, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Project Title: “Prospective Quality-of-Life Study of Children Treated with Repeat Radiotherapy for Brain Tumours (QoL-ReRT)”

Raymond Reilly – Research Grant – 2019

Raymond Reilly, University of Toronto. Project Title: “Radiation Nanomedicine for Intraoperative Treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM)”

Shane Harding – Research Grant – 2019

Shane Harding, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Project Title: “Radiotherapy-induced brain toxicity: A mechanistic basis and therapeutic opportunity”

Mehul Gupta – Studentship – 2019

Mehul Gupta is an Undergraduate Science Student at the University of Calgary. Project title: “The Perfect Shot: Generation of Personalized Vaccines for Refractory Childhood Brain Tumours”

Dr. Brent Guppy – Research Fellow – 2018

Dr. Brent Guppy, William Donald Nash Brain Tumour Research Fellow, University of Manitoba. Project Title: "Enhancing selumetinib-mediated killing of SHH medulloblastoma"

Pejman Jabehdar Maralani – Research Grant – 2018

Pejman Jabehdar Maralani, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Project Title: “Advanced magnetic resonance imaging for detection of tumour regions enriched with glioma stem cell niches”

Qi Zhang – Research Grant – 2018

Qi Zhang, London Health Sciences Centre. Project Title: “Discovering Lung Cancer Biomarkers Predictive of Brain Metastasis”

Di Zhu – Studentship – 2018

Di Zhu is an Undergraduate Science Student at the University of Toronto. Project title: "Targeting Obligate Pathways of Metastasis and Recurrence in Medulloblastoma”

Sabra Salim – Studentship – 2018

Sabra Salim is an Undergraduate Science Student at McMaster University. Project title: "Improving the safety of CAR-T cells using inducible caspase-9 safety switch”

Quin Xie – Research Studentship – 2018

Quin Xie is an Undergraduate Science Student at the University of Toronto. Project title: "Automated histopathologic classification of brain tumours”

Dr. Ugljesa Djuric – Research Fellow – 2017

Dr. Ugljesa Djuric, Richard Motyka Brain Tumour Research Fellow, University Health Network. Project Title: "Systematic proteomic profiling and subclassification of Glioblastoma”

Dr. Vijay Ramaswamy – Research Grant – 2017

Dr. Vijay Ramaswamy, Hospital for Sick Children. Projec: "Mechanisms of treatment resistance in supratentorial ependymoma"

Tommy Alain – Research Grant – 2017

Tommy Alain, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (CHEO RI). Project: "Characterization of a New Pharmaco-Viral Approach for the Treatment of Brain Cancer"

Thomas Klonisch – Research Grant – 2017

Thomas Klonisch, University of Manitoba. Project: "Novel minimally-invasive immune-proteome biomarker strategy for Glioblastoma"

Phedias Diamandis – Research Grant – 2017

Phedias Diamandis, University Health Network / Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Project: "The brAIn Project: biological rendering through Artificial Intelligence and neural networks"

Gelareh Zadeh – Research Grant – 2017

Gelareh Zadeh, Princess Margaret Cancer Center. Project: “Pimonidazole as a specific marker for hypoxia in glioblastoma and identification of marker genes associated with its uptake”

Oleksandra Kaskun – Studentship – 2017

Oleksandra Kaskun is an Undergraduate Science Student at University of Toronto. Project title: "Targeting Bevacizumb resistance via LIVE-mediated vascular mimicry in Glioblastoma"

David Bobrowski – Studentship – 2017

David Bobrowski is an Undergraduate Science Student at McMaster University. Project: "Co-expression of EphA2 &A3 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases Mark Brain Tumour Initiating Cell Population in Recurrent Human Glioblastoma”

Tae Hoon Lee – Studentship – 2017

Tae Hoon Lee is a Medical Student at University of British Columbia. Project: ”Proteomic profiling of low grade gliomas using a novel platform of mass spectrometry on formalin fixed paraffin embedded brain tumour tissue specimens”

