Emilia Antecka MD, PhD
Emilia.Antecka [at] mcgill.ca (Email)
Position: Chief Laboratory Technician
Origin: Bialystok, Poland
Research Focus:
IHC
Silvin Bakalian MD, PhD
sbakalian [at] hotmail.com (Email)
Position: PhD Graduate
Funding:
Origin: Syria
Research Focus:
NM23 in uveal melanoma.
Matthew Balazsi
matthew.balazsi [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Email)
Position: Masters Student
Funding:
Origin: Canada
Research Focus:
Telepathology
Paula Blanco, MD, Msc
paula.blanco [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Email)
Position: Post Doctoral Fellow
Funding:
Origin: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Research Focus:
Uveal Melanoma
Dominique De Souza, MD
dominique.faustodesouza [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Email)
Position: PhD Candidate
Funding:
Origin: Brazil
Research Focus:
Melanoma
Sebastian Di Cesare B.Sc, M.Sc, PhD
sdicesare [at] gmail.com (Email)
Position: Post Doctoral Fellow
Funding: The Helen Keller Foundation, The Cedars Cancer Institute
Origin: Montreal, Canada
Research Focus:
Uveal Melanoma is the most common primary malignant intra-ocular tumor in adults. Many patients (approximately 50%) initially diagnosed with uveal melanoma will end up developing and dying from liver metastasis 10-15 years later. It is therefore imperative to understand the genetic components of this tumor in order to recognize what makes the tumor cells in the eye “change” and become more aggressive in order to leave the eye and develop deadly growth at distant sites in the liver. The specific aims of my project are to extract archival genetic material from primary human uveal melanoma specimens that have been preserved in paraffin from previously enucleated eyes.
I study the development of genetic “signatures” used to identify common “up-regulations/down-regulations” of specific oncogenes within selected patient populations. We will hopefully be able to identify genetic and transcriptional differences between patients that have died from liver metastasis and those that have not. If we can identify these specific sets of differences between the two groups, novel targets will be identified in order to tailor specific treatments for people with uveal melanoma. In future, these tailored “targeted” treatments will either inhibit or delay the metastatic process in hopes of improving the overall survival time of uveal melanoma patients.
Dana Faingold MD
faingolddana [at] yahoo.com (Email)
Position: PhD Candidate
Funding:
Origin: Vaslui, Romania
Research Focus:
Heat-shock proteins in uveal melanoma.
Tamara Granner
tamara.granner [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Email)
Position: Masters Student
Funding:
Origin: Canada
Research Focus:
Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of vision loss among the elderly in developed countries. It occurs primarily in individuals over the age of 50. AMD is characterised as an abnormality of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and/or choroid leading to photoreceptor degeneration of the central retina (macula). My research focuses on the wet form of AMD, which is characterized by choroidal neovascularization. I am currently investigating the anti-angiogenic effects of a polyphenol present in virgin olive oil as well as the secretion of various pro-angiogenic cytokines from RPE cells in response to the treatment with this polyphenol.
Li-Anne Lim, BSc (Med), MBBS, MMed (Ophth Sc)
limlianne [at] gmail.com (
)
limlianne [at] gmail.com (Email)
Position: Research Fellow
Funding:
Origin: Sydney, Australia
Research Focus:
Histopathology
Patrick Logan B.Sc, M.Sc
hulklogan1 [at] hotmail.com (Email)
Position: PhD Student
Funding:
Origin: Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Research Focus:
Effects of blue light on a rabbit model of uveal melanoma.
Shawn Maloney B.ScH, M.SC, PhD
shawn.maloney [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Email)
Position: Post Doctoral Fellow
Funding: Mike Rosenbloom Ocular Pathology Fellowship Award
Origin: Cornwall, Ontario, Canada
Research Focus:
Retinitis Pigmentosa and Age-related Macular Degeneration
Tiffany Poraccio
tiffany.poraccio [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Email)
Position: Research Assistant
Funding:
Origin: Montreal, Canada
Research Focus:
Claudia Martins MD, M.Sc
cmartins_derm [at] hotmail.com (Email)
Position: PhD Student
Funding:
Origin: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Research Focus:
KISS1 in uveal melanoma.
Claire Trottier B.Sc., Ph.D.
claire.trottier [at] gmail.com (Email)
Position: Post Doctoral Fellow
Origin: Montreal
Research Focus:
I am working on the development of the Center for Advanced Training at the McGill University Health Center Research Institute. Specifically, I am assessing the training needs of graduate students in the biomedical sciences, and developing programs that address those needs.
