Contact info
Liu Laboratory
University Health Network
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Ontario Cancer Institute
610 University Avenue, 7th floor Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 2M9
Lab Phone
(416) 946-4501, ext. 5620/5623
News
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January 2019
Dr. Xiao Zhao publishes a paper in Nature Metabolism, demonstrating that manipulating metabolism may curb skin fibrosis, a common side effect of radiation treatments affecting quality of life for cancer survivors.
December 2018
Pamela Psarianos' poster placed 2nd out of 115 across Ontario at Terry Fox Research Institute's Ontario Node Symposium. Congratulations!
November 2018
Dr. Xiao Zhao successfully defends his PhD!
October 2018
Congratulations to Dr. Pierre-Antoine Bissey on winning the 1st place Poster Prize at the 2018 RADIATE International Marie Sklodowska-Curie Meeting at the Institut Curie, Paris for his project, "MicroRNA associated with distant metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma target pathways that mediate cisplatin resistance".
Congratulations to Dr. Jennifer Kwan on receiving the 2018 UofT Postgraduate Research Award: Miriam Neveren Memorial Award and William S. Fenwick Research Fellowship.
May 2018
Dr. Pierre-Antoine Bissey publishes his paper "Dysregulation of the MiR-449b target TGFBI alters the TGFβ pathway to induce cisplatin resistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma" in Oncogenesis.
Pamela Psarianos wins the best oral presentation award at the 2018 James Lepock Memorial Symposium!
February 2018
Pamela Psarianos is awarded the 2018 Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America Toronto Chapter Symposium Best Poster Award - second year in a row! Congratulations, Pamela!
September 2017
Camilla Giovino is the Highest-Performing, Highly Commended Entrant in Medical Sciences from the US & Canada region. Congratulations on becoming a Regional Winner of the 2017 Undergraduate Awards!
June 2017
Dr. Fei-Fei Liu wins the Basic / Translational Science Abstract Award from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).
March 2017
Master's students Jennifer Kwan and Pamela Psarianos are each awarded the 2017 Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America Toronto Chapter Symposium Best Poster Awards.
December 2016
Master's student Pamela Psarianos, a member of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, performs with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra's Lord of the Rings production.
November 2016
Undergraduate research student Hilary Pang is among the top 10% in the Undergraduate Awards, the world's largest international academic awards program. She received an award to attend the Global Summit meeting in Dublin, Ireland. Congratulations Hilary!
July 2016
The Liu lab participates and volunteers at the 10th Annual Joe's Team triathlon/duathlon in Muskoka to raise funds for head and neck cancer research.
May 2016
Catch a glimpse of Pierre-Antoine Bissey and Aline Renoult in Breakfast Television's "Do you want to be a triathlete" segment for Joe's Team.
Camilla Giovino is the inaugural recipient of the Outstanding Achievement in Undergraduate Research Award in Human Biology at the University of Toronto.
April 2016
Dr. Xiao Zhao is awarded the prestigious Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Fellowship.
Jacqueline Law is awarded the F. Michael Barret Award at the 4th year Cell & Systems Biology poster session.
March 2016
Dr. Xiao Zhao is awarded the prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.
A paper by Drs. Scott Bratman and Jeff Bruce et al on HPV genotype and HNSCC survival is published in JAMA Oncol.
February 2016
A paper by Dr. Willa Shi et al on promotion of breast cancer progression by regulation of CRIP2 by miR-449a is published in Oncotarget.
New Website
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Welcome
The Liu Laboratory is a leader in head and neck cancer translational medicine at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre/Ontario Cancer Institute, the largest oncology treatment and research facility in Canada. The major goal of the lab is to innovate discoveries, which will benefit cancer patients. Our research is conducted with the highest standards of scientific rigour and integrity, in a collaborative manner, guided by mutual respect, courtesy, and consideration. In addition, the lab leads projects in breast and cervical cancer.
Our Research
We focus on several aspects of translational molecular oncology, including the development of biomarkers for head and neck cancers, high-throughput screens to identify novel anti-cancer therapeutics, and stem cell regenerative therapy. Using DNA, RNA, and protein extracted from diagnostic human cancer samples, we are in the process of conducting multi-omic global expression analyses. Preliminary data are very promising, and in addition to identifying multi-dimensional predictive/prognostic signatures for improving cancer patient management, we are also studying their related pathways and biological functions in preclinical models of human cancers. Automated robotic screens are being used to identify corresponding novel anti-cancer compounds, and characterization of these potential new therapeutics is underway. Finally, we are also interested in understanding how adipose derived stem cells may aid in tissue regeneration after treatment with ionizing radiation.
Our Team
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