What’s new at the Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute?

In this alumni spotlight, we catch up with Alison Hirukawa, Ph.D., a former member of the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute (GCI), who has taken her research expertise and transformed it into a dynamic career in the biotech industry.

Inspired by a heart of gold and a passion for making a difference, 12-year-old Tamara Rojo decided to embark on a fundraising journey. After raising $100 for cancer research, she, accompanied by her proud father, recently visited the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute (GCI) to see firsthand the impact of her efforts.

Brown fat is specialized to undergo thermogenesis, a process where it burns energy. Our prior research has shown that creatine participates in an energy-wasting (futile) cycle within brown fat, and a key effector of this pathway is a protein named tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP).

My research focuses on brain metastases, which is when cancer cells spread to the brain. Particularly, I study the dynamic life of a cancer cell within the environment of a brain.

On June 15th, 2023, the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute welcomed this year’s speaker for the distinguished Phil Gold Lectureship in Cancer Research, Dr. Drew Pardoll.

My Ph.D. project examines the complexity of tumours. Tumours are made up of cancer cells, and these cancer cells can demonstrate different characteristics.

GCI alumnus Leo Shen reminisces on his time at the GCI in the lab of Prof. Jerry Pelletier, discusses what he is doing now as a medical student at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and researcher in a lab, and shares advice for the next generation of cancer researchers.

GCI alumnus Don White reminisces on his time at the GCI, discusses what he is doing now as the lead of a large portfolio of novel targets and compounds in a drug discovery and development pipeline at Cancer Research UK, and shares advice for the next generation of cancer researchers.

GCI alumnus Svetlana Sadekova reminisces on her time at the GCI, discusses what she is doing now as Executive Director, Discovery Oncology at Merck, and shares advice for the next generation of cancer researchers.