Ashley Adile – Studentship – 2017

Ashley Adile is an Undergraduate Science Student at McMaster University. Project:"Small molecule inhibitors targeting self-renewal as a therapeutic option for recurrent childhood medulloblastoma"

Alexander Rodzinka – Studentship – 2017

Alexander Rodzinka is an Undergraduate Science Student at University of Windsor. Project: "Targeting Unique Aspects of Cell Cycle Signalling as Therapeutic Direction for Glioblastoma Multiforme"

Carolina Nor – Research Fellow – 2016

Carolina Nor, William Donald Nash Brain Tumour Research Fellow, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON. Project Title: "Rationale targeting of very high risk medulloblastoma of childhood"

Karl Narvacan – Studentship – 2016

Karl Narvacan is a Medical Student at the University of Alberta. Project: “Evaluation of nCounter technology in copy number variation analysis for the integrated classification and predictive prognosis of diffuse gliomas”

Matthew Dankner – Studentship – 2016

Matthew Dankner is a Medical Student at McGill University. Project: "Using patient-derived xenograft models to identify mediators of brain metastasis in diverse cancers"

Colin Maslink – Studentship – 2016

Colin Maslink is a Medical Student at the University of Toronto. Project: "Targeted therapeutic disruption of the blood-brain barrier in childhood brainstem cancers"

Matias Mariani – Research Grant – 2015

Dr. Matias Mariani, Health Sciences North/Horizon Sante-Nord. Project: "Teleneuropsychology: Assessment and Intervention in High-Grade Primary Brain Tumours"

Paula Foster – Research Grant – 2015

Dr. Paula Foster, University of Western Ontario. Project: "Investigating the impact of radiation-induced damage on promoting metastatic tumour growth in the brain"

Lisa Porter – Research Grant – 2015

Lisa Porter, Associate Professor, Biological Sciences, University of Windsor. Project Title: "Optimizing Novel Therapies for Medulloblastoma"

Steven Selchen – Research Grant – 2015

Steven Selchen, Sunnybrook Research Institute. Project: "A Mindfulness-Based Intervention to Improve Quality of Life Among Brain Tumour Survivors"

Sebastian Perreault – Research Grant – 2015

Sébastien Perreault, CHU Sainte-Justine. Project: "Steady-state visual evoked potentials to assess visual function in children with optic pathway glioma: a new approach"

Andrea Lo – Research Fellow – 2015

Andrea Lo, Nazira Mamdani Brain Tumour Research Fellow. Project Title: Treatment approaches, outcomes and complications in adolescents and young adults of intracranial germ cell tumours

Bayan Aloran – Studentship – 2015

Bayan Aloran is a student at the University of Windsor. Project: “Evaluation of anticancer activities of alcoholic extract of long pepper in human neuroblastoma and glioblastoma cells”

Alexandre Corriveau – Studentship – 2015

Alexandre Corriveau is a student at the Universite de Moncton. Project: "Investigating non-coding RNA’s underlying temozolomide resistance in glioblastoma multiforme"

Omid Shearkhani – Studentship – 2015

Omid Shearkhani is a student at the University of Toronto. Project: "Developing and evaluating the performance of an automated computer-aided detection software for the follow-up of metastatic brain tumours"

Faran Rashid – Studentship – 2015

Faran Rashid is a student at the University of Northern British Columbia. Project: “Searching for Potential New Anti-Cancer Compound(s) Against Human Glioblastoma Cancer Cells from British Columbia Wild Mushrooms”

Daniel Huang – Studentship – 2015

Daniel Huang is a student at McGill University. Project: “Understanding Top1 biology in the treatment of malignant brain tumours”

Dr. Michael Taylor – Research Grant – 2014

Dr. Michael Taylor; Hospital for Sick Children. Project: "Unraveling intratumor heterogeneity in childhood medulloblastoma"

