University of Guelph ICCI 2010 Cancer Research Symposium

June 3, 2010 9:00-5:00; Room 1714 LLC

Registered Attendees can pick up Name Badges and printed programs outside Room 1707C LLC Thursday June 3 starting at 8:30 am

Program and Final Schedule

Keynote Speaker:

Dr. Matthew Breen, PhD, C Biol, MI Biol

Professor of Genomics, Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University

"The Domestic Dog- A Genome with Two Tales"

The application of genomics to canine biomedical research has resulted in significant advances as we strive to enhance the health and welfare of our companions. Over that past several years we have recruited tumor tissues and blood samples from several hundred dogs presenting with a variety of cancers. At the same time we have generated a series of sophisticated molecular cytogenetic reagents and resources that complete the genomics ‘toolbox’, providing a means to interrogate tumor specimens for genomic organizational changes. We have demonstrated the presence of numerous cytogenetic signatures associated with cancer subtypes and that also are evolutionarily conserved with the corresponding cancers in humans. These data provide strong evidence for a shared pathogenetic origin of several cancers affecting both human and dog. Analysis of our data has revealed we are well on the way towards development of more sophisticated molecular sub-classification of canine (and maybe even human) cancers, a process that should facilitate the emergence of tailored therapies. We have identified genetic changes in canine lymphoma that are associated significantly with response to routine chemotherapy and that allow prediction of survival time. An overview of these studies will be presented.

 

Brief Biography

This year's keynote speaker is Dr. Matthew Breen, Professor of genomics at North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. A graduate of the University of Liverpool, Dr. Breen continued his postgraduate work with the Medical Research Council, U.K. where he developed improved laboratory techniques for the human genome mapping project, followed by four years as Head of the DNA group for the Australian Equine Blood Typing Research Laboratory in Queensland. Returning to the UK, Breen's laboratory then developed molecular cytogenetics reagents, resources and techniques for application to canine and equine genome mapping, comparative cytogenetics and cancer studies. In 2002, he moved to North Carolina State University, where his research interests continue to focus on genomics, genome mapping and the comparative aspects of canine cancer. His work is funded by the Morris Animal Foundation, the American Kennel Club and the USA National Institutes of Health. He has published over 100 peer reviewed scientific articles and has served on several scientific advisory committees associated with canine cancer, and is sought after as a scientific reviewer for numerous funding agencies and scholarly publications.

Dr. Breen is this year's Arthur Willis Distinguished Speaker