Title:
Assistant Professor

Institute:
Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal

Department:
Faculty of Pharmacy

Province:
Quebec

Training:
Postdoctoral fellow, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
PhD, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
BSc, UQAC, Chicoutimi, Quebecc, Canada

Research interests:
Tumor immunology and immunotherapy; ecto-nucleotidases, tumor metastasis

Recognitions and awards:
Sabourin Research Chair in gyneco-oncology

Career highlights:
Identification of the ecto-nucleotidase CD73 as a new target for breast cancer therapy.

Research Projects

Project title:
CD73-mediated chemoresistance in triple negative breast cancer

Funding period: 
2011-2013

Program:
Operating Grant (basic research)

Summary:
Triple negative breast cancer accounts for 12-24% of all breast cancers. This form of breast cancer is characterized by its aggressiveness, worse prognosis and lack of targeted therapies. Despite various treatment modalities, overall survival of patients diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer has only shown minimal improvements over the past 30 years. My work has recently shown that expression of a protein, called CD73, plays an important role in the progression and metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer. We now have preliminary data that suggest that CD73 inhibits chemotherapy. This project proposes to investigate the mechanism by which CD73 inhibits chemotherapy. We will also test if blockade of CD73, using a small-inhibitor or a monoclonal antibody, enhances breast cancer therapy.