Dr. Sheila Singh – Research Grant – 2014

Sheila Singh, McMaster University. Project: "Therapeutic targeting of Sox2+ treatment-refractory stem cells in sonic hedgehog-dependent pediatric medulloblastoma"

Dr. Pejman Jabehdar Maralan – Research Grant – 2014

Dr. Pejman Jabehdar Maralani; University of Toronto. Project: "Quantitative blood oxygenation level dependent (qBOLD) MR imaging of glioblastoma multiforme for assessment of tumour hypoxia"

Dr. Ian Lorimer – Research Grant – 2014

Dr. Ian Lorimer; Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Project: "Targeting Glioblastoma tumour initiating cells via inhibition of fatty acid synthase"

Dr. John Kelly – Research Grant – 2014

Dr. John Kelly; University of Calgary. Project: "Combinatorial treatment of glioblastoma initiating cells with microglial cytokines and STAT3 inhibition"

Florence Cavalli – Research Fellow- 2014

Florence Cavalli, Stephen Buttrum Brain Tumour Research Fellow. Project Title: Deciphering the transcriptional regulation underlying Medulloblastoma subgroups.

Cathy Lee – Research Fellow – 2014

Cathy Lee, Richard Motyka Brain Tumour Research Fellow. Project Title: Myc- mediated cell extrinsic signaling in brain tumour progression

Thusyanth Vijaykumar – Studentship – 2014

Thusyanth is a biomedical sciences student at McMaster University. Project "Sox2 marks the treatment-refractory population on Shh-dependent medulloblastoma stem cells".

Samer Jasser – Studentship – 2014

Samer is a biology student at the University of Windsor. Project: Role of Spy1 in Neurogenesis; Implications in the Development of High Grade Glioma

Shriya Deshmukh – Studentships – 2014

Shriya Deshmukh is a neuroscience student at the University of Toronto. Project: "Novel clinical applications of THOR methylation in cancer"

Nadia Khan – Studentship – 2014

Nadia is a first-year medical student at Western University in London, ON. Project title: Vision-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Pituitary Tumours

Dr. Mark Ruschin – Research Grant – 2013

Dr. Mark Ruschin, Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre. Project: Comparison of healthy tissue sparing using different radiation delivery devices for focal irradiation of multiple brain metastases

Dr. Kevin Petrecca – Research Grant – 2013

Dr. Kevin Petrecca, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital. Project: "Development of novel therapeutics to prevent brain cancer invasion"

Dr. Aru Narendran – Research Grant – 2013

Dr. Aru Narendran, University of Calgary. Project: "A Virus to Kill by: Double-deleted Vaccinia virus (VVdd) as a novel therapeutic agent for a defiant pediatric brain tumour".

Dr. Sabine Mai – Research Grant – 2013

Dr. Sabine Mai, Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology. Project: "Characterization of ependymomas into favourable and non-favourable groups based on their 3D nuclear telomere profiles."

Dr. Slawomir Kumala – Research Fellow – 2013

Dr. Slawomir Kumala, William Donald Nash Brain Tumour Research Fellowship. Project Title: Combi-molecule, ZRBA1, as a novel molecular targeted therapy integrated with high dose rate ionizing radiation to treat malignant glioma tumours

Julie Poitras – Studentship – 2013

Julie Poitras is a BSc Biochemistry student at the Université de Moncton. Project: "Understanding temozolomide resistance in glioblastomas using a metabolomics-based approach"

Robyn Leah McClelland – Studentship – 2013

Robyn Leah McClelland is in the medicine program at the University of Manitoba. Project: "Investigating the role of selective pathway antagonists in highly self-renewing and invasive medulloblastoma subpopulations"

Branavan Manoranjan – Studentship – 2013

Branavan Manoranjan is a Medicine and Biochemistry/Biomedical Sciences student at McMaster University. Project: "The role of Wnt signaling in human medulloblastoma brain tumour-initiating cells"

