Page 2 - Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre Annual Report 2023 to 2024

ABOUT THE BTRC
The BTRC is located in the Peter Gilgan Centre for Research
and Learning (PGCRL) on the 17th floor. We now have over 160
personnel working within the Labatt BTRC. This includes all master’s
and PhD students, post-doctoral fellows, research assistants and
associates, and Principal Investigators. Our space on the 17th floor
of the PGCRL comprises a balance of office and wet lab bench
spaces for conducting scientific studies. We also enjoy the friendly
“neighbourhood” space, enabling individuals from the 16th–18th
floors to discuss ongoing science and research projects. The Labatt
BTRC played host to numerous invited scholars and scientists last
year. Our academic lectureship program is becoming the envy of
brain tumour centres worldwide.
2 2 IMAGINE 2023-24
Introduction DR. JAMES RUTKA
I am pleased and proud to provide you with this year’s introduction to the Annual
Scientific Report of the Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre (BTRC). We have had, once
again, a highly productive and memorable year characterized by numerous successes,
honours and awards. All Principal Investigators have garnered numerous multi-year
grant awards and have published their work in the best scientific journals. Students and
researchers from around the world, including Italy, China, France, Japan, Ukraine, and
the United States, continue to join us for advanced training in the lab. We celebrated the
11th Annual Mike and Dianne Traynor Lectureship in Neuro-Oncology, and our lecturer
was Dr. Antonio Iavarone from the University of Miami. Our 26th Annual Labatt BTRC
Academic Lecturer was Dr. Sheila Singh from McMaster University.
Cynthia Hawkins and her lab group published on the immune-oncologic profiling of
paediatric brain tumours with clinical significance in Nature Communications; Peter Dirks
published on the differentiation of human hindbrain stem cells which recapitulate granule
neurogenesis in Development; Annie Huang and colleagues published on the use of a
rapid, economical diagnostic classification of ATRT molecular subgroup using Nanostring
nCounter platform in Neuro-Oncology Advances; Vijay Ramaswamy and colleagues
published on medulloblastoma subgrouping in Cancer Cell; Uri Tabori and his lab published
on the surveillance recommendations for DNA replication repair deficiency syndromes in
children and young adults in Clinical Cancer Research; Xi Huang and his lab identified a
novel peptide against the EAG2-Kvb2 potassium channel targets to treat glioblastoma and
published in Nature Cancer; Sean Egan and colleagues published on elevated expression
of RhoC promoting ErbB2- and Pik3Ca-induced mammary tumour formation in Breast
Cancer Research; and my laboratory published on a kinome drug screen identifying multi-
tyrosine kinase inhibitor synergies and ERBB2 signalling as a therapeutic vulnerability in
MYC/TYR subgroup ATRTs in Neuro-Oncology.
We look forward to sharing future issues of Imagine with you as we strive to translate our
research observations into tangible clinical benefits for patients, both adults and children,
with brain tumours.
James T. Rutka OC, O Ont, MD, PhD, FRCSC, FRSC, FACS, FAANS
Director and Principal Investigator
The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre
ON THE COVER
Scenic view captured at Killarney
Mountain Lodge, the venue for the
2023 BTRC Scientific Retreat.