Manitoba Ovarian Cancer Research Team (MOCR)
High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most common and lethal gynecological cancer worldwide. Due to the lack of early detection methods, HGSOC is typically diagnosed at advanced stages, when chemotherapy may be the only effective treatment option for patients. Unfortunately, the majority of patients experience relapse with chemotherapy-resistant disease contributing to survival rates that have changed little over the past ~40 years. These facts highlight an urgent need for novel insight and new treatment options to more effectively combat recurrent disease. To realize this goal, multidisciplinary research aimed at gaining a greater understanding of the mutated genes giving rise to chemotherapy resistant HGSOC is required before new prognostic or therapeutic strategies can be developed that exploit those origins to improve the lives of those women living with HGSOC.
We created the Manitoba Ovarian Cancer Research (MOCR) team from experts in cancer genetics, cell biology, computational biology, gynecologic oncology, and the health outcomes analytic expertise of the Manitoba Ovarian Cancer Outcomes (MOCO) study group. The team’s goal is to perform innovative HGSOC research in Manitoba to transform clinical potential for women diagnosed with sporadic or familial HGSOC. This is vital to develop innovative and personalized treatment strategies to improve the lives and outcomes of women living with HGSOC.
Team Members:
Dr. Mark Nachtigal, PhD (Co-Lead of MOCO and MOCR)
Senior Scientist; Research Institute in Oncology & Hematology CancerCare Manitoba
Associate Professor; Department of Biochemistry & Medical Genetics
Associate Professor; Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Manitoba
Dr. Kirk McManus, PhD (Co-Lead of MOCR)
Senior Scientist; Research Institute in Oncology & Hematology CancerCare Manitoba
Professor; Department of Biochemistry & Medical Genetics
College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Manitoba
Dr. Alon Altman, MD (Co-Lead of MOCO)
Member, Research Institute in Oncology & Hematology CancerCare Manitoba
Professor, Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Manitoba
Dr. Sarah Kean, MD, FRCSC
Assistant Professor – Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Dept of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences
College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences – University of Manitoba
Dr. Bernie Chodirker, MD, FRCPC, FCCMG
Medical Director of Genetics and Metabolism – Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
Professor – Departments of Pediatrics and Child Health, Biochemistry & Medical Genetics
College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences – University of Manitoba
Ms. Kim Serfas, BSc, MSc, CCGC
Genetic Counsellor – Hereditary Cancer Clinic Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
Lecturer - Department of Biochemistry & Medical Genetics
College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences – University of Manitoba
Dr. Pingzhao Hu, PhD
Affiliate Scientist, Research Institute in Oncology & Hematology CancerCare Manitoba
Assistant Professor of Bioinformatics - Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics
College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Manitoba
Dr. Janilyn Arsenio, PhD
Canada Research Chair in Systems Biology of Chronic Inflammation
Assistant Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine & Immunology
Rady Faculty of Health Science, Max Rady College of Medicine
University of Manitoba
Manitoba Centre for Proteomics and Systems Biology
Mr. Pascal Lambert; MSc
Health Outcomes Analyst, CancerCare Manitoba
Support for Research Provided By:
2020-2022: Cancer Research Society and Ovarian Cancer Canada (grant # 25040). “Exploring and exploiting aberrant RBX1 expression in high-grade serous ovarian cancer”. $60,000 per year (co-investigators Drs. Kirk McManus and Mark Nachtigal).
2020-2022: CancerCare Manitoba Foundation (CCMF). “Studies on the mechanism of action of L-diamino-based Glycosylated Antitumor Ether Lipids (GAELs) for the treatment of high grade serous ovarian cancer”. $75,000 per year (co-investigators Drs. Mark Nachtigal, Gilbert Arthur, Frank Schweizer and Kirk McManus).
2020-2022: University Collaborative Research Program (UCRP), and Faculty of Science Collaborative Research Program. Detection and investigation of drug resistance in ovarian cancer by electrochemistry. $37,000 (co-investigators Drs. Sabine Kuss and Mark Nachtigal).
2020-2021: University Research Grants Program (URGP). “Generating a mouse with floxed Skp1 to model human cancer conditions”. $10,000 (co-investigators Drs. Mark Nachtigal, Kirk McManus and Barb Triggs-Raine).
2019-2021: CancerCare Manitoba Foundation (CCMF) Multidisciplinary Team Research Operating Grant. “Examining the biomedical, clinical, and health outcome impacts of homology directed repair (HDR) in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC)”. $150 000 per year (co-investigators Drs. Kirk McManus, Mark Nachtigal, Alon Altman and Cyrille Bicamumpaka).
2018-2019: University of Manitoba bridge funding. Preclinical studies to develop L-glycosylated antitumor ether lipids (L-GAELs) as novel agents for the treatment of drug-resistant ovarian cancer. (co-investigators Drs. Gilbert Arthur, Mark Nachtigal, and Frank Schweizer) – completed
2017-2019: Cancer Research Society, Inc. “Investigating mechanisms of chromosomal instability in human ovarian cancer”. $60 000 per year (co-investigators Drs. Kirk McManus, Mark Nachtigal, and Cyrille Bicamumpaka) – completed
2017-2019: Diagnostic Services Manitoba Research and Innovation Grant. “Creating a new ovarian cancer pathology resource for research and innovation in Manitoba”. $15 000. (co-investigators Drs. Kirk McManus, Mark Nachtigal and Cyrille Bicamumpaka) – completed
5-Year Publications: (**indicates trainee)