Canadian Skin Research Conference

Dr. Ian Watson is a member of the Goodman Cancer Institute (GCI), an investigator at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), and an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at McGill University. He is a Canadian Research Chair II in functional genomics of melanoma, the Co-Chair for the melanoma disease working group for the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG) and the former Co-Chair for The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) melanoma project. In 2018, he co-led a successful Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI) Marathon of Hope Cancer Centre Network (MoHCCN) pilot project that brought together investigators from seven research institutes in Montreal to study mechanisms of immune therapy resistance. The TFRI MoHCCN program has since expanded into a national initiative bringing together clinicians and scientists across the country with the goal of leveraging big data breakthroughs to advance our understanding, diagnosis and treatment of cancer to significantly impact patient outcomes. Dr. Watson’s research program focuses on understanding targeted and immune therapy response mechanisms in melanoma. His lab utilizes an inter-disciplinary approach combining molecular characterization of melanomas and circulating immune cells, functional genomics, and bioinformatic approaches.

Chris McCulloch is professor of dentistry at the University of Toronto and since 1984 has contributed 335 papers, 150 presentations and 4 patents that relate to matrix biology and associated diseases of matrix disorders that affect human health. He uses animal models and cultured cells to examine and define fundamental regulatory circuits that define the function and mechanics of connective tissue matrices, particularly in the context of periodontal diseases. As a principal investigator on >25 MRC/CIHR research grants, he has developed and employed high resolution tools to define the contribution of fibroblasts in matrix remodeling in soft connective tissues. He has established a network of collaborators and trainees along with industrial partners to provide optimal support, know-how and reagents for the conduct of research focusing on how cell-matrix interactions help to define how inflammatory diseases contribute to matrix pathology.

Katie received her PhD in Developmental Biology from the University of Toronto and did her postdoc with Dr. Valentina Greco at Yale University, where she developed intravital imaging approaches track cell fate decisions in epidermal stem cells. In 2022, she started her independent group in the Department of Biochemistry at McGill. The Cockburn lab aims to understand how epidermal stem cells balance and pattern their fates during homeostatic tissue turnover and in response to environmental stress and injury.

Dr. Laurent Bozec, a distinguished biophysicist, is a full professor in the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto. He runs the Matrix Functionalization and Phenotyping Lab [MFP-Lab (or Bozec-lab)], which explores the relationship between collagen's structural and biomechanical properties at the nanoscale in health and diseases. The MFP-Lab has developed unique expertise worldwide to study the biophysics of connective tissue disorders and collagen engineering using primarily atomic force microscopy (AFM). The lab is currently leading an effort to define nanoscale structural biomarkers for collagen-specific connective tissue such as Ehlers-Danlos but has prior expertise in skin aging and glycation. Early in his career, he was the first microscopist to resolve the collagen triple helical structure with an AFM. From modeling the collagen fibrils as a nanoscale rope to exploring the advantageous role of glycation for tissue engineering, Dr. Bozec has managed to bridge the biophysics of collagen with clinical and tissue engineering applications for over 20 years. Among his more peculiar research interests is his long-standing expertise in parchment-based research (animal skin) for Cultural Heritage applications, for which the MFP-Lab is developing the field of conservation histology.

Dr. Laurent Bozec earned his Ph.D. from Lancaster University, UK, with a pioneering thesis on "Near-field Photothermal Fourier-Transform Micro-spectroscopy,” where he combined an Atomic Force Microscope with an Infrared Spectrometer for the first time. To follow his aspiration of working closely with clinicians, he transitioned his physics training to the Faculty of Medicine at UCL before settling permanently in Dentistry.

Dr. Laurent Bozec has published over 140 articles and graduated with 24 Ph. D.s, 12 Professional Doctorates in Dentistry, and 55 Master of Sciences candidates.

Laurent Bozec Profile | University of Toronto (utoronto.ca)

Dr. Liren Tang, received his PhD in 1995 in cell biology from University of British Columbia and was an associate scientist in skin research at the Department of Dermatology and Skin Science at UBC from 1998-2006. He joined Welichem, a Burnaby BC Canada - based biotech company in 2006 to lead its dermatologic therapeutics research program on the lead compound WBI1001 (also known as tapinarof, an aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist). Under Dr Tang’s leadership, Welichem completed four Phase I-II clinical trials (psoriasis and atopic dermatitis) and forged a strategic licensing agreement with GSK in 2012. Tapinarof received FDA approval in 2022, and has been used by psoriasis patients worldwide. In 2016, Dr Tang founded Resolvex Pharmaceuticals, Inc, where he continues to this date to develop novel therapeutics for the treatment of inflammatory diseases affecting the skin and other organ systems. His research focuses on novel stilbene derivatives and the next generation of AHR agonists.

Dr. Rachel Asiniwasis is a dermatologist and early career clinician researcher based in western Canada (her hometown of Regina, Saskatchewan). She is the founder of Origins Dermatology Centre, a combined multidisciplinary model that services both the general population and provides outreach clinics (in-person and virtual care) for underserviced remote and rural Indigenous (First Nations and Metis) communities. Rachel is of Plains Cree, Saulteaux and English background. She carries a Master’s of Science in Health Sciences in clinical and translational research, and has special interest in common inflammatory dermatoses (atopic dermatitis, psoriasis), virtual care, underserviced areas, holistic impact of skin disease, medical education, and translational interpretation and implementation of research with the ultimate goal of tangible health outcomes. She currently has active educational and research projects ongoing in the areas of inflammatory skin disease, virtual care, and Indigenous and rural health in western Canada.

Dr. Reetesh Bose is a Canadian, Board certified dermatologist. He is an active faculty member with the division of Dermatology, University of Ottawa and The Ottawa Hospital. He completed his Dermatology residency at the University of Ottawa. He is the director and founder of the Ottawa Skin of Colour Dermatology Clinic, one of the first in Canada, which runs out of the Civic Hospital in Ottawa and has been servicing the greater Ottawa community since December 2021. He has a special interest in Skin of Colour Dermatology and Vitiligo. He is a committee member for the Canadian Dermatology Association and The Ottawa Hospital, EDI committees.

Dr. David Mendes da Silva is a speaker, facilitator, and host of the Papa PhD Podcast. He holds a PhD in cell biology from the University of Coimbra (2003-2010) and has over 10 years of experience in medical and science communication within the pharma and health sciences sectors. Currently, he provides language services in the scientific and biomedical fields. In July 2019, he launched Papa PhD, a podcast focused on career paths after graduate school, which has since gained a global audience. He is passionate about science communication and creating multimedia projects centered around science and the scientific community.