Santo Spencer Briguglio – Studentship – 2013

Santo Spencer Briguglio is a Biochemistry and Biotechnology student at the University of Windsor. Project: "The Efficacy of Cdk Inhibitors as a Novel Therapeutic Approach for Medulloblastoma"

Rajas Tipnis – Studentship – 2013

Rajas Tipnis is in the BSC Honours program in Biological Sciences at the University of Manitoba. Project: "Inhibition of the DNA single strand break repair pathway in the treatment of malignant brain tumours"

Dr. Singhal – Research Grant – 2012

Dr. Ash Singhal, University of British Columbia. Project: "Targeting the Elimination of Brain Tumour Initiating Cells by disrupting the P13K pathways"

Thanh Binh Nguyen – Research Grant – 2012

Thanh Binh Nguyen, Ottawa Hospital. Project: "Diagnostic Accuracy of Perfusion and Diffusion MRI in Patients with Suspected Recurrent High Grade Gliomas"

Thierry M. Muanza – Research Grant – 2012

Thierry M. Muanza, Jewish General Hospital Segal Cancer Centre. Project: "Novel DNA damaging and anti-EGFR combi-molecule, ZR2003, to potentiate ionizing radiation in malignant glioma models"

Matthew Hebb – Research Grant – 2012

Matthew Hebb, Western University, London, Ontario. Project Title: "HSP27 as a New Molecular Target in Glioblastoma"

Karen Goddard – Research Grant – 2012

Karen Goddard, BC Cancer. Project: Feasibility Study: "Cerebrovascular disease and Late Effects in Survivors of Craniopharyngioma"

Spencer Gibson – Research Grant – 2012

Spencer Gibson, University of Manitoba. Project: "Targeting Bci-2 family members for treatment under hypoxia in glioblastoma multiforme tumours"

Paula Foster – Research Grant – 2012

Paula Foster, Robarts Research Institute. Project: "In Vivo MRI Characterization of Changing Blood-Tumour Barrier Permeability in a Mouse Model of Brain Metastasis"

Dr. Fortin – Research Grant – 2012

Dr. David Fortin, Universite de Sherbrooke. Project: "Characterization of the chemoresistance profiles of malignant gliomas - A step towards individualized treatments"

Dr. Zadeh – Research Grant – 2011

Dr. Gelarah Zadeh, University of Toronto. Project: "Identifying Molecular Therapeutic Targets for Bone invasive Meningiomas"

Dr. Rutka – Research Grant – 2011

Dr. James Rutka, Hospital for Sick Children. Project: "The role of dysregulated HGF/c-Met pathway signalling in medulloblastomas dissemination"

Dr. de Robles – Research Grant – 2011

Dr. Paula de Robles, a Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta, Research Project into glioblastoma

Dr. Ogilvie – Research Grant – 2011

Dr. Tamra Ogilvie, University of Manitoba. Project: "Comparing the stem cell properties of the most invasive and non-invasive malignant brain tumour cells."

Dr. Alan Nichol – Research Grant – 2011

Dr. Alan Nichol, BC Cancer. Project: "A Phase II study using 18F-FDOPA positron emission tomography for planning of neurosurgery and assessment of resection for high-grade gliomas"

Dr. Pier Jr Morin – Research Grant – 2011

Dr. Pier Jr Morin, University of Moncton. Project Title: "Understanding the Impact of tribbles proteins on glioblastoma development"

Dr. Jean-Claude Bertrand – Research Grant – 2011

Dr. Jean-Claude Bertrand, Royal Victoria Hospital/McGill University. Project: "Brain penetrability and in vivo potency of novel multi-targeted combi-drugs"

Dr. Abhijit Guha – Research Grant – 2011

Dr. Abhijit Guha, The Hospital for Sick Children (Sick Kids). Project: "The Aberrant Role of Peroxisomes in Malignant Glioma"