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Brief Biography

Dr. Sylvain Baruchel is a Clinician Investigator in the Division of Haematology/Oncology (Department of Paediatrics) and Senior Associate Scientist in the Research Institute at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto. Dr. Baruchel is a Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Baruchel received his MD degree in 1977 from the Rene Descartes University in Paris and was recruited to the Haematology/Oncology Division at the Montreal Children's Hospital in Canada in 1988 where he was Director of the Sickle Cell/Thalassemia Comprehensive Care Programs and Medical Coordinator of the Hematology/Oncology In-Patient Unit.

In 1996 Dr. Baruchel was recruited to The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto where he is currently Director of the New Agents and Innovative Therapies Program and a member of the Solid Tumour Section in the Division. Dr. Baruchel is the Principal Investigator for the Institution's participation in the Phase I consortium of the Children's Oncology Group (COG) and he is Chair of the Angiogenesis Subcommittee of the Developmental Therapeutics Committee of COG. Dr. Baruchel is currently Chair of the Haematology/Oncology Scientific Review Board in the Division.

Dr. Baruchel's clinical/research interests are in the area of experimental therapies in children with cancer and serious blood disorders with a particular focus on Phase I/II studies. In addition to his scientific interests, Dr. Baruchel developed and led the innovative Tip of the Toes Foundation, an organization dedicated to the promotion of outdoor expeditions and other nature-oriented experiences for children and adolescents with cancer in order to foster their self-esteem and self-confidence. In the summer of the 2000 the expedition sponsored a millennium project "Life is Beautiful" that brought teenagers with cancer from across the country to Nunavut with the final destination being Ellesmere National Park.

Research Interests

• Clinical pharmacology
• Phase I & Phase II clinical trials

Research Activities

Clinical research, paediatric oncology, Phase I angiogenesis and signal transduction inhibitor-related research. Clinical pharmacology, nutritional pharmacology, glutathione-related drug resistance and immunodeficiency, new agent and pharmacology, and clinical trial methodology.

External Funding

A Phase II Study of Vinblastine Sulphate Injection in Children with Current or Refractory Low Grade Glioma. Bouffet E, Shroff M, Noseworthy M, Baruchel S (Co-Principal Investigator), Hargrave D, Foreman N, Cairney E: Ontario Cancer Research Network

Phase II Study of low dose Temodal and Radiation in newly diagnosed Brain Stem Glioma: A Canadian Brain Tumour Consortium Study. Baruchel S, Bouffet E: Brain Child (2003 - 2004)

To improve infrastructure for pediatric cancer clinical trials. Pappo A, Malkin D, Devine S, Baruchel S, Hitzler H, Silva M, Barr R, Halton J, Jardine L, Bouffet E: OCRN (2005 - 2010)

Palliative chemotherapy versus supportive care alone for end-of-life care in pediatric cancer: measuring parents' and healthcare professionals' preferences. Sung L, Capra M, Volpe J, Gammon J, Baruchel S, Bouffet E, Hinds P, Barrera M, Llewellyn-Thomas H, Greenberg M: NCIC (2005 - 2008)

New surrogate markers of angiogenesis in pediatric brain tumors. Baruchel S, Bartels U, Hawkins C, Stempak D, Bouffet E, Abdelhaleem M, Doyle J: Brain Child (2006 - 2008)

COG Phase 1 referrence laboratory for antiangiogenic clinical trials ADVL0314 , ADVL413, ADVL 613

PI COG phase 1 Consortium for The Hospital For Sick Children 2005-2010

Publications

Stempak D, Seely D, Baruchel S: Metronomic dosing of chemotherapy: applications in pediatric oncology. Cancer Investigation 2006: 24(4): pp 432-43.

Baruchel S: Low-Dose Metronomic Chemotherapy: Myth or Truth? Onkologie 2006: 29: pp 305-307.

Lau L, Supko JG, Blaney S, Hershon L, Seibel N, Krailo M, Qu W, Malkin D, Jimeno J, Berstein M, Baruchel S: A Phase I and Pharmacokinetic Study of Ecteinascidin-743 (Yondelis) in Children with Refractory Solid Tumors. A Children's Oncology Group Study. Clinical Cancer Research 2005: 11(2 Pt 1): pp 672-7.

Das B, Yeger H, Tsuchida R, Torkin R, Gee MF, Thorner PS, Shibuya M, Malkin D, Baruchel S: A hypoxia-driven vascular endothelial growth factor/Flt1 autocrine loop interacts with hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha through mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 pathway in neuroblastoma. Cancer Research 2005: 65(16): pp 7267-75.

Barrera M, D'Agostino N, Gammon J, Spencer L, Baruchel S: Health-related quality of life and enrollment in Phase 1 trials in children with incurable cancer. Pallative and Supportive Care 2005: 3(3): pp 191-6

Gee M F, Tscuhida R, Das B, Eichler-Jonsson C, Baruchel S, Malkin D: Vascular endothelial growth factor acts in an autocrine manner in rhabdomyoscarcoma cell lines and can be inhibited with All-trans-retinoic acid. Oncogene 2005: 24(54): pp 8025-37.

Lau L, Baruchel S: "Can Canada sustain paediatric oncology phase I trials?" A national survey of cancer relapse in children. Canadian Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2005: 12(3): pp 222-8.

Stevens B, Yamada J, Epstein I, Bilodeau M, Baruchel S: Adventure Therapy for Adolescents with Cancer. Pediatric Blood and Cancer 2004: 43 (3): pp 278-84.

Das B, Yeger H, Koren G, Freedman MH, Baruchel S: In vitro cytoprotective activity of squalene in a bone marrow versus neuroblastoma model of cis-platinum toxicity: its implications for pediatric cancer chemotherapy. European Journal of Cancer 2003: 39 (17): pp 2556-65

Hargrave D, Gammon J, Bouffet E, Becker L, Rutka J, Baruchel S: Response to low dose temozolomide in radiation induced gliomatosis cerebri. Medical and Pediatric Oncology 2003: 41 (6): pp 562-4.