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SickKids researchers Drs. Cynthia Hawkins and Xi Huang elected to the Royal Society of Canada
Summary:
Drs. Cynthia Hawkins and Xi Huang earn one of Canada’s highest academic honours for their pioneering work in brain cancer research.
Two leading brain cancer researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Drs. Cynthia Hawkins and Xi Huang, have been elected to the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), one of the country’s highest academic honours.
The RSC is a national body of distinguished scholars from the arts, humanities, social sciences and sciences across Canada. Each year, the RSC recognizes individuals whose work has shaped these fields and contributed meaningfully to Canadian society. This year, Hawkins was elected a Fellow of RSC, a recognition reserved for individuals who have demonstrated outstanding achievement over the course of their career. Huang was named a Member of the RSC College, which honours leaders who are demonstrating high levels of achievement at an earlier career stage.
Together, their respective pioneering research into brain tumours are informing more personalized approaches to childhood cancer care that reflect SickKids’ commitment to Precision Child Health.
"I extend my warmest congratulations to Drs. Cynthia Hawkins and Xi Huang on this well-deserved recognition," says Dr. Stephen Scherer, Chief of Research. "Their research and discoveries are shaping how we understand and treat childhood brain cancers, and this recognition underscores their leadership on the global stage."
Dr. Cynthia Hawkins
Senior Scientist in the Cell & Systems Biology program, Principal Investigator in the Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre and Staff Neuropathologist in Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine
A clinician-scientist with deep expertise in paediatric neuropathology, Dr. Cynthia Hawkins has made significant contributions to glioma research in children, adolescents and young adults (AYA). Her work has been instrumental in shaping understanding of tumour development, from low-grade gliomas to more aggressive forms such as diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). In the Hawkins lab, her research team investigates the molecular drivers of these tumours, with recent work focusing on the molecular underpinnings of gliomas across paediatric and AYA populations. By studying the cancer genetic profiles of individuals, her team aims to improve diagnostic accuracy and develop safer, more targeted therapies for patients. Hawkins is also a Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto and holds the Garron Family Chair in Childhood Cancer Research.
Dr. Xi Huang
Senior Scientist in the Developmental, Stem Cell & Cancer Biology program, Principal Investigator in the Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre
Blending biophysics with cancer biology, Dr. Xi Huang explores how physical and chemical stimuli such as voltage, mechanical force and temperature impact tumour behaviour. His research team uses multi-disciplinary tools including electrophysiology, genetics, imaging and bioinformatics to uncover the mechanisms involved in tumour development and maintenance as well as new therapeutic targets. One area of focus for the Huang Lab is potassium ion channels and their influence on cancer cell states, tumour growth and spread, highlighted in a recent publication that found a genetic target for enhancing medulloblastoma treatment and developed a designer peptide to disrupt potassium channel complex to treat glioblastoma. His goal is to develop ion channel-targeting therapies as a more precise and effective approach to treating brain cancer. Huang holds a Canada Research Chair in Cancer Biophysics and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics at the University of Toronto.
The 2025 cohort of Fellows and Members will be formally inducted this November during the RSC's Celebration of Excellence and Engagement.