Hepatobiliary/Pancreatic Surgical Oncology Program, Mount Sinai Hospital and UHN
Brief Bio
Dr. Steven Gallinger is a clinician-scientist, and surgical oncologist with an interest in gastrointestinal cancer genetics. As a Senior Investigator at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital, Dr. Gallinger studies the genetics of both inherited and acquired molecular aspects of colorectal and pancreatic cancer.
Dr. Gallinger's lab was one of the first to demonstrate that a gene mutation known as K-ras is present in early colorectal cancer cells. Dr. Gallinger and his team have also determined the sequence of molecular genetic events in Familial Adenomatous Polyposis. This has placed his lab at the forefront in the field of GI cancer genetics, both in Canada and internationally.
Dr. Gallinger also contributed to the international ARCTIC Genome Project that identified a gene variation associated with colorectal cancer--the first genetic predictor associated with common forms of colorectal cancer and a tool for future screening methods. Recently, his group also played a key role in an international team that identified four new genes for colorectal cancer. The study examined 38,710 genetic markers in 13,315 individuals from four countries. A total of 10 genes are now linked to colorectal cancer, and together these genes could predict up to a six-fold increase in the lifetime risk of developing this common disease. In addition, Dr. Gallinger is identifying and characterizing the early molecular events during the development of pancreatic cancer.
