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Meet seven scientists shaping the future of child health research at SickKids
Summary:
On the International Day for Women and Girls in Science we celebrate the scientific contributions of seven women from each SickKids research program.
At The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) scientists are leading advances across every area of child health research. On the International Day for Women and Girls in Science, we’re celebrating their contributions and work to drive better understanding, treatments and outcomes for children everywhere.
Among the events happening across the institution this day is a special mini-symposium hosted by the Women in STEM inclusion group at SickKids, a space for people who identify as women at all levels of the organization who engage, or are interested, in science, including research, clinical practice, learning and the support systems that make these essential services possible.
Chaired by Dr. Christine Bear, Senior Scientist in the Molecular Medicine program and Co-Director of the Cystic Fibrosis Centre, and with opening remarks from Dr. Lisa Robinson, Staff Physician, Senior Scientist in the Cell & Systems Biology program and Dean of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, the event features representatives from each of SickKids’ seven research programs to highlight their ongoing scientific contributions to child health.
Meet the speakers
Cynthia Hawkins
Senior Scientist, Cell & Systems Biology & Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre
Division Head, Pathology
Dr. Cynthia Hawkins’ research is devoted exclusively to paediatric brain tumours, which are the leading cause of cancer-related death in childhood. By examining what drives these tumours at the epigenetic and molecular level, Hawkins hopes to leverage research discoveries into new therapies for children with the most lethal tumours, like paediatric high-grade astrocytoma (pHGA) and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).
- Julie Bennett, et al. A population-based analysis of the molecular landscape of glioma in adolescents and young adults reveals insights into gliomagenesis. Nature Cancer.
- Logine Negm, et al. The landscape of primary mismatch repair deficient gliomas in children, adolescents, and young adults: a multi-cohort study. The Lancet Oncology.
- Arun Kumaran Anguraj Vadivel, et al. The proteomic landscape of diffuse midline glioma highlights the therapeutic potential of non-histone protein methyltransferases. Neuro-Oncology.
Deborah O’Connor
Senior Associate Scientist – Status only, Translational Medicine
Dr. Deborah O’Connor evaluates the nutritional requirements and optimal feeding strategies for vulnerable infants, with a particular interest in how human milk feeding can be optimized and supported for the unique nutritional needs of these infants. As part of this research, O’Connor co-leads the MaxiMoM program, home to studies that seek to improve the nutrition and outcomes of infants born at a very low birth weight.
- Alison Mildon, et al. Hospital formula supplementation postbreastfeeding initiation, neighborhood economy, and race. JAMA Pediatrics.
- Sara Shama, et al. Mother’s milk microbiota is associated with the developing gut microbial consortia in very-low-birth-weight infants. Cell Reports Medicine.
- Sara Shama, et al. From parent to progeny. Cell Host & Microbe.
Jayne Danska
Senior Scientist, Genetics & Genome Biology
Associate Chief, Faculty Development and Diversity
Anne and Max Tanenbaum Chair in Molecular Medicine
Dr. Jayne Danska leads multi-disciplinary projects applying genetic, genomic and immunologic analysis to define the mechanisms underlying autoimmune disease, particularly Type 1 diabetes (T1D), the molecular mechanisms of acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL). Rates of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases are on the rise, often disproportionately affecting females, and Danska’s team is working to improve their diagnosis, prevention and treatment.
- Quin Xie, et al. Immune responses to commensal bacteria are associated with treatment response and time to diabetes diagnosis in anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody diabetes prevention trial. Science Translational Medicine.
- Alessandra Granato, et al. Analysis of early childhood intestinal microbial dynamics in a continuous-flow bioreactor. Microbiome.
- Quin Yuhui Xie, et al. Metabolic dysfunction associated with alterations in gut microbiota in adolescents with obesity. Diabetes.
Ji-Young Youn
Scientist, Molecular Medicine
Dr. Ji-Young Youn studies specialized subcellular compartments, called biomolecular condensates, that regulate cellular processes and govern their ability to deal with stress. Using proteomics, genomics and cell biological tools, the Youn lab investigates how dysregulated biomolecular condensates contribute to health conditions and how they could inform novel strategies to understand and treat neurodegenerative disorders and cancer.
- Karl Schreiber, et al. Exploring options for proximity-dependent biotinylation experiments: Comparative analysis of labeling enzymes and affinity purification resins. Journal of Proteome Research.
- Sean Millar, et a. A new phase of networking: the molecular composition and regulatory dynamics of mammalian stress granules. Chemical Reviews.
- Jennifer Ward, et al. Mapping C. difficile TcdB interactions with host cell-surface and intracellular factors using proximity-dependent biotinylation labeling. mBio.
Madeline Hayes
Scientist, Developmental, Stem Cell & Cancer Biology
Dr. Madeline Hayes is working to better understand the biology underlying aggressive paediatric solid tumours, such as neuroblastoma and sarcomas. Using preclinical models, the Hayes Lab hopes to identify systems that can accelerate the discovery of genetic mechanisms and therapeutic targets ready to be moved from the lab bench to the bedside.
- Madeline Hayes, et al. DNA damage response deficiency enhances neuroblastoma progression and sensitivity to combination PARP and ATR inhibition. Cell Reports.
- Alex Weiss, et al. A syngeneic spontaneous zebrafish model of tp53-deficient, EGFRviii, and PI3KCAH1047R-driven glioblastoma reveals inhibitory roles for inflammation during tumor initiation and relapse in-vivo. eLife.
- Ivette Valencia-Sama, et al. SHP2 inhibition with TNO155 increases efficacy and overcomes resistance of ALK inhibitors in neuroblastoma. Cancer Research Communications.
Samantha Anthony
Senior Scientist, Child Health Evaluative Sciences
Dr. Samantha Anthony’s research centres around evidence-based interventions for adaptation and quality of life for children with chronic conditions, especially those who have undergone solid organ transplantation. A cornerstone of the Anthony Lab is to meaningfully engage patients and families in the research process to inform the development and adoption of such interventions into clinical practice.
- Jia Lin, et al. A qualitative account of mothers of pediatric heart transplant recipients’ experience at a pilot mindfulness-based retreat: Insights for implementation. Journal of Pediatric Psychology.
- Samantha Anthony, et al. User-centered design and usability of Voxe as a pediatric electronic patient-reported outcome measure platform: Mixed methods evaluation study. Journal of Medical Internet Research Human Factors.
- Samantha Anthony, et al. The iPeer2Peer mentorship program for adolescent thoracic transplant recipients: An implementation-effectiveness evaluation. Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation.
Sheena Josselyn
Senior Scientist, Neurosciences & Mental Health
Tier One Canada Research Chair in Circuit Basis of Memory
Dr. Sheena Josselyn explores how the brain encodes, stores and uses information with a particular focus on how memories form and are retrieved in the brain using “engrams”. In the Josselyn Frankland lab, scientists are uncovering how neurons form engrams and how they change over time, with implications for a range of conditions including autism spectrum disorder and Alzheimer’s disease.
- Sungmo Park, et al. Molecular mechanisms mediating engram ensemble retrievability state in mice. Neuron.
- Sylvie Lesuis, et al. Stress disrupts engram ensembles in lateral amygdala to generalize threat memory in mice. Cell.
- Emily Kramer, et al. Examining the three-dimensional spatial architecture of mouse amygdala engram ensembles. Hippocampus.